Prologue

Always

"Natsu there's too many of them! What do we do!?" A little blonde girl yelled holding a huge stick in her hands. She was barefoot, her hair messed up from all the running around, and grass stains on her clothes and dirt on her cheeks from being on the ground. She currently was with a little pink haired boy who also had a stick in his hand but had way more grass stains on his clothes and dirt on him. However, neither of them seem to care about their appearances very much as they both smiled and stood back to back.

"No worries Lucy, we can take them!"

"But last time they beat me and captured me remember?" little Lucy said sending a worried look towards the boy.

"That won't happen this time" little Natsu confidently stated.

"How do you know that?"

Natsu looked over at her and smiled"Because this time you have me and I won't let them hurt you!"

Lucy smiled "Okay!"

Natsu's smile widen and he looked forward "ready!?"

"Ready!" Lucy replied tightening the hold on her stick.

"GO!" Natsu yelled and both of them sprung forward swing their swords in thin air. They did this for a while shouting out "take this and that!" As they swung their stick in a different location every time, hitting the imaginary bad guys.

Sometimes, being back to back and pretending they were taking a bunch of them with a combo move. When really they were just swing their sticks at the same time. They did this for several minutes until it came to an end with Lucy signature move.

"Luuuccy kick!" Lucy yelled while kicking the thin air and Natsu cheered.

"Yeah Lucy! You got the last one!"

Lucy smiled "thanks, you did great to!"

Natsu smiled "did you see that one move I pulled that took out five guys at once?!"

"I did see it, it was awesome! I'm so lucky to have a skilled dragon slayer by my side."

Natsu blushed and scratched the back of his head "Well I couldn't have done it without my partner!"

Lucy looked around "where is Happy?"

Natsu looked around to not noticing his partners absences till now "I don't know, I thought I just saw him."

"Happy?" Lucy said looking around still.

"Happy!" Natsu yelled.

"Up here!"

Natsu and Lucy looked up when they heard the voice and found a small blue cat that had small white wings coming out of his back, flying right above them.

"Happy!?" Both of them yelled as the blue cat's wings disappeared and he landed on Natsu's head. However, the other two were nervously looking around to see if anyone had seen him. When they were sure no one had saw him they let out sign.

"Happy how many times do we have to tell you not to use your wing?!" Lucy scolded,

"If someone sees you Happy they'll turn you in and we won't be able to save you" Natsu said looking up at the blue creature worriedly.

"I'm sorry but Natsu was swing that sword everywhere, if I didn't move he was going to hit me!" Happy replied and he started to tear up as he looked at Lucy. Lucy watched the cat for a few seconds before sighing and looked at Natsu.

"I guess it's fine since no one saw him."

"I guess, just be more careful next time" Natsu mumbled and Happy smiled.

"Aye sir!"

"What to go on another adventure?" Lucy asked hopefully.

Natsu smiled and picked up his sword he had dropped earlier "where should we go next Luce?"

Lucy was about to reply but before she could she was interrupted by someone calling her name.

"Lucy where are you?! It's times for your lessons!" A male voice called out.

Lucy frowned "aw it's already that time of day?"

Natsu also frowned "I guess so, you should just skip it and play with us."

Lucy shook her head "I can't Aquarius is teaching me today. She'll eat me alive if I skip her lesson."

Natsu pouted "I guess you're right."

"Aw Lucy's leaving us again?" Happy winned.

Lucy smiled "yeah but I'll be back tomorrow and I'll get to play more because my history teacher is sick. I'm sure Natsu will keep you company until then, won't you Natsu?"

Natsu smiled "sure will."

"See, so behave for him and don't use your wings okay?"

"Aye Sir!" Happy replied sluttuing making Lucy giggled.

"See you two tomorrow!" Lucy yelled before running off to the orange haired male with tinted glasses who was calling for her. Halfway there she seemed to have forgotten something because she stopped and turned around. She cupped her hand around her mouth although she bet he'd her without them and yelled "Don't you dare go on another adventure without me!"

Natsu smiled and yelled back "We won't, I promise!"

Lucy's grin widened and she waved goodbye to them before turning back around and running over to the orange haired male. Natsu and Happy could hear him scolding Lucy for not coming the first time he called and getting dirty before one of her lessons. Lucy apologized and they both watched Lucy and the man slowly disappear into the castle.

"So what do you want to do Happy?" Natsu asked

"How come Lucy always leaves us?" Happy asked as Natsu picked up Lucy's stick she had dropped and put it behind a tree with his so they knew where they were tomorrow.

"Happy I already told you, she's the princess and there's certain things she has to do because of it. Like take all those lessons and go away to other kingdoms sometimes. It's her duty as the future queen."

"Lucy doesn't seem to like doing her duty most of the time" Happy said.

"Well sometimes you have to do what you don't want to because it's the right thing to do" Natsu replied walking in the opposite direction Lucy had gone.

"Hey Natsu?"

"Hmm?"

"What's my duty?"

Natsu thought about it for a second not sure what to tell his furry friend. He tried to think how Lucy would answer knowing she was better at these kind of things than him.

"Your duty is to be happy."

"But I am Happy" Happy replied confused and Natsu chuckled.

"No I meant the emotion happy."

"Oh, so what do I have to do?"

"Your job is to stay happy and try to make others happy."

"That's it?"

"Yep it's a pretty big job, think you're up to it?"

"Aye Sir!"

"Good, now about some fishing?"

"As long as I get to eat what you catch!"

The two start heading to the pond, neither saying a thing. Nasu thinking about where would be the best spot to fish at while Happy thinks about how it will taste. It wasn't until they were almost there when Happy spoke again.

"Hey Natsu?"

"Hmm?"

"Will Lucy always be our friend and never leave us?"

Natsu frowned and looked up at his blue friend "Why do you ask Happy?"

"You said she's going to be queen, so she'll probably get really busy and have no time to play with us. With Lucy stop playing with us? Will Lucy stop being our friend?"

Natus went silent for a moment knowing Happy was right. Lucy will get more busy someday and have little time to have fun like now. Their time together with be cut shorter and they may not see each other often. But did that mean she'd stop being her friend and forget about them?

"I think Lucy will always be our friend, and that she won't ever forget us when she gets busy" Natsu answered honestly after a moment of thinking it over.

"You better believe I won't!"

Natsu spun around and Happy almost fell off his head not expecting the sudden movement. "Lucy?!" They both exclaimed as they both watch her run towards them.

Lucy smiles and stops when she's in front of them. She's breathing heavy and has a few stains added to her clothing but she doesn't seem to mind as she continues to beam at them. "I got away from Loke!"

Natsu frowns "I thought you couldn't skip today?"

Lucy shrugs "It's to nice of a day to stay inside."

"What about Aquarius, won't she get really mad?"

Lucy shrugs again "Probably but you'll come and save me if she tries to eat me alive won't you?"

Natsu smiled and nods his head. "Always."

Lucy smiles widens "so where were you two heading?"

"Natsu was going to catch me some fish!" Happy replies and Lucy looks up at him.

"Then let's go before Loke finds me!"

The three head to the lake, arriving a few minutes later, and Natsu retrieved the fishing poles they hide nearby. The two fish for a while as Happy watches when Natsu catches the first fish. Lucy watches Natsu taking the fish off his hock in silence, keeping a close on her pole in case she gets a bit. It's not until Natus gives Happy the fish does she speak up.

"What about you guys? Will you always be my friends? Even when I'm not around often?"

Natsu looks up from the hook he was putting a warm on. "Yeah, we'll always be your friend Luce." Happy nodded his head with the fish in his mouth.

"You won't forget me?"

Natsu shook his head "Never." Happy nodded again to show he agreed with Natus.

Lucy smiled "I promise not to forget you guys either then!"