PROLOGUE

Date: 19th May X798

The evening was so pitch-black even the brightest eyes of a hungry fox were unable to detect a rat scurrying into the next bush. Masses and masses of thick grey clouds accumulated in the sky, threatening to drench the small pleasant city of Magnolia with rain. It was so very, very quiet that Lucy Heartfilia, 25 years of age, could hear little snuffles coming out of the nose of Natsu Dragneel who, at the moment, was pulling her around town and not in a pleasant mood.

"Where is it you're taking me, Natsu?" the blonde-haired young woman kept on whining.

She donned evening wear fit for a girls' night out: a silky black dress with a satin bow that reached half-way to her knees. Lucy was beautiful, with her perfect hourglass figure and lovely facial features. Creatures of the night would stop in their tracks to look at her as she and Natsu glided past like a pair of dancers. But the young man, who was two or three years her senior, just waved the question aside and tightened his grip around her wrist. Lucy puffed out her cheeks in a cute manner, but Natsu was too preoccupied in leading the way that he did not see.

What time is it now? she wondered. Perhaps it was 9, 10, 11 or even 1 o'clock in the morning! Whatever it was, her boyfriend/lover/team-mate Natsu was in a big hurry as he had "very important things" to tell her.

If it were that important, can't we at least discuss it somewhere where there is light? Lucy thought to herself. But what was so important he had to tell her? She pondered the first ten possibilities that came to mind when suddenly, Lucy felt the desperate urge to cry.

Was he going to break up with her?!

She freed herself from Natsu's grip and stood her ground, arms folded. Natsu stopped too and looked at Lucy, except he couldn't see her at all in the dark other than a bling of her gold earrings when the few light offered by the moon hit them. "What's the matter?" Natsu asked her.

Lucy held back tears and sniffed. "Are you going to… break up with me?" she wanted to know in a thin voice.

"Sorry? Speak up a little, I can't hear you."

Two fat tears rolled down her cheeks and rest assured that Lucy did not make a single sound. She was thankful the night was dark enough so Natsu couldn't see her red nose. "I said: Are you going to break up with me?"

"Break up with you?" Natsu echoed, genuinely confused. "Why would I do that?"

"I don't know! You looked like you're in such a hurry and you're not even talking to me, like you're furious or something so I was worried you didn't want us to be together anymore."

"What are you talking about?"

But Lucy just kept babbling on, so fast that her words were gobbledegook. "Look, I don't know what I've done wrong that's upset you, but I'm sorry! Really, I am! Oh God, Natsu, please… Anything but that: don't tell me you're breaking up with me. I can't imagine what I'd do without you. And –"

She felt his lips smash against hers. Startled by its suddenness but relieved that he hadn't lost his love for her, Lucy forgot what was on her mind and what she was about to say. After a minute or so when they parted, Lucy could see stars twinkling above her head and her knees have turned into wobbling jelly. In spite of the darkness, she knew in her bones that Natsu was smiling at her.

"You were saying?" he said innocently.

"N-Nothing…" she sighed, gulping for breath.

"Then is it okay if we keep going?"

"Yeah…" So Lucy allowed herself dragged for five minutes when Natsu stopped with a halt, prompting the young woman to bump her sweet button nose into his shoulder. She winced in pain. "Ouch, that hurt!"

But Natsu ignored her and turned around in great triumph. "Here we are, Lucy!"

The Celestial Spirit Wizard scanned the place where the only source of light came from dimly lit street lamp. Moths and insects alike were illuminated in the darkness, their shadows fluttering on the pavement like ballerinas. Other than that, there was nothing else that she could see. Not even Natsu's face.

"Where are we?" she said.

"Don't you realise? It's Hargeon!" Natsu couldn't see her that properly either, but it didn't matter. At least he knew she was there. That was enough. "This was the place where you and I first met. Plus Happy, of course."

"But I thought you said you had important things to tell me."

"I did," he grinned, grabbing her right hand where her guild insignia was located and bringing them to his lips. "You ready?"

"What are we supposed to be ready for?" Lucy asked, beginning to feel extremely confused.

"This," Natsu said simply and began counting down from ten. The minute he reached 'One', a series of different coloured fireworks shot into the sky and exploded, but these weren't normal fireworks.

Some of them were floating ice in the shape of flowers; others were bursts of glowing perfumed water, eruptions of rainbow love hearts and technicoloured butterflies, curling wind, and even sprinkles of shining iron shavings. Gleaming swords tied with ribbons aligned in floral patterns rose in the air, their appearances handsome and elegant while a massive rainbow formed by colourful flames arched over the entire city. The night was once again lively and delightful like its perfection on an ordinary day. Lucy gasped – in shock, amazement, happiness. Somebody had done all this… Could it be? Lucy gave Natsu a questioning glance and when he nodded in answer to her curiosity, Lucy squealed in joy and hugged him so hard he couldn't breathe.

"What is this?" Lucy asked him when she released him.

"Because it's our ninth anniversary," Natsu answered coolly. He tried to hide a mocking grin. "Don't tell me you've forgotten?"

Lucy looked horrified. "Of course I haven't forgotten. I thought you did."

"How can I forget a date as important as our anniversary? You and I met here in Hargeon seven years ago with Happy – this is the special place that marks the beginning of our journey. The adventure we've had, the pain we've suffered, the happiness we've both experienced, are dear and forever they will be preserved. I will never lose those memories for as long as I live. They are precious to me… You are precious to me. Lucy, every time you aren't by my side I feel lost and cold. It was exactly like when I lost Igneel, who was the most influential being in my life. But even when I found him and I noticed a particular somebody wasn't there with me, I was lost again. Lost and couldn't be found. But when I am back with you, Lucy, I don't know how… Something just gets me. It's so kind and warm, that I thought I was going to die without it. Sure, Fairy Tail and my mates are few of the most important things to me but you… You are different. You give me another type of strength that I need when I defend for the people I care about, when I protect our pride. I can't name it but it is there, Lucy. It hasn't disappeared, or gone away, or faded. Someday I'll find out what it is and tell you. Also, there's something else: I just want you to know how dear you are to me. You are the only one for me. We're bound for life, a bond that will never break. Not even death can part us. I want to wake up every morning to see your beautiful face breathing life next to mine, and tell you that I love you. Even if you got lost or captured or have died, I will look for you and I shall never ever stop over my dead body."

By then, tears were spilling from her eyes and Lucy fell more in love with Natsu Dragneel – the cutest, weirdest, funniest and most important person in her life. Oh, how she loved him! His little speech had moved her so. She smiled at Natsu with emotions swimming in her eyes and Natsu, who was feeling sentimental but extremely pleased to have revealed what he had always wished to tell her, leaned in for another kiss. This time it was passionate and warm, sending cold shivers like sparks of electricity down her spine.

Throwing her arms around his neck, Lucy kissed him back as hard as she could manage. Never had she felt so happy. She was here, now, with the love of her life who had just said the sweetest thing that no one has ever said to her. He had even prepared a romantic surprise in celebration of their anniversary! Villagers of the city had come out of their houses to light up the black ink night with their brilliant flashing decorations and lighting. Dancing and singing, laughing and cheering went on as though this was the merriest moment in their lives. Nothing could take their minds off. Not even when the thunder started clapping above their heads and the lightning flashed in the heavy grey clouds.

Natsu hooked an arm over his girlfriend's shoulder. "So do you like it?" he asked, kissing her blushing cheek as they watched the wonderful display before them.

"I… It's beautiful," Lucy replied. She hugged him again. "Thanks so much, Natsu!"

"But that's not all…" Natsu told her.

"What?" she gasped in dismay. Before she knew what was happening, the young dashing retired Fire Dragon Slayer lowered down on his knees. From his trouser pockets, he took out a crimson velvet box and flipped it open, revealing a gorgeous pink heart-shaped diamond. No, not pink. Salmon, more like. The same colour as Natsu's hair. Lucy almost had a premature heart attack.

The band, made of white gold, had the words engraved on it: "Quos amor verus tenuit, tenebit". The beautiful message in Latin roughly translated meant True love will hold on to those whom it has held. Throughout all this Lucy was staring, rooted to the spot, at Natsu with a shocked expression pasted on her face.

"So Miss Lucy Heartfilia, will you do me the honour of becoming not just my wife but also my life partner, my eternal companion, my soul mate to share our experiences with?"

"Oh my God… I… I…" Lucy couldn't find the right words. Tears overflowed in her pretty brown eyes. Thank goodness her mascara and makeup were waterproof!

"What did you say?" He couldn't hear her above the fireworks.

"I mean... Yes! Yes! YES!" She jumped on him and embraced him fiercely with bliss.

Blushing, Natsu whispered bashfully in her ear: "Everyone's watching, you know," he reminded Lucy, and she gasped in endless delight when she saw them – the most important and significant people she will ever meet in her life. Surrounding the Master, who stood holding his fingers in the sign of a V to toast Natsu's great triumph proposing to Lucy, were her friends from Fairy Tail alongside their spouses and children.

Erza and her husband Jellal stood with their sweet daughter, who was the spitting image of the loving couple, Niyala. Then there was Gray and his wife Juvia who is currently with child; Kana and her father Gildarts who was silently giving her husband Bacchus Groh a death glare when the S-Class mage tried to cuddle her in a drunken state; as well as the still beautiful yet unmarried Mirajane Strauss with her younger siblings who, by contrast, have both wedded (Lisanna to Laxus, and Elfman to Evergreen who were nicknamed by the children in town as The Tsundere Couple).

Nineteen-year-old Wendy Marvel offered the thrilled Lucy a congratulating smile on her engagement to Natsu. And in celebration to the couple's happiness, the grown up Sky Dragon Slayer added a light breeze that gently caressed everyone's faces and carried heads of flowers on its ethereal body. That was when the rain began to fall, but that didn't stop all the people from their cheering frenzy. They laughed even harder, running into the puddled streets and letting themselves be soaked from head to foot.

Happy cheered in joy, trotting from foot to foot, and pulled Charles and Pantherlily in to a dance. Romeo, now a handsome young man, gave Natsu the thumbs-up while Kinana and Laki tossed flowers in the air. Everyone, everyone, was there to express prosperity, eternal love and good fortune for Natsu and Lucy who were standing in each other's arms, dripping wet but all the while, extremely happy.

"Know what, Lucy?" Natsu gazed into the eyes of his beautiful fiancée whose dress was sticking to her bare skin with the rain.

"What?" she asked.

"That I am just relieved you were the one chosen for me. I can't imagine having to love someone else. And, another thing... Do you know what makes a true marriage successful?"

"No but tell me," Lucy said cutely as she gave him a peck on the lips.

"It requires two people to fall in love with each other over and over again. A never-ending tale. An eternal adventure… Yours and mine."

Lucy sneaked a look over up at him (he was a few inches taller than she), smiled and hugged him gently. They watched as Fairy Tail and the over-emotional villagers bawled at the top of their voices. Mirajane even fainted from happiness, just in time for Freed to catch her before her head met the cold wet ground. Natsu proceeded to slip the engagement ring onto the blonde young woman's left middle finger and brushed his fingers against her trembling lips, touching her cheek which was red from excitement. While everyone continued celebrating to their heart's content, the two lovers pressed their damp foreheads together, breathing peacefully.

"I love you, Lucy," Natsu whispered, swooping in for one more kiss. "Always, forever."

Lucy could only smile and blush. "I love you too, Natsu. Always, forever."