Today was the first day they would try to find the descendant of Blackveil.

"Let's split up to gain more ground. Grey, you can go to the Grand Library this time and see if you can add onto what Lucy found yesterday, and you can return these documents." Erza handed Grey the papers from yesterday that Lucy brought back with her.

"Right." Grey nodded.

"Natsu, you can go around asking people again. You seemed succesful yesterday, so I'd like you to do the same. Try asking people about recent travelers arriving in the area."

"Gotcha." Natsu slammed his fist into his palm.

Erza turned to Lucy. "Lucy, go to the museum and ask the assistant when the staff started acting up, so we can get a specific date. Ask her other necassary questions as well; that might help."

Lucy nodded and smiled, giving Erza a thumbs up.

"I'll be heading to the mayor's building, to ask him about his information on the staff." Erza replied, sticking out her hand. "Good luck, all of you."

They all nodded determidly and put their hands over Erza's. Throwing their hands in the air, they split up in different directions, and set to work.

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Lucy opened the doors to the museum, and saw the same assistant from two days ago sitting behind the front desk.

"Excuse me?" She noticed for the first time the name tag on the assistant's shirt. "Excuse me, April Warner?"

April's head shot up from her paper work, recognizing her name. "Oh, it's you Lucy. What brings you here?"

"I'd like to ask you a few questions, if that's okay."

"Sure thing, just give me a second..." April put her papers away, and came out form behind the desk.

They walked over to a lounging area, and April smiled. "So what's this all about?"

"I'm getting different peices of information in trying to stop the mischief of the Fire Light. So, I need to ask you a few questions to help clear the path a little bit."

April nodded. "Alright. Whatever will help stop it, I'll help in any way I can."

Lucy smiled, relieved. "First off, when did the staff first start acting of it's own accord?"

April thought for a moment. "About a few months ago, after we had it in out possesion for a week or so."

"I see. Did anyone new come into the museum?"

"What do you mean?" April asked surprisingly.

"Was there any new employees around the time it started acting up?" Lucy restated for her.

"No, I don't think so. There was no information about a new employee, and this town is really social, so everyone would know even if a normal traveler came passing through."

That must mean the Blackveil descendant must have gotten here without anyone knowing. Because he couldn't have been here already, otherwise the staff would have started to act as soon as it got here in the area. 

Lucy bit her lip.

"Oh wait." April replied, scratching her head, trying to recall her memory.

"What?"  Lucy asked, puzzled.

"I remember Mr. Coen coming in to replace someone around the time the staff started acting up..."

Lucy gasped.  He's the one?!

"My, my."

Lucy jerked her head backwards fearfuly, seeing Coen standing mysteriously a few feet away from them. She scootched back in her seat. "Coen." Lucy replied. She stood suddenly, and shoved April away. "Get out of here, April!"

"W-What? Lucy..." April wandered off, seeing the commanding look in Lucy's eyes.

"Just do it, April. Trust me." Lucy whispered.

April hesitated, but then nodded and walked quickly out the door.

Lucy turned back to Coen and scowled. "You're him, aren't you?" She whispered.

Coen cocked his head to the side. "My dear, I have no idea what you mean."

"Don't play dumb with me! Your Blackveil's Descendant, aren't you? Aren't you?!"  Lucy screamed in his face.

Mr. Coen's face suddenly turned dark and evil, and a strange black aura enveloped his body.  He smiled slyly, and tendrils of darkness rushed at her and wrapped around her ankles and arms.  "I'd appreciate it if you'd stay out of my face."  He replied.

Lucy growled, and fought against the strange black limbs that held her to the ground. "Let me go!" She yelled. A strange gold light appeared, and the black tentacles fell back into the shadows.

Coen watched them with puzzlement. "Seems they don't want to participate just yet, for some odd reason." He charged at her, and Lucy rolled out of the way before he could hit her.

Coen raised his hand, and darkness swirled around his fingers. they flew after Lucy like jets of blades, and slammed into the ground when Lucy jumped out of the way.

"I need to bring out a spirit..." Lucy mumbled, pulling out the key that belonged to Taurus.

"Oh, I don't think so." Coen replied, and stuck out his hand in her direction.

Expecting more dark blades to appear in front of her, she was on her toes. But, unexpectedly, the same black tentacles shot out from the shadows and grabbed her hand that held Taurus' key.

"What?" Lucy exclaimed, trying to swing her arm to release Taurus. "I-I can't use magic with these things wrapped around my wrists!" More tentacles shot out from the shadows, and wrapped around her waist and ankles. They thrust Lucy backwards, and into the wall behind her. With a cry, she leaned over and coughed up blood.

More blades flew towards her from Coen's hands, and they skimmed her clothing and her cheek as they jammed into the wall behind her.

"Now," Coen replied, resting his hands infront of him formally. "I must destroy the evidence."

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Natsu was leaving a group of people when he saw the same assistant from the museum running through the croud.

"Hey, Happy. You see that?" He pointed out to his friend.

Happy turned and looked over at her. "It's the assistant from yesterday!  And.. She looks scared, Natsu.  Did something happen to Lucy?"

"I don't know..." Natsu replied, and started to walk towards her. He managed to get infront of April before she ran by, and April came to a skidding stop. "Yo. You mind telling me what's wrong?" Natsu asked, looking at the terrified assistant.

"T-The library!"  She choked out, falling to the ground in exhaustion.

Natsu flinched, realization dawning on him.

"Natsu!  Wasn't Lucy assigned to the Library?" Happy asked worredly.

"April, what's going on at the Library! Tell me!" Natsu yelled, getting down to eye level.

"T-The Library... The manager, Mr. Coen, he... He's a monster, and he's hurting Lucy!"

"What?" Natsu asked fearfuly.

"Hurry Natsu, let's go! Lucy needs our help!" Happy replied, flying in tight circles.

"Right!"

-----------------------------------------------------

Lucy jumped out of the way of another attack from Coen, panting heavily on one knee. She was able to free herself from the wall before the blades stabbed her, but a tentacle had itself stuck around her ankle, so she couldn't use any magic.

"My my, you sure are a nuisance," Coen replied slyly. His appearance had changed. His eyes were a deep black, no white or anything. He had a dark aura around his body, and black mist was swirling around his hands.

Lucy cringed, and pulled out her Etoile Fleuve. It burst into life, falling to the ground in wringlets. Good, at least this somehow still works... She thought, turning to scowl at Coen.  She rushed at him, and thrust her Etoile Fleuve towards his arms. If I can grab his hands, I might have a chance...  She suddenly stopped, because Coen grabbed hold of the Etoile Fleuve and it burst into shards, falling to the ground. She couldn't summon it back up at all; it felt like someone put a seal on it.

"Listen, girl." Coen hissed. "I've studied up on you and your guild, alright? I know all of your tricks." He thrust more blades at Lucy, and she ran out of the way as they slammed into the wall, exploding and making a huge hole.

Realizing this was her opportunity, she dove through the wall and crashed into the ground. She coughed, and stood up as quickly as possible, running towards the entrance to the city. I have to get him as far away from the city as possible! She thought, running through the city yelling to the citizens to run and to get out of the way.

With incredible speed, Coen followed her close behind. Lucy saw he was following her, and she hoped he would because she didn't think Coen would want her to blow his cover. But, she thought incredilously, isn't he blowing his cover now?  With a gasp, she realized no one was paying attention to Coen, just her.

Is Coen invisible?  She looked around her, and saw the citizens were looking at her like she was crazy. He must be. Otherwise they would be running all over the place. Lucy clenched her teeth. So that's why he so easily decided to follow me.  Going down an alleyway, she came to a deserted part of the town. She turned, panting, and waited for Coen to appear.

He didn't.

Lucy waited, but nothing appeared.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Lucy replied, looking around. She fell to the ground, panting heavily. In her fight with Coen, she got a nasty slash on her arm, and it was bleeding down her arm and onto her hand, to the ground. Her head was bleeding down her forehead and down her eye and cheek from slamming against the wall. He's here somewhere. She thought. He's just waiting for a good oportunity.

"Lucy!"

She didn't look up, because she realized who's voice that was.

Natsu, horrified, came to her side and dropped to the ground next to her, seeing her bleeding on her forehead and arm. He rested his hand against her shoulder. "What happened Lucy? I heard from a villager that you were bring attacked by-"

"Coen." Lucy murmured. "Coen is Blackveil's descendant."

Natsu was stunned, but he grabbed Lucy's arm and draped it over his shoulder, using his body to support Lucy's as he helped her stand.

"How.. did you.. find me?" Lucy asked, starting to gain her breath back.

"That assistant girl from the library told me you and Coen were going at it, so I ran to help. When you weren't there, I simply followed your scent."

Lucy smiled gratefully. "Glad you're here. Where...Where's Happy?"

"I sent him to go find Erza and Grey."

Lucy nodded. "Be careful, Natsu. He's hiding in the shadows."

Natsu tensed, and looked around him cautiously.

"Well, looks like Natsu made it just in time."

Lucy jerked her head up to see Coen walking towards them, and Natsu flinched. "That's Coen?" He asked, disbelief written on his face.

"Uhuh.." Lucy scowled, trying to stand on her own. "I'm okay. We have to take down Coen. I know his plans now."

"You do?" Coen taunted.

Natsu looked at Lucy with concern, and Lucy growled, struggling to stand upright. "He's planning to not just take down the guilds, but take down this city and all the others."

After a moment of surprise, Natsu scowled and slammed a fist into his palm, stepping forward. "Yeah, well, I'm here now, so that's not going to happen."

Coen chuckled. "You may be a Dragon Slayer boy, but you are no match for me."

Natsu grinned evily. "Yeah well, you're going to regret hurting Lucy, got it?"

Coen smiled slyly. "We'll see. Now, show me what you've got, Dragon Slayer!" He exclaimed, raising his hands in preparation.