~X~

Lucy looked around. She didn't know where she was. It was a land littered with dead bodies and destroyed buildings. A thick layer of smoke covered the place and the sky seemed red. It looked as if there was a war.

"Igneel!" a voice called out. "Where did you go?" Lucy turned to a young boy crouching on the ground holding another person. She slowly walked over just as the boy cried out again.

"Igneel! Come back!" Lucy's eyes widen.

It was Natsu. A very young Natsu.

He was holding a small child no more than about four years old. Looking into the child's eyes Lucy could see it was herself curled up and clenching tightly to Natsu. Scarred.

Natsu turned around and looked at her. His little eyes went wide as he looked back to the Lucy in his arms now gone.

"What?" Lucy started to drift away from the younger Natsu. "Wait!" he yelled out to her. Lucy wasn't moving but Natsu steadily got father and father from her. He took off running towards her reaching out to grab her hand.

"Lucy!" suddenly he was back to his normal age running towards her. Lucy then felt herself falling. Her hair was flowing around her face as she feel backwards into a sea of nothing. Natsu jumped after her but was stopped by something grabbing him. The younger Natsu.

Lucy dark spots started to cloud her vision. She eyes closed.

To nothing.

~X~

It was the dream she had the night before her mission with Lissanna. She had a bad feeling of what was going to happen today, but it didn't stop her from getting up and throwing on clothes to meet the takeover mage at the train station. Something wanted to pull her back or make an excuse on why she shouldn't go on the mission but she was dying to know the other mage a little more than she did from memories told by Natsu or Mira. Who knows, maybe she would become good friends with the other mage.

After throwing her duffle bag over her shoulder and lacing up her black boots, she opened her front door and started on her way. It came across Lucy the day before that Lisanna needed someone to go along with her on a mission she was planning on going when Juvia wouldn't be able to make it. Lucy took the opportunity and offered her assistance. Lisanna gladly accepted and asked for them to meet up the following day.

Walking into the busy train port, she looked around and spotted the silver haired girl sitting and looking down at a sheet of paper. Lucy walked over and set her bag down on the seat beside her. Lisanna looked up and smiled.

"Lucy, Good morning!" she said, "I already bought the tickets so we could board whenever its announced." Lucy took the ticket and smiled.

"You didn't have to buy mine." She said. Lissanna just shrugged.

"It was the least I could do for you, Thanks for joining me on the mission." Lucy just waved the other woman off.

"It's my pleasure."

After talking to the Client, a short, plump fellow, they started off to their destination. Lucy looked around as they started into the woods. The job was on the simple side, find a few bandits that have been attacking random villagers, defeat them and the mage over them, and off to jail they go. She didn't think it would be difficult, normally the mages over these guys were pretty pathetic which is why they only attacked people who weren't mages. If only the world wasn't so clichéd.

"This is where they normally come from," Lissanna said, repeating what the client told them, "but I don't see anyone."

Lucy looked around one more time before she grinned. "Give it a second." A moment went by and before they knew it they were surrounded by bandits, "And here they are."

Lisanna quickly changed into her tigress take over and charged at a few bandits. "You take that side and I'll get these guys, Lucy"

Lucy took out a key and nodded. "Alright. Open gate of the bull! Taraus!" cowbells sounded the woods and golden light surrounded the two female mages until a large bull stood in its place. He threw his axe back and charged at a few of the bandits they were fighting.

"Ohhhhh! Lucy! Nice body!" he yelled knocking a few more bandits out.

Lucy shook her head and called her next spirits. "Open gate of the twins! Gemini!" two blue spirits showed up and transformed into Lucy.

"Oi! We're ready princess!" they sent Lucy's whip flying to the bandits, grabbing two, and sending them into the sky for Taraus to take care of, which he did knocking them out.

The real Lucy latched onto a nearby tree branch and swung into the bandits as they tried to take her down with random blasts and attacks. Her legs drew back then flew back up into a Lucy kick, sending her four bandits into a tree. Smiling at her success, Lucy turned to her right to see her spirits finishing off the rest.

After thanking them and sending her spirits back she went over to make sure her partner was doing just as fine. Lisanna was fine with only a scratch or two as she knocked out her last one. She took a step back and sighed. "There was a lot more than I thought" she said

Lucy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but we're not done." Just then the ground began to shake and beneath them the earth broke apart making the girls fall in. Lucy grabbed Lissanna and threw her whip up to a nearby three branch. Pulling them up back onto the ground she turned around for the person responsible. From behind a tree a large puppet like doll charged at them with green poison seeping out of his mouth. Lissanna changed again with two bird arms as she swung them back before Lucy called out Scorpio his sand blaster mixing with Lisanna's wind attack. The puppet was throw back but not defeated as he charged after them again.

"Lisanna!" Lucy looked over to her partner and pointed to the strings the puppet was attracted to. "You get rid of this puppet by those strings and I'll find the person behind it. " Lisanna nodded and Lucy took off following the path the string created. They dipped down to the ground so the controller was too far behind.

Calling Loke out, they found it was a woman with rings on each finger, the strings connected to them. She looked as if she was doll herself with her mouth sewed shut and small patches attached to her skin. Loke lit up his fingers as Lucy swung her whip back latching it to the woman just as the strings broke. Lucy smiled as she knew Lisanna had took care of the other puppet. Loke threw his fist at the woman but she turned into smoke surprising him. Lucy's whip fell to the ground as she looked around for her.

Loke turned around and started after Lucy with a frantic look on his face. "Lucy! Behind you!" he yelled. Lucy turned just in time to see the woman's claw like finger nails sink into her arm. She cried out in pain and tumbled back. Loke caught her but was taken out by the woman, her other hand through his chest.

He winced as he looked down at Lucy. "I'm sorry, princess" then he disappeared. Lucy cursed under her breath and rolled away from the woman's claws aiming for her one again. She rolled into a tree and used it to help herself up. Her arm wasn't useful with the loss of blood and pained her to move it.

"Lisanna!" she yelled. There was no reply as she took off running in the other mage's direction, the clawed woman right behind her. Ducking past tree branches and jumping over logs she finally made it to the takeover mage passed out on the ground with a pool of blood around her. "LISSANNA!" Lucy fell to the ground beside her and looked for the source of the blood forgetting the woman still after her.

"AH!" she cried out as the nails sunk into her back and to her chest. Lucy fell to the ground beside Lisanna and coughed up a little blood. She looked up as the woman drew her arm back to finish them off but never got to.

"Iron dragon roar!" Lucy watched as the woman was sent into a tree by the powerful attack. Lucy looked over to see Panterlilly grabbing Lisanna up over his shoulder.

"Don't worry Lucy, Gajeel will handle this" he said and running off to get Lisanna to safety when the puppet appeared and tried to attack him too. Gajeel jumped out and threw an iron bar at its head, shattering it and the body falling to the ground. He turned to the woman as she tugged herself towards him like a zombie just coming out of the grave. He quickly got rid of her before he turned to Lucy.

"Bunny, are you alright?" he said grabbing her arm. She winced and he let go. "Damn, you're battered up pretty bad," he turned to Lilly who was waiting for him by the path back into town "We should hurry and get them back to the hotel." The exceed nodded as Gajeel picked up Lucy's weak form and started back into town.

Gajeel wrapped the bandage around Lucy's arm gently before tying it tight. Lucy hissed at the pain that shot through her arm and flinched a little. He looked up at her and frowned at the pain he was causing her. "Sorry, gotta tie it tight to stop the bleeding." He said. "Do you want me to wrap the one on your chest?" Lucy nodded, not trusting her words at the moment.

He grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it up, being careful not to hurt her am too much in the process. When it was finally off, he narrowed his eyes at the deep cuts right above her breasts. "What were you guys doing in the forest?" he said grabbing the roll of bandages pulling some off before he stared to wrap it around her chest, under arms, and around her back then around again until it stopped at her bra line.

"Mission" she said looking away. "I was on a mission with Lisanna." He cut the strap of the bandage and put the roll back after tying knot in the one wrapped around Lucy. "Thank you, Gajeel" he nodded before he looked in her bag, which he had to get from her room, to retrieve a shirt. Luckily she and Lisanna were staying at the same hotel as them. He frowned when he didn't see one he was looking for and just grabbed one from his. He walked back over and draped the black button up shirt over her shoulders letting her pull her arms through herself, being easy not to hurt her wounded one. "Is Lisanna ok?" she asked.

"Yeah, Lilly is taking care of her." He said. "She blacked out from the loss of blood but she should be fine after some rest." He started with the buttons, buttoning them up starting with the top. "You shouldn't put any more pressure of your back, those cuts are pretty deep. When I get you back to the guild, we'll see Wendy." Lucy nodded as he finished the last one. "Get some sleep, when you wake up, I'll take you back to the guild."

"Thank you, Gajeel" he looked up at her one last time in the eyes before gently pushing her back onto the bed.

"Stop thanking me, I owed you." Then he smirked. "Get some sleep, bunny"

~X~

Lucy was in the guild hall looking at herself in front of another person. "Stop being pathetic, Lucy" The person said. The Lucy in the dream looked away before a hand gripped her shoulder pulling her back into a body.

"She told you she tried her best, it's not her fault. Give it a break, dang"

"That doesn't cover up the fact that she didn't have lisanna's back, if they fought together this wouldn't have happened."

"That's enough, Lucy get some more rest" with that her team walked out. Lucy felt stupid. Maybe he was right she should have left Lisanna alone in the middle of a fight.

The scene stared to fade away as it was replaced with another.

~X~

Now she was with a different person. He was looking down at her with a smile. "Don't give up, I'll be there for you Lucy that's what friends are for right. How about we go on a mission? I'll help you get stronger. You up for it Blondie?"

The Lucy in the dream smiled. "Thanks _" Lucy couldn't understand what she said as the scene changed again.

~X~

She was falling again. She opened her eyes looking up into red ones staring back at her. Her hand in his pulled between the two of them "Gajeel?" she asked. He leaned in to kiss her forehead but he disappeared before he was replaced by Natsu, a glare on his face.

"You should have been there" he said and he let go of her hand then pushed her back into a faster fall.

She screamed.

No one heard her.

She was alone.

~X~

Opening her eyes Lucy stared up at the ceiling. she let out a breath just as she felt an arm draped around her. Turning to her right Gajeel's red eyes locked on her. She screamed kicking back in the bed and sitting up against the head board. Her back hit it and she winced in pain.

"Oi, chill it's just me" Gajeel said sitting up. Lucy calmed down. Gajeel frowned at her tilting his head to the side. He leaned in and reach his hand up and whipped something off her face. "What's wrong, why are you crying?" her face inches away from his tinted pink with a blush.

She looked away wiping away at her eyes. "I'm sorry" she said. "You just surprised me." Gajeel slowly nodded and pulled the covers off of her before grabbing her and lifting her off the bed. "What are you doing, put me down, I can walk on my own two feet." She said. Gajeel ignored her as he wrapped his arm under her backside and opened the door.

"I'm getting Lilly so we can go, he stayed with Lisanna to make sure she was alright." That was all he said as he stared down the hall. Lucy watched as people turned and looked at them as they passed. She sighed as she buried her face into Gajeel's shoulder as if it was shield from them. Gajeel knocked on a door as Lucy lifted her head. Lilly opened it and let them in.

Lisanna was on the bed sleep, her chest raising and falling slowly. "How is she?" Gajeel asked. Lilly shook his head.

"She hasn't woken up once." He said. Lucy frowned, she knew this was her fault. Maybe it was like the voice in her dream, she should have fought with her.

"We're leaving now, Lucy needs to see Wendy, and she should too." Lilly slowly nodded.

"Alright, we'll rent a car and get them to the guild. Are you alright Lucy?" Lucy nodded. "Good, get her down to the lobby Gajeel, I'll handle Strauss." Gajeel turned and walked out after throwing his hand up and closing the door behind him.

"You can put me down Gajeel" Lucy said. He ignored her again as he grabbed the bags out of his room and throwing them over his other shoulder, his jaw set.

"I'm not, so stop asking, bunny." she did.

After making to the guild Lisanna was quickly taken up to the infirmary and Wendy immediately started to tend to Lucy's chest and arm then up the stairs to Lisanna. Lucy hadn't said a word since they made it and only answered questions with a small nod or shake of her head. She was worrying. She was upset with herself for not being there for Lisanna. Gajeel hadn't left her side and for the most part kept quiet himself.

Soon, Wendy came back down from the second floor with a sadden expression. Natsu stood up and walked over to her.

"What happened? Is she alright?" he asked. Wendy bit her lip and looked away from his concerned face.

"She lost a lot a blood" she said slowly.

"And" Natsu ushered. Gajeel frowned over at him.

"Don't pile her with questions Natsu, chill" he said. Natsu didn't even try to reply to him, his focus was on the little dragon slayer in front of him.

Wendy covered her face with her hands and apologized. "She's in a coma right now, I did what I could but I'm afraid she won't wake up" Natsu stood stunned before he clenched his teeth.

Lucy stood up and started for the stairs, she felt she had to see the other woman. Maybe somehow, some kind of miracle would happen and she would wake up. She knew it was crazy, but this whole scene was. She was just trying to make another friend and yet lost the opportunity the moment she left her side.

Making it to the stairs Natsu stopped her. "You're not going anywhere, you've got some explaining to do." Lucy looked away from his angered face. She dropped her head and took a step back. "Lucy why the heck did you walk away."

"I didn't walk away" she shot back. "I just- I was just… I tried my best to protect her."

Natsu slammed his fist onto the railing of the stairs. Lucy flinched. "Stop being pathetic, Lucy" Lucy looked down to the ground as she felt some form of Déjà vu. A hand grabbed hers pulling her back behind them.

"She told you she tried her best, it's not her fault. Give it a break, damn" Lucy looked to Gajeel glaring at Natsu.

"That doesn't cover up the fact that she didn't have lisanna's back, if they fought together this wouldn't have happened." Natsu pushed past Gajeel and walked out of the guild without another word.

Gajeel looked back at Lucy, but she didn't say anything as she stared down to her feet. He racked a hand through his hair and sighed. "I'll take you home. Come on" he nudged her out the guild hall with his arm around her shoulders. she pulled away and shook her head. Gajeel grabbed her hand. "Don't fight me, Lucy" Lucy didn't pull away anymore, she gave up and let him walk her home.

She felt that helpless.

Lucy sat on the floor of her room and looked down at her feet. Gajeel was with her but he didn't say anything. She pulled her legs up and hugged them to her chest as she felt the warm cloth move up and down her back slowly.

"Does this hurt?" Gajeel asked as he rung out the towel before dipping it back in the soapy water to only ring it out again. Lucy shook her head. Gajeel brought the towel back up to her back and slowly cleaned the dried blood from her cuts.

Her front door opened and Erza tugged in with Gray. "Lucy?" she called to her friend. Lucy covered her face by burring it in the shirt Gajeel gave her earlier. She used it to cover the front part of her body as he cleaned the blood from her back. Gajeel stood up and took the water to the sink before pouring it out. Gray walked in and narrowed his eyes at him.

"Why are you here?" he asked. Gajeel shrugged.

"Just taking care of bunny" was all he said before disappearing into the bathroom. Gray watched him go before turning back to Lucy.

Erza walked over to her and placed a hand on her bare shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Lucy picked her head up and smiled at her red haired friend. "I'm okay. Hey Gray." Gray walked over and sat beside her, pulling her into a hug.

"Are you really ok?" Lucy cringed. Erza sat beside her and held her hand.

"We're not going to be like Natsu and blame you for everything. We understand what happened wasn't your fault."

Gray nodded. "You can let out whatever your feeling." Lucy could feel her eyes tear up and then just let them go crying out in defeat. She gave up on the pointless fight to hold them back and let them slid down Gray's chest and fall to Erza's hand covering up her own.

Gajeel stood in the bathroom and listen to her. He knew it was better for her friends to take care of her. So he left without a word. He wasn't needed there and he didn't even know why he stuck around. He wasn't close enough to Lucy to take care of her the way her friends did. He was better off just looking over her from afar. Lucy needed the space to let everything process. And that's what he did, let her have her space.

When Lucy fell asleep, Gray lifted her up and put her in the bed. Turning to Erza, he sighed. She looked back knowing what he was thinking and thought it was better for the words to go unspoken. "I'll stay here" she said. "Go ahead and go home."

Gray frowned. "Are you sure." Erza nodded.

"You can come cheek on her in the morning." Gray nodded as he grabbed his shirt and left. "Wait." Gray turned to the other woman. "I think it would be best for Lucy to stay away from Natsu." Gray nodded.

"Then we'll keep her away from him."