As the last remains of the battle god fell down around them, Lucy couldn't help but feel a growing sense of something deep within her. She already felt a sense of pride at taking out Mary with a swift punch to the stomach but this was something more; something more meaningful than vengeance. Her thoughts were interrupted when she caught sight of someone familiar and dear to her.
"Levy-chan!" The words escaped as she caught a glimpse of her close friend for the first time in a year.
"Lu-chan?"
"So the rumours were true!" Lucy exclaimed. She had heard that a certain script mage had joined the magic council but wasn't 100% sure they were true. And she had no idea that Gajeel had also signed up as well. At first the idea seemed funny but when he started yelling out charges to everyone there, including her and her Taurus star dress, she actually thought it was a good fit, embarrassed as she was.
All around her, members of the guild were re-connecting. Gray was talking to Levy, Erza was jumping to conclusions, Wendy and Carla were catching up with the others and Lucy found herself overcome with a feeling she didn't think she would feel again.
Family.
Her family was all around her, had fought beside her and showed no signs of ever leaving again. She even overheard Happy exclaim, "It feels like we are back in the guild again!" to which a silent blush fell on her face.
She wasn't sure what might come their way after today but she knew that the pain and loneliness of the past year, while not absent, had been put at bay for now. It didn't need to be dwelt upon anymore.
As Juvia came her way to talk, she stole a glance at the pink-haired boy who had brought such joy to everyone and blushed a little bit more. There was a conversation that still needed to happen but she couldn't shake the feeling that the past few weeks while arduous, dangerous and full of dark magic were a result of Natsu trying to apologize for his absence. If that was true, then Natsu had gathered the guild back together for her. Her blush darkened even further.
Thankfully with the sudden arrival of Frosch, all attention shifted to Gray and Lucy was able to hide her blush as it slowly faded. She then turned and looked upon Gray and Frosch and everybody surrounding them and drifted off into a wonderful sensation of pure joy. Her family was back together once more.