The Traveler's Song

by riverofmemories

"The song is not a popular one, only known by a select few that it has been passed down to. She's grateful that it was entrusted to her by the last member of the Fairy Tail guild before they'd passed away. It is known as the Song of Travelers and tells the story of a woman who travels with her lover and friends in search of help escaping from a bargain."

XXX

"Ever since that day -

That day I met you -

On this road like a charm.

You sing along to the traveler's song.

How I wish I knew the words.

Even so, somehow it feels nostalgic to me,

Whenever I'm by your side."

- "Tabi no Tochuu" by Natsumi Kiyoura

XXX

---

When the song ends, it is met by applause and approving cheers. She smiles as she bows her body in gratitude, her cheeks flushing with pleasure. She is grateful, remembering days when such gratitude was nonexistent. She supposes some of it comes from her appearance. She hates the idea that her skill is not enough, but is grateful for the looks her mother gave her.

Straightening, Lucy runs a hand through her golden hair and feels the flicker of warmth as her friend vanishes in a flash of light, drawing more applause. The keys at her hip are warm with congratulations, and she feels even happier than ever at that. They mean so much more to her than the comments of those before her.

Eventually, the crowds began to disperse and with a hum, Lucy Heartfilia sweeps from the town square she'd been using as a stage. She carries nothing but a single bag with her, slung over her shoulder. Her aching bare feet have been slipped into old, worn shoes, her hair tied back from her eyes. She counts coins in her fingers and frowns.

Not enough, she thinks, sighing heavily. Not even for a simple meal.

Oh, well. She's gone hungry before and she can deal with the stabbing pains for a little longer. Perhaps the next town will offer more money.

An arm slides around her shoulders. Lucy jumps, but relaxes almost immediately when she recognizes the familiar person beside her. "Leo," she murmurs, smiling faintly at him. She knows what he's going to say before he says it. His green eyes are narrowed, his face set in disapproval though she knows it's not towards her performance.

"You're always so hungry," he says, worried. "We feel what you feel, and-"

Her answer is firm and quiet. "I know what you're going to say and the answer is still no. Not yet."

He's not angry, only disappointed. He ruffles her hair fondly and tightens his grip briefly around her shoulder before dropping it. "The option is always there, Lucy."

"And I appreciate it." Lucy pats his arm and folds her hands behind her back. "But our contract still has a few years yet. I intend to take full advantage of it and continue to travel, no matter how much I suffer while doing so." He shakes his head, amused. "Don't laugh at me."

"I'm not laughing at your choices," he tells her firmly. "I'm laughing at your determination to do such a thing without the money to pay for comfort. The Spirit King possesses an entire treasury and would gladly give you whatever you wished."

"And I want to do it on my own, with my own hands and feet. Thank you though. For the offer." Lucy bumps him with her shoulder. "And extend my thanks to the Spirit King, if you would. I am eternally grateful for the continuous offer." She smiles warmly again and then waves him off. "Now, off with you! How am I supposed to attract anyone when I've got this terrifying creature stalking my every step?"

Leo chuckles and raps his knuckle gently on her head before disappearing. Lucy whirls on her heel, enjoying the heat of the sun that beats down from the sky. She studies the blue above her head and says under her breath, "Time to move on. Maybe the next town will offer better chances for money."

She is on the path before the sun has even begun its descent.

---

It takes her days to reach the next town over, walking through the day and resting during the night. Her feet ache and she eyes her ruined shoes with distaste as she rests alongside a fountain in the center of the town. It's larger than the last. Magnolia, Lucy believes. A beautiful town, with a friendly atmosphere. Entirely unlike the stiffer one of Onibus.

Lucy puts her foot gingerly back into a shoe, wiggling her toes and wincing at the holes in it. She hastily slips on the other shoe and then stands, spinning around. She might as well start working immediately. The town was a busy one, and any one of its streets would work. The fountain behind her has a fairly large ledge...she just needs to speak with a local, see if she'd be arrested for her usual act.

Lucy puts a hand thoughtfully on her bag and finds the first kind looking person who won't snap at her the second she tries to speak with them. She finds a woman with silver hair that spills halfway down her back and bright blue eyes that gleam like the sky itself. Lucy strides over to her, saying, "Excuse me!" She gently catches the woman's wrist to stop her mid-step.

Alarmed, the woman jumps. "Oh!" she gasps, and Lucy hastily let go when a shockingly large man materializes beside her. She holds her hands up in surrender. "Sorry," Lucy says. "I just had a question, if you don't mind?"

The woman puts a hand over her heart and then waves off the large muscled man, who supports a head of hair that matches her own. He eyes Lucy warily, but relaxes, clearly deciding Lucy is harmless. "Forgive me, you scared me. What can I help you with?"

"I'm a traveling singer," Lucy says, waving to the square behind them. "I wanted to know if it would be illegal for me to set up shop here for the next few days and work. The last town wasn't too good to me, and I don't have the money to pay any fines."

"It's not illegal at all," the woman says hastily, gently smiling. "Go ahead. Plenty of traveling artists, musicians, the likes come through Magnolia and do the same thing. We've not had any recently, actually. You'll be a welcome addition to this area, too, it's a market."

Lucy lets out a rush of air in relief. "Thank you," she says, bowing her head with a hand over her heart. The woman merely beams when she spins around to hurry over and start, eager to get some money so that she can hopefully eat that night.

She is fully aware of the woman and who Lucy assumes is her brother remaining where they are, watching with interest as Lucy sets up an area. She ushers a few men and women from her space with a firm determination that earns their curiosity rather than their ire. Within minutes, she's already acquired a decent audience - without so much as a single note of singing.

Lucy moves with practice ease to the center of the space she's cleared. after setting out the cloth she uses to gather money. She gives it a moment, takes a deep breath as she takes the keys at her hip and skims through them with love. She lingers on a silver key, but then decides against it. Summoning Lyra again this soon would pull too much on the little energy she kept, let alone a golden key…

So Lucy places her keys lovingly at her hip again, smoothing a hand fondly over them. They warm beneath her touch. Leo's is playfully hot.

She takes a deep breath again and steadies herself before closing her eyes, drawing on the songs her mother had taught her as she'd grown up. She selects one out of the countless number and smiles as she begins to sing.

The song is soft at first, telling the story of a lost child. With each new series of lyrics, however, her voice grows stronger, displaying the child's determination to push past the devastation it feels at losing so much at such a young age. She sings of the journey that child takes, from childhood to adulthood, and how it takes its place in war - only for its life to end in tragedy when it's killed in the final battle.

When she finishes the song, she immediately moves onto the next, selecting a happier song - a love ballad. She continues like this for some time, smiling in gratitude whenever someone steps forward to offer her payment. She finally finishes the session with a simple Fioran children's song for the boys and girls peering at her in awe. The children laugh at her song choice and she's not surprised when a few join in.

When Lucy finishes entirely, she is greeted, as she'd hoped, with more payment and plenty of laughter and smiles, applause and cheering. She beams and bows her body to them as she had in the last town. Lucy straightens and immediately gathers the money she's earned, knowing from experience that such displays draw thieves who will pluck it up at first chance.

She's lifting the cloth, wrapping the money into it, when a hand touches her shoulder. Lucy looks up and finds the woman she'd approached standing before her with a warm smile. Her brother and a younger woman who resembles them both are hanging back, looking content to do so. "Here," she says, pushing far too much money into Lucy's fingers. She protests, but the woman shakes her head. "We used to travel, too, before we found Magnolia and the family we have here. We know what it's like to not have any money. And if you'd be willing, I'd like to bring you to our guild." She lifts her dress's skirt until Lucy can see the emblem that resides on her thigh, a pretty fairy-like symbol of white. "To perform. You'd be paid for it, of course."

Lucy blinks, caught by surprise. She sputters. "I couldn't possibly…" The streets are one thing. One of Fiore's guilds, known for their powerful members and trustworthy of the help they offered, was something else.

"Please," she insisted. "We'll offer you free board for the night if you agree, too. We've plenty of empty rooms in our guildhall."

Lucy contemplates. She can't say no to free boarding within a building that was likely very nice and comfortable in comparison to the inns she normally stays at… "Alright," she agrees after touching her keys, sensing their confirmation that such a matter was alright with them.

Lucy offers them a faint smile. "I'll do it."

---

The guildhall is noisy. Very noisy. And wild, and so populated with people, and just everything. It overwhelms Lucy when she's lead through a side door to save her from being swarmed too quickly. She stares in horror at the mass brawl that is occurring within, even as the silver-haired woman, who'd introduced herself as Mirajane, her brother as Elfman, and her sister as Lisanna, ushered her hastily past it all and into a well-lit back room.

"Quickly now, or we'll get drawn in," Mirajane says with a soft laugh.

"Too late for Elfman," Lisanna says, wincing as her brother shouts in delight. Something about being a man. She closes the door behind them. All three women jump nearly a foot in the air when a voice suddenly speaks from within the very room they were trying to hide in.

"Who's this?"

Lucy snaps her head around, heart skipping a beat. She winces in pain, rubbing the spot. Mirajane relaxes upon recognizing the person and smiles alongside Lisanna. "Hello, Freed," she greets calmly. "This is Lucy. Lucy, this is one of our members, Freed Justine."

"Hi," Lucy says somewhat awkwardly, eyeing the green-haired man before her. He's perched comfortably in a chair at a small table within the backroom, an empty plate pushed away from him and a book in hand. The room is covered in plush seating and rugs, and shockingly quiet when the door is closed despite the commotion outside. Lucy realizes that it's likely the work of the magic that Fairy Tail members are famous for possessing.

"Hello," he greets. His face is full of amusement as his dark eyes dart to Lisanna and then Mirajane. "A new member you're trying to save from the others?"

Lisanna shakes her head. "No, a performer who we want to perform for the guild. We're trying to get her to Makarov so we can discuss the details and such."

"Ah." Freed inclines his head and then smiles at Lucy. "A pleasure to meet you, Lucy. Please excuse the rest of the guild enjoying themselves out there. It's somewhat normal for the guild. You'll need not worry about them acting in such a manner during the performance you give should you give it. Erza is in town."

"Thank you?" Lucy says, somewhat confused, and Lisanna hides a smile behind her hand as she suggests, "Why don't you go and bring Makarov here, Mira? Lucy and I can stay here with Freed. It's easier than sneaking her past everyone and to his office. And you can see if the dragon slayers have started sniffing her out. You know how they get."

"That's a good plan," agrees Mirajane, tucking some strands of hair behind her ear. "I'll be right back." She slips back out of the room, leaving Lucy to stand peacefully with Mirajane and Lisanna.

Lucy, curious about what exactly is happening outside the room, opens her mouth to ask, but is interrupted by a sudden crash. Freed and Lisanna still, and Lucy finds herself worried when it's followed by a series of scraping, another crash, and a grunt. "What is that?" Lucy says in confusion.

Lisanna has gone pale by this point and she says, "That was way too fast."

"Natsu has always had a sharp nose." Freed chuckles. "I'm not surprised, though I hope that Gajeel doesn't figure it out too quickly. Or Gray. I just had this room redone." He frowns at the area around him. "I'll have Levy assist me in upping the wards so that they can't get in."

Something suddenly falls from the ceiling above their heads and Lucy gives a startled cry when it hits the ground only a few inches away. Lisanna and Freed don't look surprised, however, as a man with wild pink hair straightens before her, squinting at her. He gives Lucy a suspicious look over, and Lucy's caught by surprise when she realizes smoke is curling from the corners of his mouth. Sharp onyx eyes narrow, pupils turning to irritable slits as he glares. As he adjusts the strange, white-scaled scarf that rests around his neck, the man - Natsu, Lucy assumes - gives a small nod and then shocks her by giving her a wide grin that displays a set of canine teeth that are rather sharp. "Hi. I'm Natsu."

Something snaps through her, and Lucy doesn't know why, but she knows immediately that this person is incredibly important. For what reason, she can't say, but there's something about him...

"Um," Lucy breathes, unsure of how to respond to this odd person, "hello?"

"Where did you even come from?" Lisanna wails, looking at the ceiling and glaring at the decent-sized hole that has seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

Natsu gives her an odd look. "The ceiling. You saw me." He rocks back on his heels, shoving his hands into his pockets. "So. Who're you?" She doesn't miss how he suddenly furrows his brow, rubbing anxiously at his chest.

"Lucy," she says, clearing her throat. She offers a hand to shake, her lips threatening to quirk into a smile. She finds that she likes this odd man. "Lucy Heartfilia. It's nice to meet you, Natsu."

He blinks at her hand, surprised, and then takes it. He grips hers confidently, calloused fingers scaping over soft skin as they curl around hers. "Same." He releases her hand and glances at Lisanna. "What's she doing here? Is she joining the guild?" He bounces on the balls of his feet, all energy.

"No," Lisanna sighs. "She's hopefully going to be singing for us."

"You sing?" Natsu whirls back on Lucy, excited. Lucy gets the feeling that this is his normal personality, and finds she likes it. "Do you know any draconic songs?"

"One or two," Lucy says, thinking. She wonders briefly why he's so eager to hear this, but focuses on the door when it opens and Mirajane sweeps back in with a small old man with a kind expression. Both pause, exasperated at the sight of Natsu.

"I don't understand," Mirajane says, "I saw you just a few minutes ago, and you weren't anywhere near the door-"

"He came through the ceiling," Freed supplies, pointing at the ceiling. He's long since placed his book gently on the table before him. "We aren't sure how. You'd best send someone up there to make sure there's nowhere else he's been sneaking into."

"I'm right here," Natsu huffs, and steps away from Lucy. He beams innocently at the old man, not at all bothered by the exhausted, annoyed look he was giving him. Finally, the look vanishes and is replaced by a fond one.

The old man chides, "No more, Natsu. Fixing rooms you've burned is one thing; fixing structural damage is something the guildhall can't afford in total without having to answer to the Council."

"I'll pay for it, Gramps," Natsu says immediately, not at all worried by such a matter. "I always do."

"That's not the point and you know it." He shakes his head and then faces Lucy, moving from the door frame to stand before her. "Lucy, yes? I'm Makarov, the guildmaster of this group of brats. Mirajane says that she invited you to perform for the Fairy Tail guild." Lucy inclines her head in response, flustered suddenly. He reminds her of a friendly old grandfather - something she's never truly had. The closest she's gotten is the Spirit King, and as much as she cares for the stars and they care for her…

There's the contract.

Lucy sobers at the thought of the contract she'd made years prior. She'd made that contract to give her the chance to live...and this was part of living. She'd never performed for a guild; why not make it into a fun experience?

"I'd love to do it," she says. "If you'll have me." She offers a hopeful smile.

"I promised her a place to stay for the next night or two," Mirajane tells her guildmaster quickly, smiling apologetically about the fact that she'd not gotten permission first. "And payment. She's a traveler, like Lisanna, Elfman, and I were."

"Then of course she can perform and have all of that." Makarov waves off the concern that has risen among Mirajane and Lucy, who had begun to worry that he'd say no. "Mira, pay her however much you seem fit. I'll announce it to the guild. Natsu, that means no more brawling today," he adds, pointing firmly at the dragon slayer. Natsu shrugs, looking excited enough by the fact that a performance was going to happen. "We'll hold the performance tomorrow afternoon. Feel free to do whatever you wish here in this building or out in the town," he adds to Lucy, turning to leave.

"And for the love of everything we hold dear, Mira," he continues as he leaves the room, "make sure Gajeel knows that he will not be a part of this performance!"

---

"Are you certain about this?"

Lucy smiles despite the worry tinging her friend's tone. The next morning has arrived, and she feels refreshed after the night she'd spent in the guildhall. She'd been swarmed, as expected, the moment she'd stepped foot into the main room of the guildhall, but she'd enjoyed it. She'd like having so many people around when she spent so much time on her own. She'd even spent a few hours talking with a friendly blue-haired woman named Levy McGarden, who'd practically pounced on her when she'd learned that Lucy was fond of books. Freed had joined their conversation, too.

"Yes," Lucy says firmly as Leo walks along the canal beside her, his hand ready to snag her if she falls in. "I trust the Fairy Tail guild. All of them seem to be nice. Even the scary-looking ones." She glances over at him. "What are you so worried about?"

"The children of the dragons." Leo scowls at the mention of them. "Don't trust them."

Lucy knows immediately that he is referring to the three dragon slayers she'd met. Gajeel, she can understand. She feels that he has some softness deep, deep down, although she'd initially been incredibly intimidated by him. He's a very frightening person to look at. But Natsu and Wendy? Wendy's one of the sweetest people Lucy's ever had the pleasure of meeting, and Natsu…

Well. Lucy can't say she's ever met anyone like Natsu before.

"I doubt they're going to turn around and kill me," she tells Leo.

"Don't trust them," he repeats. "You can't trust a dragon. They're selfish creatures, Lucy, and they grow violent when they don't get what they want."

"Maybe so, but these aren't full-blooded dragons."

"It doesn't matter. They've been raised by those who are. Please, Lucy." Leo catches her wrist, stopping her. Lucy meets his gaze with a frown. "Just...please be careful, and summon me or one of the others if you need us. Please."

She softens and gently touches his cheek. "Always," she promises. Leo nods, grateful, and then vanishes in a flash of light. Lucy watches him go with a deep frown, worried.

Leo so rarely begs anything of anyone…

She'll watch the dragon slayers, just to amuse him.

---

Lucy doesn't think she's ever been so nervous to perform before a group. Part of it is because there's buzzing excitement in every which way. Every single person seated at the tables is looking forward to hearing her voice, and she's never had that before. Normally, it's just a spontaneous performance. This is something different.

Mirajane is perched at a table with her siblings, Makarov, and a blond man Lucy hadn't seen the previous night. He looks a little cranky, but is quiet, and Lucy makes a mental note to avoid him later. Natsu is out there, too, under the watchful eye of a small, happy Wendy. Levy is at their table, too, with two men Lucy couldn't remember the names of and Gajeel, who is glaring at her. Lucy doesn't take offense; he likes to perform his music, too.

Lucy selects Lyra's key, kissing it, and summons the spirit. Murmurs break out when the musical girl appears beside her in a flash of light, looking worried. "Miss Lucy," she murmurs, "you still haven't recovered sufficiently-"

"I'm alright," Lucy lies. She feels the drain. Sweat has broken out on her forehead and she feels her knees threaten to buckle. It took weeks to recover from the consistent summoning she'd been doing lately. Leo is partially to blame. He's been coming around far too much recently. "Just...tell Leo to not come around for a few days. His power draws too much on me."

There had once been a time where she could summon her friends at the flick of a finger. She could have summoned a golden key or two without batting an eye. Now...now Leo has to lend her his own power to make his appearances and even then it's almost too much.

Lyra doesn't look like she agrees. She fondly brushes her fingers over Lucy's arm and then says, "What would you have me play, Miss Lucy?"

Lucy skims the crowd, deciding about what to sing, and then briefly catches sight of the impatient looking Natsu. Her lips twitch. "You choose, but I want a series of fairy tale related music today," she says gently. "And something about dragons at some point."

"Leo said to not do anything about dragons," she says uncertainly.

Lucy snorts loudly. "I'm fulfilling our contract in just a few years. He can get over it." Lyra sputters, but nods and hastily summons her harp to her. She begins a string of music after waiting for Lucy's confirmation and Lucy waits for the correct moment, recognizing the song immediately.

And then she begins to sing.

---

Sharp onyx eyes watch with interest from the audience, entirely enraptured by what they see. The woman who he's just met seems to transform before his very eyes, from a strange young woman who's shown up out of nowhere into a person of mystery. She radiates something he can't fully understand and he's so invested in what she sings that he finds himself nearly falling out of his char as he leans so far forward.

He had felt it earlier upon meeting her. That odd twinge in his chest that becomes so much more. He presses a hand over his chest and tries to rub it away when it becomes almost painful.

There's something about this woman...Lucy, she'd called herself.

He tilts his head, sweeping his gaze down her body with a frown. She's exhausted, her body trembling in a way no one else seems to notice, and he doesn't like it. She seems like she should be full of energy, smiling and laughing and glowing like the sun every single day.

Lucy's odd - weird, even.

And at the same time, he feels that she's the most important person he's ever met.

---

Lucy is out before the sun rises. She follows the streets of Magnolia at random, seeking a good place to perform on them again. She's deciding whether or not to stay longer. Fairy Tail had paid her very well the night before and the performance in the street had paid more than average. She can make damn good money here before moving on, allowing her to be a bit more picky for a few months.

She wiggles her toes in her broken shoes as she turns a corner. She even has the money to replace those, she realizes, smiling widely. She'll get some new ones as soon as the market is open.

She'd been worried about performing for a guild, but...no longer.

Lucy happily finds a new spot on the other side of town from the place she'd performed at two days prior. She smiles, placing her hands on her hips and eyes the rising sun with fondness. She's got some time before it's acceptable to start singing for a crowd…

So, Lucy whirls away, choosing to explore.

She walks the streets of Magnolia, fascinated. She watches as each person emerges from their homes, heading to whatever job they perform in that lovely little town. It's fascinating to someone who's essentially gone for years without a true home to notice such things about. Lucy finds that she might have missed out on living in a town.

She loves it. As much as she loves the experiences she's had while traveling.

She's recognized once or twice by someone who had seen her the day before, once by a happy old man and once by a playful child who squeals and runs to greet her against her mother's wishes. Lucy bends to greet her at that, warmly receiving the attention despite the woman's hasty apologies.

After humming a soft song for the child, Lucy moves on, deciding it's time to perform and get it done with so she can go and try some of the local food. She wants the full experience in this friendly place, she decides. Magnolia has earned itself as much. She wants to immerse herself in life here, yet…

She only has so long, and she wants to see other places, too. Crocus, and towns along the western coast, and even further to the west - the famous Alvarez Empire.

There's so much to do, with so little time.

So when she performs this time, gently setting out her cloth and settling in, Lucy summons Lyra, immediately drawing attention. It's hard not to when a random person appears, dressed in odd clothing, with a blinding flash of golden light. Lucy winces, grunting at the effort.

"Miss Lucy," Lyra seethes, but Lucy, staggering, shakes her head and waves her off.

"Please?" Lucy says, heart aching. She owes it to this town, which she's found she loves so fiercely for some unknown reason. Tied to each of those she carries with her, Lucy pushes all of her love for this town at her, urging her to recognize what she's trying to do. "Please, Lyra?"

Lyra's anger fades. She rests her forehead fondly against Lucy's, humming her agreement. "Only if you don't summon another spirit for the next few months. Leo has agreed to remain in our Realm as well unless an emergency demands it. You need rest, Miss Lucy."

"I will," Lucy promises. "Well, I won't summon any of you. Thank you, Lyra. Thank you so much." She hugs Lyra tightly, her eyes welling with tears at the simple fact that she would be alone for so long. "Thank you."

Lyra pulls back after a moment, fondly caressing her cheek before stepping back, summoning her harp. She runs her fingers over the strings. "What would you have me play, Miss Lucy?" she asks, smiling sadly at her.

Lucy debates, considering, fully aware that she has the attention of most of those in the area. She smiles when she realizes that most of them are whispering something about how she'd performed the night before for their local, beloved guild. She knows immediately what she wants Lyra to play and doesn't need to say it aloud. Lyra merely begins to play, fingers plucking at the strings.

And when the time is right, Lucy begins to sing.

She pours her heart into the song, allowing those around her to feel her gratitude and the love she holds for all of these virtual strangers - the warmth that the town has thrown at someone who has been lonely and struggling for the last few years. She even creates new parts to a song that doesn't exist; Lyra plays along, knowing exactly what Lucy desires.

When Lucy finally stops, her throat aches, and she thinks that her mouth has never been so dry. She still smiles broadly when people cheer and applaud, so many gathered before her. She bows to them, hand over her heart, golden hair spilling over her shoulder. She's just beginning to rise when a shadows falls over her. She glances up, and is beyond surprised to find none other than the pink-haired Natsu she'd met the night before.

His lips are quirked into a light half-smile, and she's startled by the almost sad look in his intelligent onyx eyes. "You're leaving."

Lucy smiles as she straightens, stepping around him to gather her money. She pauses to let people finish adding to it, thanking each and every one of them honestly, and then turns on her heel. She bundles it up as she always does before she says, glancing at Natsu, "Yes."

He shifts, almost squirms. "Why?"

"Because I'm a traveling singer," Lucy says as she steps forward to bid Lyra, who is staring wide-eyed at Natsu, farewell. Lyra caresses her cheek again, shooting Natsu a look of daggers before vanishing. He ignores her, not understanding her response and not really caring. "And I want to see all there is to see."

"You could stay," he suggests, and she nearly drops her bundle, startled. She spins around to face him, and finds him studying her closely, wary of her response. A slight flush has crept into his cheeks. "You use magic, right? You could join Fairy Tail. And if you like to travel...there's work that takes us all over the country. You could see it all with a family to go home to. It's fun."

For some reason, her heart melts. She likes this odd man that had earned so many interesting responses upon his strange entrance the night before. "Thank you, Natsu," she says warmly, "but that's not a good idea." He frowns, opening his mouth. She interrupts gently, "I'd be limited in what I could do. Where I could go. I travel countries, too, and being too firmly associated with one country could prevent my entrance to others."

Natsu has nothing to say in response to that. "Aren't you lonely?" he suddenly asks, voice quiet. "I traveled like that for a while. When my dad disappeared and I didn't have a choice. Everyone at Fairy Tail has traveled like that. Isn't it better to have people with you and travel together?"

She pushes a hand through her golden hair. For some reason, she wants to cry. She wants to stay, she realizes, but at the same time…

She hates how it's ripping her in half, his request. She could become good friends with him, she realizes. He and others in the guild. Levy, Mirajane, others. They'd all been so good and kind to her…

But she's contracted, and she refuses to do that to them. She refuses to give people that kind of attachment only for it to break them a few short years later.

So, she shocks both of them and sets her bundle aside, clasping his shoulders in her hand. He's a few inches taller, so she has to rise to her toes. He stills, startled as she gently presses her lips to his cheek. "Thank you," she murmurs in his ear. She pulls back, amused with how flustered he gets. He sputters, his face turning red, and she shakes her head with a laugh.

"I have friends," she says firmly, refusing to let him crawl his way further in. "And they travel with me. I'm not alone all the time, Natsu. But thank you for your concern. It's been a while since someone other than my friends have worried about me in such a way."

Natsu fidgets, hunching his shoulders nervously and messing with the scarf at his throat. Lucy thinks it might be from the missing father he's mentioned, and fondly tugs on it before whirling away to gather her things. She has everything she needs. She'd initially intended to get new shoes here, in Magnolia, but perhaps it's better to move on and buy them elsewhere.

And despite thinking he couldn't surprise her further, Natsu does it again. "What if I went with you? You shouldn't have to be alone at all." Natsu's firm in his words, surprisingly fierce. As if he truly believes what he's saying, and Lucy's willing to bet it's just a part of who he is. He seems the type to throw himself full-heartedly into situations and do and say what he thinks is right.

"Ah, but you're a member of Fairy Tail, a guild associated with Fiore." She starts walking down the street and he follows her, refusing to give up. Panic surges in him; he doesn't like her walking away. It feels like he'll never see her again, and he doesn't like that idea at all. "That defeats the purpose of not being associated with any particular country."

"I could leave," he argues, and she shakes her head.

"I can tell that the guild means a lot to you," she tells him, "and we barely know each other. I wouldn't ask someone who barely knows me to give up something so valuable for me. It's wrong." No matter how much she likes him.

"But-"

"Natsu," she interrupts, stopping and turning to face him. She shakes her head, furrowing her brow. She keeps her tone gentle, aware that he has no bad intentions. "No." He falters. "I can't. I know...I know you mean well, but...trust me. Please?"

"...okay," he agrees quietly after a moment. "But you should come visit again. Some day."

Her heart aches as she makes the first promise she's sure she'll break.

"Some day," she agrees just as softly.

She knows someday will never come.

---

"Brr!" Lucy murmurs only two months or so later, tightening her cloak around her. Despite the shivers that wrack her body, she smiles at the snow that falls from the sky, decorating the mountains beautifully. She'd finally made her way to Crocus, and she's very excited to be there. It stands proudly merely a few hours' walk away, huge and lovely in the daylight. It's the last place she truly wants to visit in Fiore before she makes her way across the country to the western coast, which is reportedly covered in brutal but beautiful coastlines.

After that, she's off to the next continent, and she can hardly wait, although Lucy can't say that she's looking forward to the ride in the boat she'll have to take. It'll take some time - time that she doesn't honestly know that she's willing to give up. But, she suppose, that it's part of the experience.

Lucy descends into the city and by dusk, though she's cold with air puffing around her face, she's smiling so brightly her cheeks hurt. Lucy misses Magnolia, but finds she's exceptionally excited to be here, too.

She spends most of the evening finding a decently priced place to stay and ends up making a deal with an innkeeper so she can afford to stay anywhere; in exchange for greatly reduced prices, she'll sing each evening that she stays. It's a city, after all, and cities are always pricey. It doesn't help that she's beginning to run low on money. The inn is a good one, and after a few days of rest, Lucy is perfectly content. She'd debated remaining in the town of Magnolia, but had gotten enough in the few days she'd been there to understand the feeling of it.

Crocus, however, is so different. The air is upbeat, people are constantly in a rush and moving around, and Lucy is somewhat disappointed about the lack of warmth, especially after visiting Magnolia. But she pushes past her disappointment, visiting a variety of local shops and just exploring. She's disappointed to find that it's technically illegal to sing in the streets, but moves on from that, too.

She's been in Crocus for almost a week when she runs into someone.

Quite literally, too.

"Oof!" gasps the woman Lucy's run into, rebounding off of Lucy. Lucy hits the ground, too, yelping when a few of the woman's belongs strike her and go all over. Both women blink at one another in confusion, and then Lucy laughs, flushing. "Sorry," she apologizes, offering a hand after climbing to her feet and brushing herself off. "Here, let me-"

"Thank you," she says, just as embarrassed. She lets Lucy pull her upright and brushes herself off as well, hissing softly when her fingers brush over a painful patch of skin that Lucy can't see. Air puffs around their faces in white clouds. Her silver hair shines a shade darker than freshly fallen snow, and her dark eyes are warm, with flecks of amber within them. "Are you alright?"

"Yes!" Lucy laughs. She gently makes sure the other woman is situated and then releases her. She puts her hand on her hips, not at all bothered that she'd fallen. "Are you?"

The woman puffs hair from her eyes. "Yes. Forgive me, I wasn't watching where I was going." She clears her throat. The flush finally begins to die down. "I'm Yukino," she offers, holding her hand out politely, and Lucy smiles, taking it.

"Lucy," she responds, giving Yukino's hand a firm shake. "A pleasure to meet you, Yukino."

"Likewise," Yukino replies. She begins to gather her things and Lucy, determined, helps. She smiles, tucking them under her arms when Yukino tries to take them from her. Catching on immediately, Yukino says, horrified, "You don't have to help, I can carry them-"

"You couldn't see where you were putting your feet and that can be dangerous," Lucy says firmly. "I've been doing nothing in particular, I'll help you. It's no problem, really. I could use some company anyways, if that's alright with you."

"That's perfectly fine," Yukino agrees reluctantly after a few moments of searching Lucy's face. "I'm heading for the Sabertooth guildhall, to meet some friends...these are gifts for them." She fondly brushes some dirt from a piece of clothing she'd dropped. "It was a really difficult one, and...well...I'm very pleased to be seeing them again. I didn't think I'd be coming home at one point...and I had an argument with my friends about it, too. I should have listened to them and chose not to. I regret that any of it happened."

"Well, let's make sure you get there then." Lucy grins, and shifts the things in her hands. She can understand such desires, although she has chosen to not take anyone into her life like that.

Together, the women start forward. The streets aren't nearly as cold with someone to keep her company, and Lucy hums proudly under her breath, not at all inconvenienced. She finds she likes helping others, particularly people she's so rudely run into.

As they walk, they strike up a conversation. Lucy decides she rather likes Yukino, who is quiet, but friendly enough. Lucy remembers the warmth that came off of those in Magnolia, those in the Fairy Tail guild, and she has to bite back a frown. She likes those she met in that short span of time. She had only said goodbye to Natsu, who'd trailed after her for as long as she'd allow. She'd not even thanks Mirajane...she grimaces. She owes them an apology, but doubts she'll ever be able to give it to them.

Perhaps she'll send a letter?

When they reach Sabertooth, the guild Yukino belongs to, Lucy gets the door for her, fearless of entering the building. Guilds are nothing to fear, she's learned.

The Sabertooth guildhall is a little different from Fairy Tail. It's weirdly colder and not at the same time, more stone than wood. It's not as full, and bigger space-wise - quieter, even. Lucy falters, studying the area, but Yukino ducks past her, smiling. She doesn't seem surprised when no one seems to notice their interest - until the massive door closes behind them. The sound earns several glances, and several people call Yukino's name in warm greeting.

She smiles at that, though her smile falters when she scans those who are present and doesn't find who she's looking for. "I guess they're not here," she says, sounding disappointed. "I wonder if they took a job...but Rogue doesn't usually go out on jobs when I'm on my own. He likes to make sure he's on standby if I need anything…" She sounds so hurt by the idea that they might be gone, and Lucy feels bad for her.

She touches Yukino's arm sympathetically. "Maybe they've just gone home for the day? Or does everyone live here?"

"I suppose that's possible," Yukino says under her breath. She straightens, squaring her shoulders. "Oh, well." She leads the way inside and dumps her things on a table. Lucy places what she holds on the table, too. She steps back, brushing her hands against one another. "Thanks, Lucy. For your help. Is there anything I can do in return?"

Lucy debates before says, "I've been looking around the city...I'm a traveler, and was exploring. Perhaps, if you have time, you'd be interested in showing me some of the lesser known areas?"

Yukino lights up. "That sounds like fun. Sure, we can go right now if you have nothing else. I'll leave my things," she adds, frowning at her things. "They won't touch it until I come back to the guildhall anyways."

Lucy laughs and says, "Let's go explore, then!"

---

Lucy is surprisingly disappointed when Yukino bids her farewell for the evening. She has to remind herself that she needs to be careful about getting too close to people like her. She's too easy to become friends with.

Lucy debates that as she watches Yukino leave her, heading for the guildhall in hopes that she'll catch her friends at it now. "Maybe it's time to leave," she murmures. She can't get attached. It's something she's told herself so many times in the past few months...before Fiore, it had been easy. Now, it's anything but.

A flash is followed by a heavy arm sliding around her shoulder. Lucy grimaces. Leo's appearance pulls heavily on her. Even with a decent span of time left in their contract, it's exhausting and she wishes she knew why. "You were told to stop coming around unless I have an emergency," she says playfully, not at all truly bothered. Leo and the others are the only friends she will allow herself to have.

Leo chuckles in her ear. "We're worried," he admits, glancing after Yukino. "You're so lonely. We feel it, too, you know," he adds when she huffs. "No matter what you think...are you truly living, if you won't have anyone at your side while you're here, Lucy?"

Lucy thinks about that, leaning into him. She's not entirely sure. But she still says, "How could I do that to someone, Leo?" She looks to him, suddenly frustrated.

"Sometimes," he says gently in return, "living means pain, Lucy. There are plenty of people who would love to give you the family that you deserve, even if it's only for a few years. You're experiencing the world, but what's the point unless you have someone to share it with?"

Lucy huffs, shaking her head. "I remember how it felt when my mom...I don't want anyone else to be hurt because of me, Leo. I can't."

"But you can." He smiles sadly at her and kisses her head. "Do what you want, Lucy. We're here at your side every step of the way. But think about it, please. I can't say I like that you're so near so many dragon slayers," he adds, glaring at something Lucy can't see, "but there are plenty of people who would love to be given the chance to love you. Even if it's only for so long."

Lucy thinks about that when he vanishes, her fingers pressed over her heart.

For some reason, she can't get that strange pink-haired dragon slayer out of her head.

---

Lucy is walking the streets of Crocus, enjoying Yukino's company, when the path she walks takes an unexpected twist. She plans to leave the next day, much to Yukino's disappointment. She's finally been introduced to Yukino's good friends, Sting and Rogue. Lucy had been suspicious of the surprise on their faces, the look they'd exchanged, but had thought them alright otherwise. Neither had been able to join them that morning. Something about needing to meet someone who was coming into town. Yukino doesn't know who they're meeting either, and is somewhat bothered that they've not told her. So Lucy walks alone with her companion.

She thinks about the words Leo had said a few nights prior, and glances every now and then at Yukino, out of the corner of her eye. She likes Yukino. A lot. Feels that they could be as good as friends as she'd imagined herself being with Natsu.

She falters and Yukino stops beside her. "Lucy?"

"Sorry," Lucy says. She rubs a hand down her face. "Just...thinking. I've had a lot on my mind and I just...don't know what to do." The keys at her hip, both silver and gold, warm in reassurance. She places a hand over them.

"Tell me," Yukino says, smiling. "Maybe I can help?"

"I doubt it," says Lucy, but Yukino shakes her head.

"I could try," she offers. "That's what friends are for, right?"

Lucy's eyes line with tears. "That's the problem," she tells Yukino, heartbroken. "I can't...I can't have friends."

But you can, Leo's voice whispers in her ears, his words echoing in her head from when they'd last spoken. Lucy bites her lip. Yukino orders her to speak, to explain, because who knows? Maybe she can help where someone else couldn't?

Yukino blinks, and then frowns at her, putting her hands on her hips. "And why not? Everyone can have friends. If you believe you can't, it's because you won't - not because you can't." She smiles warmly at Lucy, softening her stern expression. "Tell me, Lucy. Tell me why you won't allow yourself something as simple as friendship."

"Well, well, well," a voice interrupts when Lucy opens her mouth to speak, to actually explain herself for the first time that she can remember. Lucy closes her mouth and whirls around to face the person speaking, immediately on guard. Yukino narrows her eyes, stepping up to her side as a few men and women melting from the shadows of the street around them. One man in particular supports a nastily infected wound on his cheek. "If it isn't the Sabertooth bitch from Hargeon."

People who've been walking past immediately disappear. Lucy is suspicious of that, and her hand rests on her hip. Leo, she thinks, and feels his key warm in agreement. This is dangerous. He will be given permission to appear on his own ability. A benefit, she supposes, of being a favorite of the Spirit King himself.

She picks another key at random. It warms in her hand.

Lucy glances at Yukino when she sucks in a sharp breath, recognizing him. "You," she murmurs, eyes flashing. "You're supposed to be in prison."

Lucy steps closer, and her action isn't missed. "We've heard of you," a woman snickers. "Don't think we didn't see you, lady. You're the traveler that Fairy Tail's been hunting down." Lucy's taken aback by that. Hunting down? What's that supposed to mean? Why was Fairy Tail hunting for her? "Bosco would pay good money for someone like you."

Yukino's hand catches her wrist, her gaze darting among those present. She's a member of a mage's guild, but Lucy quickly realizes that such a thing doesn't matter at that moment. Magic or not, they're both outnumbered - even with Leo and another summoned spirit. She glances back; they're circled on all sides.

She grips her key tightly. She can summon Plue, she supposes, the little spirit who she rarely summons. He's fantastic for desperate situations and messages. Leo's warnings are clear in her mind, but she doesn't care. Yukino's well-being is more important. "Trust me," she breathes to no one in particular. She can't figure out if she means it for Leo, who she knows will be furious, or for Yukino, who looks confused and worried.

Lucy summons a spirit in one quick movement. "Gemini!" she cries, slashing the key through the air. Gemini appears alongside Leo, who looks vicious in a way that makes Lucy shiver. She'd never seen him this angry; even the man who'd initially spoken stepped back, faltering. Yukino gasps at the sight of the spirits.

"Plue," Lucy adds, summoning him as well. The drain on her drives her heavily to her knees, spots dancing in her eyes.

Both Gemini and Leo feel it. Leo glances back even as Gemini morphs into a copy of Lucy, Gemini retreats to take the whip that Lucy offers it, and flashes Lucy a reassuring smile from her own face before darting forward to rejoin Leo.

"What the hell are you?" demands the leader of them. He's glaring at Lucy, who ignores him.

"Fetch Yukino's friends," she whispers to Plue, who nods and runs off, small body slipping with ease past those intending to harm them. A woman shrieks in disgust and Plue easily avoids her kick before disappearing around a corner.

"Lucy," stresses Leo, horrified. "Our contract-"

It isn't meant to hold up so much strain on her, and she ignores it, staggering back to her feet with Yukino's help. Yukino is trembling, confused by what's happening. Lucy leans heavily against her, barely able to keep her feet underneath her. "Don't hold back," she orders Leo and Gemini. She remembers what Yukino had said. Yukino almost hadn't come back from her confrontation with the man who'd targeted them.

"If that's what you desire," Leo murmurs, and Gemini exchanges a worried look with him before snapping the whip warningly. Leo's hands curl into fists as he snarls at the group daring to attack them. "I will give you one warning to leave now. We will not give you another chance."

Gemini snaps the whip a second time. Lucy thinks that the spirit has been likely hanging around Virgo recently if the look in its eyes are anything to go by.

Laughter floods the space around them. Flames leap to life along the leader's arms, oddly purple in color. They dance in the air. Snickering fills the air as a few people back off. Others copy the display of power. Lucy bites her lip nervously when she realizes that there is a multitude of magic-users surrounding them.

Lucy's tongue feels swollen, thick. She can taste something coppery on it and she knows that Leo is frantic, wanting to make sure she's okay while simultaneously having to make sure she isn't murdered - or worse. Lucy can't stop it when her knees buckle. She sinks to the ground, and Yukino goes with her, gasping, "Lucy? Lucy, what's wrong?"

Lucy barely notices as chaos erupts around them. Gemini and Leo are whirlwinds of violence and action. The whip Lucy's lent Gemini swirls around the spirit like a serpent, striking and slicing and stealing magic that swirls around it. Leo lurches into hand-to-hand combat, brilliant white light blasing in every direction. In moments, they've downed three, but Lucy can tell from fuzzy eyes that they realize they won't win.

Not as someone lunges from behind, blades flashing in their hands.

Yukino screams as she's slammed down into hard stone. Lucy merely whimpers as she is, too. A cry leaves Yukino's mouth when a knife is slammed through the back of her hand, trapping it against the ground. Hot blood strikes Lucy's cheek, and she flinches even as the world swims around her.

Leo snarls, whirling and lunging, but stops dead when something sharp digs into Lucy's spine. Hot blood trickles along her skin and she stills as best as she can. "Don't take another step," purrs the leader as he stalks closer. "Or the blonde bites the dust."

Leo growls like a dragon, green eyes tracking every step that the man makes. Gemini makes a soft sound behind him before disappearing along with the whip. Lucy winces. She'd been unable to keep the spirit out for too long. She hears Yukino's quiet sobs beside her. She wishes she can do more.

"What are you?" the man says, suddenly stalking around Leo with a fascinated look. "I've never seen anything like you...where did you come from?" Leo doesn't answer; one wrong word, and the Spirit King will double his punishment. Lucy knows this and silently orders him back to his realm. Leo snaps his head around to glare at her. She furiously glares back.

"Leo," she says sharply, and she hisses when the blade digs in warningly.

Do as I command.

It's a part of their contract. He will do as she says when he sets foot in her world, or the contract falls through. And he likes her too much to allow that. So, he nods, disappearing with a flash of light.

Which means the man's attention is entirely on her. Lucy takes a shuddering breath. She can feel it. Plue is still out. There's still a chance that help will arrive. Come on, Plue, she begs. She doesn't care about herself. Only for Yukino, who is shuddering in agony as the man with the knives suddenly reaches out and shifts the blade in her hand.

Footsteps. Lucy sees only blurred figures as her hair is grabbed by rough hands. She grunts as she is partially lifted by it, feels strands rip from her scalp. She instinctively reaches up, trying to stop it. It does nothing.

"Tell me," the man purrs in her ear, hot breath washing over her skin. She flinches. "What is he?"

Lucy remains silent.

"For each moment you don't tell me," he murmured, humming. She's disgusted. A whimper leaves her lips when his other hand grabs her chin, cricking her neck back so painfully she thinks it'll snap. "I'll put a scratch on your friend, so that we slowly kill your friend and then you."

Lucy wants to laugh at the threat. She glances at Yukino. Yukino is blinking at her with a fearful look, her dark eyes shimmering with tears that stream down her face. Lucy feels a stab of worry. There's a wound she didn't notice, one she can sort of see, on Yukino's cheek. Blood mingles with salty tears. Frustration lies on Yukino's face, too. Lucy can understand why; she's a member of a mage's guild.

And she's as helpless as can be.

Lucy wants to take her hand, reassure her. Her eyes flash as she makes a decision.

She acts quickly. She twists her head and buries her teeth as hard as she can manage in the man's hand. He shouts, ripping away, and pain splinters through her face when he retaliates with his foot. He swears above her head as Lucy tries to clear her vision. She can't. All she sees is meshes of color.

And then there's searing heat, and his hand is on the back of her neck, and a scream bubbles from her throat, her body thrashing in response. Yukino struggles to rise but is pushed back down, a horrified shriek leaving her. "Lucy-"

"You bitch," he seethes, and the hand presses down further. Lucy sobs at the blistering pain. "I'm going to-"

The heat suddenly vanishes. The hand is still there, but the heat is gone. Yukino's face shifts to one of shock at what she sees - something that Lucy can't - and Lucy knows immediately that it's something good, because there is relief unlike any other in her gaze. "The hell?" the man murmurs, lifting his head.

Lucy's vision sharpens now, and her heart misses a beat when a voice nearly croons from somewhere far up, "That's not nice."

Natsu. What is he of all people doing in Crocus? She struggles to turn her head. Can't. Too much pain.

A name ripples from the mouths of those around them. Salamander. Lucy doesn't know what that means, but she sees something slink across the ground while they're distracted, sinking into the shadow of the distracted man. Yukino gives a muffled sound of relief, as if she recognizes what it is.

"Salamander," the man echoes, voice dark with fury.

"Bora," Natsu retorts. Lucy wishes she could see his face, because she hears the rage that boils beneath his voice. She remembers him clearly, thinks about him often. There'd been something special about that odd pink-haired dragon slayer who'd offered to travel the world with her, just so she'd not be alone. "Weren't you thrown in jail last month?"

Lucy's lips twitch; that's what Yukino had said.

"I thought I burned you to a crisp," Bora snarls back at him.

A new voice laughs. "Like hell. If you could do that, it'd be a miracle." Lucy recognizes it: Sting.

She feels Plue nearby, too.

Well done, Plue, she says in silence.

A single key responds proudly and she smiles faintly. That smile vanishes a moment later when Bora flicks a finger. Heat snaps at her eyes and she flinches just a moment before her arm is grabbed and she's dragged to her feet. Lucy can't get them under her and hisses when her arm is wrenched painfully as her legs buckle. She manages to get them under her. Pain ripples down her neck. When she sees Bora's face, he looks worried, and Lucy can't blame him.

He's surrounded. In every direction, there is a man or woman. All but one displays the head of a saber toothed cat somewhere on their body - and not a single one looks happy. Yukino is wrenched to her feet, too, by the man with knives. He puts one to her throat. Sting, a blonde-haired man with dragon-like blue eyes, bares his teeth.

Lucy's eyes roll until they find Natsu, interested in seeing what he's doing.

She's startled to find that there's no sign of the friendly dragon slayer she remembers seeing in Magnolia. There's a deadly look on his face, one that she'd never have pictured seeing there, and in his arms is none other than an anxious Plue, who's shivering as violently as ever. Plue tugs at Natsu's sleeve anxiously. Lucy feels gratitude at the way he reassures Plue with a pat to the head. His onyx eyes briefly meet hers, and Lucy tries to smile faintly. He doesn't return it.

Fire leaps to life again, snapping at Lucy's face. She forces herself not to flinch as Natsu merely puckers his lips and sucks it right up. Despite the pain that still shoots through her face, shock races over her features. She's never seen any of the likes before, and it's one of the most fascinating things she's ever seen.

Bora comes to the realization fairly quickly that he will not escape and Lucy feels the shift just before his hand darts to his side. She jerks, trying to free herself, and flinches when a blade just narrowly misses her eyes, skimming over her brow. She hits the ground as Sting lunges, unleashing a blast of brilliant white that sends Bora flying. He hits the ground and does not move again.

"Rogue!" he bellows and something plunges from the shadows. Ignoring the pain in her body, Lucy throws herself forward, too. Fire licks down her arm when a blade slices through the skin, blood splattering, but she barely notices as she curls her fingers around it and rips it from the man's hand.

She lurches to catch Yukino when she's shoved away. Both women fall hard on their knees, Yukino gasping in surprise. Lucy clutches her, shivering.

The second both women are safe, the guild descends, and chaos erupts around them. Others of Bora's group fight back against the guild that tries to bring them down and lose fairly quickly. Lucy hovers over Yukino as the woman sobs quietly, clutching her fingers to her chest in fear.

A hand touches her shoulder, calloused and warm, and Lucy's fingers, still wrapped around the blade, twitch. She shifts her grip to the hilt and whips it around, ready to kill whoever's touching her. The knife splits flesh; more hot blood on her face.

Natsu looks startled, a nasty wound carved into his cheek. "It's me," he gasps, and Lucy immediately feels horrible.

"Sorry," she breathes. She drops the knife, and it clatters to the street as she let out a sob that had been building in her chest. Natsu crouches beside them, not at all worried by the fight raging around them. Panic rises. She'd almost killed him. If he'd not moved so quickly-

The knife is pried from her hand by gentle fingers, and then, a small spirit is tugging on her clothes. "Plue," she whispers with a quavering voice, kissing his head. "Thank you. Thank you."

She isn't surprised when rather than a flash of brilliant light, Plue disappears into balls of warmth that brush over her cheeks and rise into the sky. Her keyring is one key lighter.

Plue has repaid his dues and has long since moved on to the rumored golden fields.

"Are you hurt?" Natsu demands. She gives him an exasperated look. He rolls his eyes. "I mean badly."

"No," she says. She turns her attention back on Yukino. "Yukino, are you-"

Her blood turns cold when she realizes something has seeped into the cloth around her knees. Yukino coughs, the sound raspy and thick. When she glances up, her eyes are dim, her chin and lips streaked with red. "Yukino!" Lucy cries in terror, and it drags the attention of several others as the commotion begins to die down.

Rogue materializes immediately, concern for his friend evident, and his gaze narrows in horror as he realizes what's happened. "Sting!" he bellows. Sting comes running, leaving the mess to his guildmates.

"Sorry," Yukino whispers, voice raspy. Lucy gently helps her sit up; crimson is seeping from between her fingers, surrounding a sharp blade that has been plunged up to the hilt straight between two ribs.

Sting's face is pale like that of a ghost. He and Rogue exchange a terrified expression. Others rush over if they can and share the look. Lucy can feel a hand on her shoulder, hear a voice in her ear, and all she can think is that this is her fault in some strange way, that she should've noticed them closing in, that she should've stopped it, that-

That she can fix this.

With shaking fingers, Lucy grips her keys in her hand, ripping them from their place at her belt. They're hot in her fingers - warning. She stares at the twelve golden keys there. One year, she knows, for each of those. Six months for each silver.

She glances at Yukino. Lucy had nothing when she'd found the celestial spirits so long ago. She remembers it so clearly.

Leo's eyes had been sharp. Nowhere near as friendly and warm as they'd grown over the years. Voice cold, he'd asked, "Do you know what you're asking for, child? This isn't for someone who wants peace. This is an extension - one that you'll have to pay off. We don't make contracts lightly."

She'd been so, so young. Only thirteen. And she'd met his gaze fiercely as pain had wracked her body just like it had wracked her mother's. "Yes. I know what I'm asking for. A chance. Just a chance to see what there is to see. To live."

She'd had nothing, and Yukino…

Yukino had so much. So much to lose. The two that are are on either side of her, their faces agonized and their heads bent near hers. They are family. What Lucy had fought so hard to keep from happening was happening right before her eyes, and it wasn't her that was causing it.

She senses Natsu's unease as he says in her ear, "Lucy?" It doesn't send her body shuddering away in disgust like Bora's had. She finds she wants to lean closer, seek comfort in the warmth he offers. And she gives herself that as she presses a key to her lips. She leans briefly into him, and he doesn't move away, even pressing back. She can sense it. Summoning even just one will kill her.

And it's for that reason that with a flash of light, a spirit appears before her without touching her strength, briefly distracting those around her. Even Yukino, eyes blurred and hazy, lifts her gaze somehow to look.

Libra kneels before her, eyes searching hers. "Do you understand what you're asking for, child?" she says, echoing Leo's words from so long ago. Her gaze is gentle. "Your contract will lose a year."

"Two." If Lucy's going to do this, she's going to give her more than just one year. Lucy's had plenty of time to live as she's always wanted to, and she finds now that she might have messed up that time. She removes Libra's and Pisces's keys from her ring with shaking fingers and presses them into Libra's fingers. "Please. I understand what this means. I won't fight it when the time comes. Please."

Libra fondly caresses Lucy's cheek as Lyra is so fond of doing and then kisses her forehead. "Then consider our contract to you altered, friend. One year, three months, and nine days remain in your contract. The Spirit King has noted your generosity and will lessen our side of the bargain by two years in turn."

"Thank you," Lucy whispers. Libra kisses her forehead and then turns in one swift moment to face those of Sabertooth. Sting and Rogue look less inclined to let Libra anywhere near Yukino, whose eyes are fluttering shut, blood dripping drop by drop from between her lips.

Lucy tips forward, unconscious, as Libra pulls the wicked blade from Yukino's body.

---

He doesn't remember much about what happened.

He remembers seeing that odd woman pulling the knife from Yukino's body, the light that spills from her hands and into the wounds, sealing them after a brief word of acceptance from the nearly gone woman.

He remembers seeing that woman vanish, leaving two keys in Yukino's lap, and watching as Yukino blinks, color returning to her cheeks as she looks briefly confused.

He remembers the tears on Sting's face - mostly because Sting's never cried before - as he laughs and presses his forehead to hers, Rogue smiling faintly beside them.

He remembers her, pitching forward, barely snagging her, realizing that there are blisters on her neck and bruises and blood and everything in between.

He remembers the warmth in his chest when he gathers a woman he barely knows to his chest and tucks her golden-haired head beneath his chin, his arms tight around her as he climbs to his feet and earns the attention of some of those present.

He can't recall anything that happens after that - not until she opens her lovely brown eyes a few days later and breaks him with four words.

---

When she stirs, every inch of her aching, she isn't surprised to find that Natsu is seated beside the bed she's in. His arms are folded, his chin on them. Onyx eyes watch her face. He doesn't react until she opens her own and meets his gaze. "Natsu," she murmurs.

A grin appears on his face as he shoots upright. "Lucy!" he says cheerfully as if the last time he'd seen her awake hadn't been with Yukino dying a breath away. She winces as she tries to sit up and eventually gives up until he reaches out to help her with ginger hands. He knows where each injury is and avoids them all as he helps. His fingers are gentle where they touch. They linger on her skin, sending sparks shooting through her.

She remembers then. "Yukino!" she gasps, trying to throw herself out of the bed. Natsu nearly throws himself over her legs to stop her, and she tries to kick him off, even as she hisses in pain. "Is she-"

"She's fine," Natsu snaps, "so stay in bed! You can't get up. You need to rest." He waits until she calms, and then sits back up, pushing a hand through his pink hair and fixing his scarf. Lucy looks at him with such desperation that he reassures her immediately. "Yukino's fine. Sting and Rogue are kind of hovering, but she's okay. Alive." His eyes flash. "She says she made a contract."

He wants to know. She knows he does. He'd watched a contract be made, watched her own be altered. She licks her lips, sitting back. "I'm sorry," she whispers.

Something akin to fear crosses over his face. "Why? Why are you apologizing?"

She knows that for some reason, her next four words are going to destroy him.

"I'm going to die." He stills, and then breaks before her very eyes. He slumps in his chair, his eyes immediately line with tears, and he presses his mouth into a very hard line. She swallows the lump in her throat. Tears are gathering in her own eyes. She doesn't understand this strange connection between them. It's like she's known him her whole life though she's only known him the equivalent of less than a week.

It seems normal that when the tears fall, he's immediately there, breathing in horror, "Don't...don't cry." His fingers brush over her cheeks. They wipe away her tears, cup her face. She laughs breathlessly at the way tears fall from his own eyes. "Please don't cry."

"This," she says softly, "is why I didn't want friends."

Though, she thinks, he's not a friend.

Natsu is…

Well, there's nothing she can say that would explain this odd relationship she's formed with him.

He eventually drops his hands and Lucy wipes at her own eyes, smiling faintly. When she's calmed down, she swallows thickly and speaks softly. "I suppose it's a dramatic way to put it. Dying. I'm not going to die, but I might as well be." He looks so confused, that she shakes her head. "When I was thirteen," she says to him, "my mother got sick. The disease swept through the town we lived in, killed my father, her...and I was dying, too. I was the last in our household. Not even the doctor had survived.

"I was so, so desperate. I read every day that I was ill, and looked at this beautiful map in my room. So the day a falling star caught my eye, I wished with all of my heart to live. I didn't expect for the stars to answer.

"Leo...he appeared in this beautiful light, like some kind of angel from the heavens above." Lucy's voice warms at the mention of her friend, who she knows is likely agonized that he'd been unable to stop what had happened. She hopes the Spirit King is not too harsh on him. It wasn't his fault.

"Do you understand what you're asking for, child?"

"We formed a contract," she breathes. "I made a contract with a celestial spirit - several of them. The Spirit King, their leader, is rather fond of me. When I protected the keys from thieves that ransacked our home, he granted me longer to live. I received eleven other golden keys and various silver keys. One year for each golden key, six months for silver. In return, when my time is up, I'll become a spirit that will serve contracts of similar kinds until I've made up the time leant to me. Then, I'll move on to whatever happens after people die. It didn't seem like too big a loss. I was alone, so alone...so I began to travel, and my mother had always praised my singing, so I used it. To make the money to travel.

"I couldn't…" She lowers her eyes to her hands, fumbling her fingers. "I couldn't let myself get attached. I didn't want to hurt anyone when my contract is up." Tears are welling again and she doesn't bother to stop them. "I was doing well. So, so well. And then I went to Magnolia, and everyone in the guild was so kind, and you…I don't know why, but there's…you're…" She can't explain it.

She doesn't need to.

He gets it, because it's the same for him.

Silence falls, and a sob escapes her. She buried her face in her bandaged fingers. It's some time before he's suddenly tugging her hands down. She looks up when he surprises her by simply twining their fingers together, pushing his forehead to hers almost aggressively. He's so close.

She's unused to it. Lucy doesn't remember the last time someone other than a spirit had been this close to her.

"The spirit who made a contract with Yukino," he says, and his breath is warm on her face. "She said you've got just over a year, right?" Lucy wordlessly nods. "Come with me. To Magnolia. Join Fairy Tail. Stay with us so you don't have to be alone anymore. You can have a family, even if it's only for a year. And we can try and find a way to stop it."

"You can't," she says gently. "You can't stop a contract with the celestial spirits, Natsu...they're stars."

"And I'm a dragon slayer," he retorts, much to her amusement. "I'll burn 'em to a crisp if they get close."

"Mm," she hums, and he grins when she murmurs, "This must be why Leo told me to stay away from you dragon slayers." His grin fades after a moment and she takes a deep breath. "You can't stop it, Natsu. You truly can't. Are you...are you sure that you want that? To experience that kind of pain when the contract ends?"

"Lucy," he says, and she shivers at the way he says her name - like it means the world to be able to say it. He doesn't pull away, even as closes his eyes briefly. But he doesn't answer. She truly thinks in that moment that he believes he'll find a way to fix it.

She'll let him have that hope, she decides. She closes her eyes, too, and agrees to join his guild.

---

As she takes a few days to recover, Lucy learns the entirety of what's happened since she'd fallen unconscious.

Bora's group is detained or dead. Bora himself is the latter; Lucy doesn't feel bad about it when she remembers the heat he'd put on the back of her neck. The skin is still blistered and will likely scar.

On the bright side - or the downside, depending on who someone was, she supposed - Yukino was doing well. She'd hugged Lucy tightly when Lucy had emerged after two days of bed rest with only Natsu coming in and out. He'd refused to let anyone else in apparently. It had earned her teasing looks, though she'd not bothered to get flustered. Yukino admits that she's nervous after learning the extent of what it means to have a contract, but she doesn't mind, she says. She's grateful, even, and thanks Lucy for what she's done. Lucy doesn't think she understands fully just what Lucy had sacrificed, but says nothing, is only happy that Yukino's happy. Sting and Rogue are happy, too, looking to the future despite knowing that their time with their friend will end within two years.

When she'd asked, she'd also found out how Natsu had turned out to be in Crocus. She glares half-heartedly at him when he smiles sheepishly at her. It turned out that Fairy Tail had been truly looking for her for the last few months. Natsu had been the only one to voice that they should drag her back at first, and had been very determined to do so, and it wasn't until Mirajane had voiced her agreement after a few conversations that Fairy Tail had sent out a call to other guilds to watch for her.

Sting had apparently contacted Fairy Tail the moment after he'd met her, and Lucy had given him a glare for that.

Eventually, the time comes for Lucy and Natsu to leave Crocus. She still doesn't understand fully what Natsu is to her, to be honest, but she knows that he's important. He stands by her as she bids Yukino farewell, promising to come by again eventually.

"Some day," Lucy murmurs in her ear as she hugs her tightly.

She knows now that "some day" is unlikely, but not impossible.

---

Magnolia is just as Lucy remembers - warm and full of life. The keys at her hips are warm with happiness at the fact that Lucy is, for the first time in a while, truly happy. She keeps close to Natsu as they walk down a street, heading for the guildhall. They're close enough that he bumps into her every now and then, and occasionally, he'll guide her with a touch to the small of her back, but she doesn't mind at all.

When they reach the guildhall, Natsu ushers her around the side, just as Mirajane had done so long ago. But rather than slipping into the same secretive room, he leads her up a flight of stairs, hand curled around her wrist, and pushes her into the very room she'd once stayed in. "Stay here," he orders. "I'm gonna get Gramps."

Lucy arches a brow, lips quirking. "Yes, sir," she murmurs, and he flashes a grin over his shoulder.

He goes to leave, and then pauses, looking back. "You won't leave, right?"

Warmth floods her. "No, Natsu," she says and smiles when he shudders. "I'll be here when you come back." He nods and then is gone.

Lucy puts a hand over her chest, feeling her thudding heart. It's skipped a beat again. She shakes her head at her own silliness and turns into the room, studying it. Nothing has changed; it's somehow just as warm as a bedroom would be, even while being as bland as possible.

Leo's key is hot at her hip. She's not seen him since everything had happened. She lifts it to her lips and kisses it gently, reassuring him that she doesn't mind and that she's alright, even with bandages still covering her skin.

Lucy doesn't know how long she's been up there when the door nearly flies open and she finds herself jumping nearly a foot in the air. She slaps a hand over her heart as it races beneath her fingertips, and stares at the group that suddenly piles in. She blinks, shocked.

Mirajane, first and foremost, is there, her brow furrowed. She's mid-sentence. "-get that healed, Natsu, it'll scar, and you know how Asuka gets when she sees people with new injuries like that."

Natsu's a step behind her, annoyed. "It's fine, Mira, it'll heal."

"How did it even happen?" Lisanna asks from where she's helping Levy lug in some fresh medical supplies, food, and new sheets and blankets for the bed. "You're usually so careful...how'd you get caught like that?"

A snickering man with dark hair and equally as dark eyes smirks at Natsu over Levy's head as Natsu says nothing, flustered. Lucy remembers him being introduced as Gray, and the woman with scarlet hair beside him as Erza. Erza is frowning, her mouth clamped shut, but Gray says, "She got you, didn't she. You did something and she got you with the knife."

Natsu says nothing, and Cana Alberona, her arms wrapped around a suspicious barrel, gasps. "She did, didn't she! She got you!" Cana cackles. "I like this girl even more. Details, Natsu, I want details!"

"It's not her fault," Natsu protests when everyone pauses to look at him, studying the injury on his cheek.

"Still," Erza says, voice warm and gentle as if she understands. "You should have Wendy tend to it when she and Gajeel return." That said, she turns to Lucy, puts her hand on her hips, and says brightly, "Hello again, Lucy."

Lucy's mouth is gaping like that of a fish. She doesn't know how to respond to the group that has come up to greet her. She'd expected the guildmaster, Natsu, maybe one other. Yet here's a whole group, every single one of them looking very happy to see her. Immediately, a sob leaves her.

"Don't cry," Natsu says immediately, bolting over with a helpless sound. "C'mon, Luce. You gotta stop with that!"

Chuckles come from those present, and Mirajane's smile is rather shark-like as she stares at the way that Natsu leans in to murmur something reassuring to her, as if it will stop her tears. Lucy merely sniffles softly.

And then another person is at her side. Levy. Levy smiles warmly at her, her hazel eyes shimmering with something Lucy can't place as she loops her arm gently through Lucy's. Rather than demanding she stop crying or even an explanation as to what happened, she says, "Come on. You must be hungry. We brought up enough that everyone can have lunch together, but you can have first dibs."

Lucy cries harder.

---

Sharp onyx eyes watch as the stamp is placed over the back of her right hand. Magic swirls through the air in a way that is familiar and reassuring to him. Lucy doesn't seem to understand it entirely. That's fine; as long as she's smiling.

Mirajane's expression is warm as she takes Lucy's hand when she's done. She smooths her thumb over the mark, gazing critically at it. Making sure there are no mistakes. Not that there ever are. Mirajane is good at it. She smiles, releasing, and Lucy draws her hand back, running her own fingers over it.

"Look!" she says a moment later, showing him, and he grins widely, leaning in to look over her shoulder. She's warm; he likes it. The pink symbol that marks her as a member of his family looks good on her hand, like it's always belonged there. She looks so happy.

It makes him happy in turn.

"Looks good," he says, and Lucy nearly glows in pride. She whirls away, going to find Levy and show her. And likely some of the others. For someone who'd been so against friends and having those who love her around, Lucy is very interested in involving so many now. He is proud of her for it; he doesn't know why. There's just...something special that makes him want to put a protective bubble around her.

Mirajane cleans her throat, leans over the bar. "Looks good," she echoes, smirking.

He flushes, glaring at her. "Mind your own business," he says under his breath, going to trail after Lucy. He pretends he can't hear her laughter as he leaves.

---

When Makarov returns from a meeting in some other town, Lucy is beyond grateful that he accepts her presence with no comment out of a gently said, "Welcome to the family, Lucy. We're grateful to have you here."

Lucy can't do much, not compared to the others in the guild. She no longer is capable of summoning even Lyra. But she still sings fairly often. Every few evenings, she'll offer to sing something to make up for everything people have done with her. She smiles when she sees Natsu perched up front for every single one. She likes the way he watches her. She watches him, too, when he's trying to stir up brawls, though he makes sure she's well out of the way.

She can't stop herself, no matter how hard she tries.

She's got a little over a year, and she can't stop herself as she watches him.

Natsu doesn't seem to mind.

She tries to work alongside the mages of the guildhall, but quickly finds that there isn't much she can do without her spirits. Lucy feels miserable about it, given she's staying in the guildhall, but she's reassured by many that it's alright. She's paying her way in the world with her voice, just as she always was.

It doesn't feel like it's enough.

It's never enough to repay these people for the pain that only Natsu knows will eventually come.

The day in which one year dips into less, she snaps.

She locks herself in her room and simply screams into knuckles bloodied by her own teeth. Lucy cries for what's coming. She finds that after having no one for so long, she loves those that surround her fiercely - that she doesn't want to say goodbye. She regrets her decision to make a contract that day, wishing she'd just let herself die alongside her parents years prior.

It's the first time in months that she's seen Leo. He appears beside her, expression agonized. "Lucy," he murmurs, drawing her close. She sinks into the embrace with a sob. Her fingers curl in his suit, and he gently winds his fingers in her golden hair. He frowns; she's sheared it unevenly. Gone are the endless locks of lovely gold. Instead, many of them lie on the floor at the other end of the room.

He presses a kiss to the top of her head and rocks her as she sobs, "I don't want to. I want longer."

"I know," he says quietly. "And I'm sorry."

An implied request. A gentle denial.

The Spirit King can't alter their bargain that much.

The only sound for a few hours as he sits with her is her tears. Eventually, they die off. Leo hadn't missed the knocks and calls of her name over that span of time. People are worried. Natsu, especially. He knocks every hour, twice sometimes, wanting in. He's getting increasingly impatient, too.

Leo gets the feeling the idiot will break in soon enough.

When her sobs have died away, Leo smooths her hair back and says, "You like him, don't you. The dragon slayer." She nods wordlessly, exhausted. "We can tell. We feel what you feel." His throat is thick as he speaks. The Spirit King will have to punish him for this, even if he was the one who told Leo to tell her. His voice is in his head, heavy with apology. Leo doesn't mind.

Leo's time with the celestial spirits would have ended with Lucy. He'd have moved on, Lucy taking his place.

But he cares too much to allow that.

They all do.

"Use him," Leo says. She pulls back, confused. He smiles as he cups her cheeks, gaze sad. "Use his heritage. Find Igneel." She doesn't know the name, is confused, but figures she'll get an explanation. "Find Igneel...we can't...we can't help you, Lucy, but he can." His ring-clad fingers are gentle, the rings themselves cold, as he smooths them over her skin.

Lucy sniffs delicately. "Natsu said he disappeared over ten years ago. He's been looking ever since...how do we find him now?" She has no doubt that if she asks Natsu, he'll drop everything and go with her to find his father. He's already done so, abandoning Magnolia - and her - once when a rumor had come through.

He'd failed.

Lucy remembers the look on his face when he'd come back, remembers how he'd explained where he'd gone in one simple sentence before going and drinking himself into oblivion. Even Cana had agreed that he needed cutting off and had sent him home.

"This is normal," Mirajane had reassured Lucy, smiling faintly at her.

No one had enjoyed it and it had been another week before Natsu had come bouncing back, friendly and smiling.

Leo merely smiles faintly. "I can't tell you. Just...trust me?"

"Always," she murmurs, having full faith in him.

"Good girl," he praises. He pulls away, giving her a final smile. "Take today off, and then get to work." She agrees and he vanishes in a flash of light that nearly blinds her. She scrubs at her eyes for a moment, exhausted. She doesn't want to be alone anymore, she realizes, and staggers to her feet. She doesn't care how she looks, that she's destroyed her hair. She just wants someone - the physical reassurance she realizes she's begun to crave.

She's wiping at her eyes as she unlocks the door and opens it. She's relieved to find that the hallway is empty - and disappointed. She finally had come out, she thinks miserably, and no one's there. She's chased them off, she's broken the relationships she's formed-

Someone ducks around the corner, catching her off guard. She recognizes the head of hair immediately; it's impossible to not recognize Natsu's hair. He's the only one she's ever met with such shocking pink strands.

"Natsu," she mumbles, and he snaps his attention right onto her. He studies her anxiously, clearly worried as he stops. Wordlessly, he suddenly extends his arms, reaching, and Lucy careens into them. She throws her arms around his neck and presses her face into his shoulder. He doesn't disappoint. He crushes her to him - smells of smoke and Natsu. His body is warm against her, reassuring in a way that even her mother hadn't been.

Lucy can't say she understands what exists between them, but she likes it.

It's special, unique.

As if their souls were made for one another.

She wouldn't change it for the world.

---

When Lucy explains what Leo said to him, Natsu is quiet, thoughtful. Not surprised one bit. Dragons are powerful creatures - had brought their human children back from the brink of death, even. When she expresses surprise, Natsu shows her the scar on his neck. The one in his side.

He feels horrible when it makes the overly sensitive woman cry again, although she's quick to stop the tears this time.

In the darkness of her room, both seated side-by-side on the floor and leaning against one another's shoulders, Natsu says, "Tomorrow. We'll leave tomorrow and find Igneel. You and me. We'll look until we find him."

"We have to prepare first," Lucy laughs softly. "We need supplies - money."

"I'll talk to Gramps," he tells her. "I'll take care of it. So maybe not tomorrow, but the day after." He glances at her, eyes seeming to glow within the darkness. She wonders if it's the draconic magic that dwells within his body. His eyes narrow after a moment, determination crossing his face. "I'll find Igneel for you. And then we can keep having fun with our family. Together."

She smiles slightly. Natsu is truly something else, she thinks. "Together," she agrees softly, and rests her head on his shoulder. Natsu rests his own atop hers in reply.

A comfortable silence falls, and they sit in peace together.

---

The next morning, Lucy manages to catch Natsu by surprise and informs the guild of the truth.

It's early in the morning, maybe ten or so, and most of the guild is there. She stops mid-conversation with Levy and Erza when she catches sight of Natsu crossing the guildhall to speak with Makarov, who seems to know that something important is going to happen, because he straightens. And rather than letting Natsu speak to Makarov only, Lucy stops Erza's comment and heaves herself onto the table.

"Lucy?" Levy questions, cocking her head. Even Gajeel, who sits beside Levy on a regular basis but never really speaks to Lucy, glances up at her, questioning. Lucy ignores them, studying the people around her.

These are her family, she realizes. People who had no business caring as much as they seem to for her in such a short period of time. And they deserve to know. Especially since she and Natsu intend to leave the next day, with the possibility of Lucy never seeing any of them again.

When she has everyone's attention - even Natsu's eyes are on her, full of surprise - she informs them. "I'm leaving." Commotion breaks out, Lucy silences it with a hand. "Natsu and I are going to look for the dragons. I need the dragons' help, or I'll have to hold up my end of a contract to celestial spirits within the year."

She doesn't miss the shock that crosses Makarov's features when she glances at him; he knows, she realizes, what the celestial spirits are and what they do. She doesn't bother to explain all of that to the others; the meaning behind what she's said is obvious, even if they don't fully understand what she's telling them. She'll basically be dead within the year if she can't find a dragon, and that's enough.

When she's finished speaking, she's whisked off of the table and crushed into a very hard breastplate. Erza's arms are like bands of iron around her, and Lucy squawks, unable to breathe as she squirms in Erza's hug. "Erza!" she gasps, but Erza's expression is fierce enough to silence her.

"What do you need us to do?" is Erza's response, and Lucy is stunned.

She'd not expected this.

She knows Natsu's heard by the way he grins, his face lighting up when others begin to echo the question. Everyone wants to help; even Laxus, Makarov's grandson and someone who's intimidated Lucy from the moment she's set foot in the guildhall, is eyeing her, waiting for an answer. Her eyes well with tears and she laughs through them.

She understands what it means, she thinks in that moment. What it means to be a part of Fairy Tail, to have them as her family. She hugs Erza back, ignoring the sharp edges of the armor that Erza favors.

And she tells them what she needs them to do.

---

Lucy's eyes waver as she bids Levy farewell. Levy, her team, and Gajeel are heading out on their own journey - to seek out Gajeel's father, apparently. He looks reluctant to actually head out, as if this is something's he's tried to avoid doing for some time, but excited in a way that Lucy's never seen him. It makes her smile.

A hand brushes over her shoulder and Lucy looks over to find Gray there. She's become good friends with him over the past few months, and despite disagreeing with Natsu on a regular basis, he's decided to accompany Lucy and Natsu. "There's no way we won't find at least one of the five dragons," he tells her confidently. They've sent word out to Sting and Rogue, too. They've started sending people out, too, realizing that this could help Yukino. "Not with this many people looking."

Lucy smiles. "Thank you," she says softly.

She hopes he's right.

---

"Be safe," says Makarov when their group heads out. They - Lucy, Natsu, Gray, and Erza - are the only group who will not come back regularly - they will search endlessly unless they get word from the lacrima they carry that someone's found something. He hugs each of them, and Mirajane, who stands beside him, having deciding to remain behind and organize groups, smiles softly, tears in her eyes.

"Thank you," Lucy whispers in his ear when it's her turn.

He hugs her tighter. "You're one of our family," he tells her, just as several others have. He smiles gently at her when she pulls back. "And for whatever reason, should you not come home...you will always be as such. Whether you live among the stars or somewhere else, you may consider Fairy Tail to be your true home, where you may always return to."

Lucy's never felt as happy as she does in that moment.

---

"Beautiful," breathes Lucy a few months later. Her hair, once short, has begun to grow out and brushes the bottoms of her shoulder blades, and it glistens gold beneath the lovely sunlight. Natsu eyes it greedily before bumping her with his shoulder, looking out over the glistening water. They've reached the western coastline, and Erza and Gray look as pleased to be there as she is.

Lucy suddenly grabs Natsu's wrist, grinning. "This is one place," she tells him when he looks at her again, "that I wanted to come to most. Before I visited Magnolia for the first time. I was going to cross the sea and see what's on the other continents, too. I hear the Alvarez Empire is so different from Fiore...I wanted to see it."

Natsu's gaze hardens a little bit. In such a short time, Lucy's come to mean so much. He doesn't like when she talks about herself as if she's going to be gone before long. As if sensing his unhappiness with the way she'd phrased it, she squeezes his wrist and then drops it, whirling away. Natsu's only a step behind when she returns to Erza and Gray.

"You said there was a village near here?" she asks.

"Yeah," says Gray, jerking his head towards the north. "We should reach it this afternoon. We'll stop there for the next day or two and rebuild our supplies and then follow the coast north. I'm thinking we might meet up with one of the other teams, Gramps said they were circling around an area in the north that looked suspicious."

Erza and Natsu look to Lucy, who nods. "That's good," she agrees. "We'll head north."

Erza smiles warmly at her and gently puts a hand on her shoulder as they start forward. "They found scales," she says. "Not red, as Natsu described, but white. There may be a chance that they find Wendy's mother or Sting's father...and from what I hear, Wendy's mother is kind and particularly inclined to help those who ask for it. Wendy's heading out to investigate it, to confirm whether or not they're actually dragon scales."

Hope twists through Lucy's chest once more. She's tried to knock it back, knowing that getting too hopeful is a bad idea. She's seen firsthand what hope does to someone when it's destroyed, and she doesn't want that to happen. To her, or to Natsu, who's always searching, hating that they have to stop every night. He'd go nonstop if it weren't for them making him settle down and rest each night.

As if noticing the whirlwind she's feeling, Natsu's hand grips hers and squeezes in a reassuring way. Lucy smiles, grateful that he's there.

She can't remember how she managed before she'd met these people that travel with her - how she'd traveled alone for so long.

And she's grateful for them - more than she's sure they'll ever know.

---

When they reach the village, they're met by an incredibly beautifully decorated series of buildings with people rushing this way and that. A young man, the head of the village's son, they quickly learn, notices them almost immediately and takes them to his father, friendly as can be. Lucy can't stop looking as they're led through the small village. People stop to stare every now and then, eyeing the strange hair colors that three of the four support. Many eye Erza's hair in particular, and when she notices, she becomes flustered.

Lucy thinks it's rather cute, as Erza's someone who intimidates on a regular basis. To see her red-faced and head down was incredibly odd to her, and it makes Lucy smile. Lucy's hair doesn't capture as much attention as either Erza's or Natsu's, and she feels a little disappointed. Maybe it would have captured more if she'd not cut it off in a fit of desperation?

Gray takes notice of her concerns somehow - likely when he catches her touching her strands of gold as people stare at Erza's lengthy hair - and leans in to murmur, "At least they're noticing yours. I'm like a boring old rock to them." He grins when Lucy snaps her eyes to his and points to his black hair, which blends in with the mainly dark-haired villagers.

Lucy's lips twitch as she gently nudges him with her elbow, grateful for the attempt to make her feel better. "If you're a boring old rock, then what does that make those of us without magic? I might have hair that sometimes looks good, but you have magic."

"So do you, technically," Gray points out. He waves at her keys. "I know that it's not really magic that you can use now, but those keys hold it."

"Ah, but even then, it's not mine," Lucy says. She lifts the keys from where they hang on her belt to press them to her lips, each warming at her touch. She's not seen any of her spirits since the day Leo had come. "It belongs to the spirits. It's only if we don't find the dragons that it'll belong to me."

"Don't talk like that," Natsu says immediately, voice sharp enough to cut through the good mood. The headman's son awkwardly falls silent mid-sentence; Erza even shifts uncomfortably.

When Lucy looks at him, he's stopped. He glares at her, his hands curled into fists. Smoke curls around his fingers, and those oddly draconic pupils are angry slits. Lucy's taken aback by this; he's never looked so angry - towards her, at least. He'd looked like this when Bora had come after she and Yukino.

"You keep talking like that," he says angrily. He huffs; more smoke curls out of his nostrils at the action. "Like we're not going to find Igneel or some other dragon. Like you're giving up on it and we're just wondering around for nothing."

Erza takes one look at the expression on his face - judges the mingled terror, anger, and frustration - and touches Lucy's arm, leaning in. "We'll go ahead." She gestures for Gray to join her and the pair head forward with the headman's son. Lucy watches after them in confusion before she decides to simply deal with the situation she's been left to. "Natsu," she begins, but he cuts her off, furious and not at all concerned about the matter of them being in public.

"You can't keep saying stuff like that. Fairy Tail's uprooted everything to help you because you're family, and you make it seem like it's worthless. Like there's no reason for us to do it. Like you don't think you're worth it and that we should stop."

With each word he says, she steps closer until she's right in front of him and he's forced to tip his chin to his chest to keep glaring at her. She says nothing for a moment, letting him huff out his agitation. Waiting for him to calm down.

When she thinks he has, she gently takes his face between her hands, fingers brushing his cheeks and caressing the scar she's left there. She rests her forehead against his, just as he has previously. It helps get rid of the last slivers of anger, and she feels tension leave him.

"I'm sorry, Natsu," she says softly. "I didn't mean to make anyone think that way." Least of all him.

It's a conversation they've had before, she remembers as he presses his forehead harder against hers, still irritated but not so angry. He's relaxed a little more, though. As if it makes him feel better to be so close. She smiles after a moment, voice gentle as she says, "Even if we don't find anything, it wouldn't have been for nothing. Maybe for the others," she adds, thinking with a grimace about all of the people that are out in Fiore searching for the dragons - just because of her. "But not for me. Even if we fail at what we set out to do, I've had fun. Exploring with you and the others." She smiles warmly at him, cups her hands around the back of his neck.

"You've shown me that I don't need to be alone," she tells him simply. "And that letting people care, even if it hurts everyone in the end, is okay. And maybe it'll hurt everyone in the worst ways later, but...we'll always have the times we've spent together to look back on, right? And it's not like I won't see you again, even if we fail. The celestial spirits believe in the after life, you know? It's supposedly this beautiful place of golden grass, where you can be with the ones you love most as they join you. I'd wait for you there. And maybe it takes some time for you to get there, but…"

He cuts her off with a hand over her mouth, and she realizes that his onyx eyes are dancing and shimmering in a way that he tries to avoid regularly. He doesn't like crying - hates doing it as much as he hates when she cries, mostly because he knows that if Gray catches him he'll never hear the end of it. "You'd wait for me?"

Lucy swats at his hand so she can say simply, "I'd never stop."

Natsu studies her face closely, opens his mouth to respond, but the moment is interrupted a moment later. "Lucy! Natsu! Come on!" calls Erza suddenly. "We'd like to introduce you to the headman!"

Slowly, Natsu pulls back, reluctant, and Lucy smiles warmly at him, offering her hand.

He takes it without hesitation, winding their fingers together.

---

The village's fascination with Erza's hair and the decorations are explained with two simple words.

"It's the Fire Festival," the headman explains as he leads them to a guest hut that he intends to lend to the group. They'd reassured that they didn't mind staying in one together. Natsu perks up, immediately interested in the mentioned festival, and the headman chuckles. "We celebrate the first day of summer with it. To show that should fire destroy our crops due to a drought, we will not give up and will use it to our advantage."

"It seems we've come at a good time then," says Gray with a grin.

"You're more than welcome to join in," the headman reassures when Erza protests that they shouldn't interfere. "There's a great feast that we hold, and music and dancing. It's great fun...and having someone that resembles fire themself will make it even better. It brings good fortune for the season."

Lucy speaks up. "I know some songs surrounding fire. I'm a traveling singer, and I'd be more than willing to perform them if you would like." She figures that if they're going to take part of the festival - she can tell that they are, simply because of the way Natsu is beginning to bounce up and down - she might as well offer something up in turn. "And Natsu's element is fire, I'm sure there's something he could figure out."

The village headman lights up in excitement. "We would love for you to perform, miss! And there's plenty of fires that will need to be lit. It usually takes us hours to prep them. Perhaps you'd be willing to help light them?" he asks Natsu.

"Sure," Natsu says. He looks beyond excited. "I never get to purposely light fires. It'll be fun." He grins widely, and the second no one but Gray looks at him, he lets that grin growing mockingly wicked. Lucy shakes her head when Gray stares at him in horror. She knows that Natsu will keep the fires under control and help make sure nothing burns down unless it is made to.

"Come!" the village headman declares, excited now. "We'll help you prepare!"

The group exchanges excited looks and Lucy claps her hands together, excited that they've found this place.

---

"What do you think?" Erza asks Lucy as she spins on her heel before her, showing her the way the long dress she wears swirls in a lovely way around her ankles. It's a beautiful scarlet and matches the shade of her hair perfectly. It's accented with pieces of gold jewelry that those who'd come around to help them get dressed were lending her. They'd been dressed similarly, in shades of red, orange, yellow, and every other warm color beneath the sun. Lucy knows that Erza is in a good mood, and is pleased with how many had fawned over her hair.

And Lucy shares it. She's already exhausted thanks to a surprise visit from Cancer, who'd shown up out of the blue to help with their hair. It had taken him moments to return Lucy's long golden hair to what it had been before she'd chopped it off in fit of rage and it's now flowing around her shoulders again. Those who'd helped them dress had studied it with just as much delight as they'd looked at Erza's.

After her distress earlier in the day, she feels much happier, and had almost cried, too. She can't wait to show Natsu, who had said nothing about her shorter hair but had clearly disliked how sad it made her to deal with.

Lucy smiles brightly at Erza, her dark eyes shimmering with warmth. "It looks great on you," she says, smoothing her hands over her own. It's darker than Erza's, nearly black but still red, and she likes the way it hugs her. It's the softest thing she's ever worn. "Too bad they want these back...I'd love to keep this. It'd be fun to do a formal event in the guildhall."

"Weddings," Erza informs her. "We always do formal in the guildhall when there's a wedding." Her face softens as she swirls the skirts of her dress one more time before fathering up her things a bit more neatly. "We haven't had one in years though…"

"I've never been to a wedding," Lucy admits and smiles as she watches Erza. Her own things are already gathered neatly in a corner. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she says, "Are you going to do something for the village? Like Natsu and I?"

Erza laughs. "No," she says, shaking her head. She glances towards the door of the home they've been allowed to borrow for the night. "I've got rather bad instances of stage fright, I'm afraid - and someone has to make sure Natsu and Gray don't get into a fight that lights the village on fire while you're busy." She huffs as she puts her hands on her hips. "It happens quite often, as I'm sure you've noticed. Anyways, are you ready? Let's go find them and see if they've gotten into any trouble while we were getting ready."

Lucy nods eagerly, still wanting to show Natsu her hair. She thinks it's a bit of a ridiculous desire, but she can't help herself. She and Erza sweep out of the building and look around. "There," Erza says, pointing to the end of the road, where a group of people are gathered around a massive to-be bonfire. They pause to look, noticing the villagers that are all slowly taking turns to dress finely in warm colors, and find with ease the shocking head of pink hair.

Gray is with him, though mostly to nudge a few interested children back as Natsu began to light the fire. Both have already been dressed and as Natsu steps back, finished, she eyes him with an appreciation that admittedly worries her. She shouldn't be experiencing such feelings about anyone; she might not be around in a few months. But she can't stop herself, and she finds herself liking the way the vest he's donned, a deep red lined with gold, reveals his chest.

If Erza notices Lucy's attentiveness, she says nothing, merely grips her elbow and tugs her towards them. "Natsu!" she calls, and he snaps his head around immediately. "Gray!"

"Hi," Gray greets lazily, watching as the fire begins to grow in the gathered wood. People cheer when it finally lights up entirely, and he grins. "You guys good to go?"

"Mhm," Lucy hums, smiling brightly. She feels childish, but still proudly grabs Natsu's arm, tugging. But he's already looking for, blinking at her as if he's seeing her for the first time. "Natsu, look. Cancer fixed my hair for me." She shows him the long strands, and he grins as he touches a few. They're soft beneath his fingers. "What do you think?"

"Looks good," he says, voice low, and she smiles wider when he meets her gaze, onyx eyes flickering with warmth and happiness despite their earlier conversation.

This is going to be a good night, she can't help but think.

---

He watches her sing with a new look in his eyes that night. As the sun sets, he thinks she looks simply unhuman, with her golden hair glowing around her and her crimson dress like dancing flames that he loves so fiercely. It certainly helps that she's simply Lucy. There's not a thing about her that he doesn't care for fiercely.

She locks gazes with him as she finishes a song, and he shoves that adoration into his eyes. Her own face softens briefly as she smiles just for him and swiftly transitions into a song of dragons that he remembers hearing before. Just for him, he knows, and he practically glows as he listens.

When she finishes singing entirely, she immediately approaches him, her face bright with a happy smile. "What'd you think?" she asks him, and only him.

He whisks her up in a playful twirl, knowing that it'll catch her off guard. She squawks, earning laughter from a few around them, and he gently sets her down when she smacks his arm with a huff. He sees by the look in her eyes that she doesn't really feel any anger towards him. She even claps her fingers fondly over his cheeks for a brief moment as he lets her go.

"You were great," he praises, just as she's been hoping. Lucy's entire self seems to light up, and he feels his chest tighten with warmth at the look. It looks good on her; he hopes that she never stops smiling like that.

---

Lucy knows as she twirls with a playful Gray that Natsu's eyes are on her, just as every now and then, she lets her own dart to him. It doesn't distract her from the fun she's having. But it's quite different from the way he's looked at her previously. She doesn't know if it's the night, or the fire, or simply her imagination, but she thinks there's something darker about him tonight. He watches her so intently she can feel his gaze no matter where she goes.

When the song ends, she pats Gray's arm happily and then leaves him to suffer at the hands of Erza and Erza's self-proclaimed dancing skills. "C'mon," Gray complains when Lucy leaves him, pouting, and she grins over her shoulder at him, knowing precisely what she's doing. She wants Natsu to come out and enjoy himself, too; she's seen several women approach him, some shy and some bold, and he's refused each and every one of them. She wants him to have fun, too, and worries that he's not doing so.

He sees her approaching where he sits, of course, and grins as his head slowly tips back the closer she gets until she's standing over him, her hands on her hips. He leans back so his neck isn't as pained by the action, smirking as she puffs her cheeks at him. "You should be up enjoying yourself."

"I am enjoying myself," he replies simply.

"You're sitting here."

"I'm watching," he corrects, grinning up at her.

She's grateful for the night; it hides her flush, because she knows precisely who he's been watching. "Come and dance," she orders, holding out a hand. "With me," she adds hopefully.

His lips quirk. Natsu finally just takes her hand. "Yes, ma'am," he teases as she pulls him upright, his calloused fingers warm around hers. In an almost playful manner, he lifts her finger to his mouth in a way he's never done. Lucy flushes again, pleased. Normally she would have stopped this. But tonight...she wants to forget that she's only got a few months left before they run out of time. She wants to live as if their only worry is old age.

His fingers are tight around hers as she slowly tugs him step-by-step closer to the massive bonfire the village circles. Many whistle and cheer as she pulls him over, drawing a flustered look to his face and a laugh from her throat. They settle in among the others that are ready to dance to the next song that is played, and she smiles brightly as he hesitates before placing his hands gently on her hips. Her own hands are splayed on his forearms, and they wait patiently for the music to start, neither minding the proximity.

When the music starts, they're off. Lucy hadn't expected him to be as good as he is, but Natsu's great at dancing. He manages to keep up with ease, and when he doesn't know what to do, he makes up for it with something else that isn't hard for Lucy to keep up with. Before long, the pair are grinning and laughing, enjoying their dancing. He spins her, playfully allowing fire to snag at her ankles and feet with the smallest of bites, and Lucy returns each attempt with a light pinch, unable to return it.

Natsu suddenly hoists her into the air as he spins her, hands braced on her hips. Hers immediately grab his shoulders, a shriek of laughter escaping her. People laugh around them as he gently puts her down and whisks her off around the fire with the others, his hands so rarely leaving her. They linger on her hips and sides, and his fingers skim over her arms, leaving literal trails of fire that dance around her skin but don't hurt.

She can't keep her hands off of him either. They're brushing his cheeks rather often, particularly the scar she's left there. She thinks he purrs whenever she touches it, as well as the rough scar residing on his throat beneath the scaled scarf he wears no matter what.

Natsu shocks her when he suddenly ducks his head to puff a cloud of smoke in her face. She hisses at him as she waves it away, and he laughs carelessly, drawing a fond smile to her lips. He looks so happy, practically radiates joy. Lucy echoes it. She feels so much love for the man she's laughing with. He's like the other half of her soul, just as he's always been, and before she's thought about it too much, her lips are brushing his.

Natsu trips, mid-movement when she does. But he catches himself as she pulls back to look anxiously at him, worried she's messed up. Instead, he snags her head and kisses her hard. She winds her arms around his neck, laughing against his mouth when Gray shouts at them to get a room. They've stopped moving, but she doesn't care.

He tastes like smoke and power and pure Natsu. He's warm and his arms are tight around her, a reassuring wall against anything that threatens to separate them. He pouts when she pulls away to breathe, and then grins at her, eyes shimmering. She simply buries her face against the crook of his neck, refusing to let go for an instant, and he lovingly runs his fingers through her long strands of golden hair, his gaze fierce enough to divert the attention of anyone who thinks to look their way.

It is clear to those around them that there is so much to what lies between the pair.

And from where she watches, Erza worries what this means for the future, not entirely sure that they'll succeed at what they've set out to do.

---

He waits until no one's looking to tug her away from the others. She's eager, following him with so much trust that it makes his chest hurt. He loves her, he knows as her fingers tangle with his. He guides her impatiently through the village, body aching. She's not more than a step behind. She'll follow him wherever he goes and in that moment, he decides he'll do the same.

---

Hot breath brushes a collar bone. Warm fingers scrape gently and lovingly over every inch of skin. Teeth and tongue and more are only a moment behind.

The only sound is the whisper of names on gasped breaths, heard only by the stars above as the party continues elsewhere.

---

It's been some time since the fire festival, and where one goes, the other is not far behind. Erza thinks it amusing, though a concerned glint remains ever-present in her eyes. Gray thinks it disgusting, but says nothing. Both know that this could end badly and neither wants to ruin the sheer joy that appears on Natsu's face whenever he's looking at Lucy. Lucy seems to be thinking along the lines of Erza and Gray's thoughts, however, for whenever she looks to him, there's always a fraction of worried sadness there.

All three wonder if Natsu even realizes that the deadline is approaching.

Many months slip into a few. A few months slips into just one. Just one slips into two weeks.

With each passing day, Lucy's smile falters more. She's exhausted and needs far too many breaks. Natsu grows more worried, though he tries to mask it, knowing it hurts Lucy to see. They've barely made it ten miles in three days when Erza gently declares that she's made the decision: Lucy needs to return to Magnolia and remain there.

Just the mention of the fact that their running out of times ignites a spark that worries her further. Natsu explodes - quite literally. He shouts at them, refuses to see reason even when Lucy admits that it's the smartest idea. She watches as he leaves without a backwards look, bristling. Her eyes are anxious, desperate. A hand brushes over her head fondly. Gray, who's become more and more of a brother to her, looks just as dismayed by the simply fact that she might not be around in just two weeks. "I'm sorry," he mumbles. "Not about what's happening," he adds when she glares at her, "but that you guys are hurting."

"You are, too," Lucy points out, "and it doesn't give him the right to go off like that." Natsu's words are like blades that have cut away any semblance of hope that he'd be okay if things don't turn around. He's in a frenzy, she realizes, that grows each day. He barely sleeps, merely curls around her at night and clutches her as close as he can. There are shadows under his eyes. When he turns around and can't find her, he panics.

"Maybe not," says Erza softly, "but Natsu has never had an easy time expressing such things. I'll go find him; he likes to get into fights when he's upset." She doesn't wait for agreement, instead disappearing after him.

Lucy puts her face in her hands, trying to not cry. "I shouldn't have agreed to join the guild," she says in an agonized voice, regretting her decision for the first time in a while. "It's hurting so many people-"

"Maybe," says Gray softly, tugging her in for a comforting hug. "But you know what? None of us would give up the time we've had with you thus far to not have you at all, Lucy. Sometimes pain is just a fact of life. You can't live unless you have it to deal with, you know?"

"I guess," she whispers, and then jumps when a loud voice suddenly shouts. Muffled, from within their bags. The lacrima. Gray dives for it, hastily unwrapping it from its soft bindings. "Cana!" he declares and holds it so Lucy can see as she comes over.

Cana's face appears, a grin on it. There's something about the way she's holding herself that tells Lucy she's got news for them. Whether it's what they want to hear, she doesn't know. But it's news nonetheless. "Hey," says Cana. "How's it going?"

"Well, we don't know where the pyro went 'cause he can't hold in a tantrum," drawls Gray, "but fairly good other than that. You?"

"Same old, same old." Her grin widens, and she bounces. Lucy shakes her head, amused.

"Just tell us," she says with a small, tired laugh. "You can barely contain yourself, so tell us!"

"We found him."

Lucy's smile vanishes. "What?" she whispers.

Cana looks so excited, she's near tears. She smiles large enough that Lucy worries her face will break beneath the force of it. "We found Igneel, Lucy. We tracked your location. He's only a week away. He's in the very northwestern mountain range. My old man stumbled across him completely by accident. He wasn't very happy, but he heard that there's an emergency Natsu wants to talk to him about and is waiting. He knows you're coming and is ready to speak with you."

Lucy's heart skips a beat.

And then she's sobbing, dropping to her knees. "Lucy," Gray complains, even as he laughs, kneeling beside her as she buries her face in her thighs. He rubs her back comfortingly. "Come on, Natsu's already in a mood."

"Ooh," Cana hums from the lacrima. "Something happen there?"

"Yeah, and it's disgusting," Gray tells her, making her laugh. He waves her off and then puts the lacrima aside. Cana disconnects the contact and the lacrima fades into silence. "Come on, seriously, we've gotta get going. Only a week, but it'll take some extra days with you needing all of the breaks."

"I'll make Natsu carry me," she wails, and he laughs again.

When Erza manages to finally drag Natsu back, both are extremely bewildered by Lucy's tear-stricken face and Gray's broad smile. Natsu staggers anxiously towards Lucy, and then grunts when she throws her arms around his neck and shoulders. He hits the ground hard, thrown off balance, but hugs her back, pressing his nose into her neck. His fingers dig gently into her back. "Luce?" he mumbles, voice hoarse.

She shakes her head, unable to speak with the thick lump in her throat, so Gray answers for her. "Gildarts found him." Erza and Natsu stare at Gray, and Gray laughs at the matching expressions. "He found Igneel. He's only a week away."

A strangled sound leaves Natsu - a cross between a laugh and a sob. He hides his face in Lucy's shoulder, shuddering in relief.

For the first time in weeks, there is hope once more.

---

Natsu had never thought that a single word would have the ability to hurt so much.

"No."

The achingly familiar voice silences him mid-sentence. He stares at the massive red-scaled dragon in shock, unable to believe what he's hearing. "What?" he whispers. "What did you just say?"

They've found someone that Natsu has been trying to find for years and years. They'd searched the mountains for two days and with just three days left in Lucy's contract, they've found him. Igneel had been nestled in the heart of the mountains, and he looks just as Natsu remembers him. He's massive, the size of a mountain almost. His red scales gleam like fire in the sunlight, and his green eyes flicker with the empathy that had allowed him to take in a dying human boy and change him into what he is now. Igneel radiates the power that Natsu knows he has.

Knows that can save Lucy, who stands beside him, her hand held tightly in his.

She'd not been offended when he'd broken off to greet Igneel after years of not seeing him. She'd not minded putting her problem on the backburner as he'd dealt with his own issues about being abandoned. Igneel had refused to give his reasons, but she could tell that he'd not liked that he'd done so. Even with three days, Lucy had figured she could give up an hour or two for Natsu to do so.

But then the attention had turned on her. Natsu and Lucy had worked together as Erza and Gray hung back, wary of getting close to a dragon, and told Igneel of what they needed his help with. What they hoped Igneel could do.

"I said," Igneel says gently, looking reluctant, "no, Natsu."

"What do you mean?" he repeated, honestly confused. "What do you mean 'no'?"

"I mean no, Natsu." Igneel lowers his massive head. He could easily swallow each of them whole without a problem, magic or no. "I will not help Lucy with this. Friend or not, she made a contract with the stars and it is her responsibility to hold up her side of the bargain - whether the stars want her to or not."

Natsu gapes at his father. He'd never imagined this. Not in all of the time they'd spent searching had Natsu thought Igneel would deny them his help. "But...but you helped me. You told me all about it, how you saved me-"

"You have much left to learn in this world," Igneel says softly, touching his nose to Natsu's chest. Natsu staggers back a step, not wanting to be touched by the one denying him this. For the first time since they've found him, Igneel admits why he'd left Natsu. "It's why I left. You cannot learn what you need to learn if you are under my wing constantly. You needed to learn what I could not teach you, and I knew you were too stubborn to leave willingly. This is something you need to learn.

"I saved you, yes, but there is a difference in saving you and extending your life. I healed you; I didn't give you years you shouldn't have had, Natsu. She made a bargain for extra years. Have you not seen how illness has begun to wrack her body with pain? She made a deal to extend her life, not to save it. It is wrong, against nature. And while I hold no ill will against you, Lucy," he adds to the shocked woman, "I remain firm in my decision. It is unnatural, the way the stars handle their bargains...it is why we banished them from this world when we won the war against them."

Something in him cracks. "Dad," he says, his voice breaking, and he lets go of Lucy's hand to stagger towards the dragon. "Dad," he repeats, sinking to his knees. He's never begged for anything in his life - excluding when he wants Lucy to stop crying. "Please. Please. Help her. She's...Dad, she's so much more than just...she's...Dad. Dad. Please."

"No," says Igneel in a near whisper, so gentle and sad. "I'm sorry, Natsu."

He shatters.

---

"Natsu." Lucy's voice shakes as she whispers to him, touching his back. She ignores the pain of the hot fire that's been licking around his body for hours. He's not let anyone near as he's hidden in flames, trying to burn away the pain that races through his chest. "Come and eat. You need to, you've not had anything in days."

One day.

One day left.

They'd not bothered to leave; they remain beside Igneel, who Lucy holds no negative feelings towards. She understands, and had told him as much when he'd apologized time and time again. But it doesn't make it any better for Natsu, who has sanken into such black emotions that she worries about what he'll do when her final twenty-four hours are up.

Lucy's not gotten any better; she's gotten sicker. She realizes that her illness from before is likely returning and that the stars will gather her from the brink of death, if what she remembers is correct. A fever had appeared the night before, and now her cheeks are red with it. She's shaking, shivering often, and coughs heavily before focusing on Natsu again.

Natsu reminds her of an agonized child who doesn't know what to do with such intense grief. She can see him rocking slightly, his face hidden in his hand and lap. He trembles beneath her touch. "Natsu." She sings his name and he freezes. "Please? For me?"

Rather than responding, he suddenly straightens. She jumps, caught by surprise when she sees that there is nothing on his face but calm determination. "Natsu?" she whispers, worried. She scrambles to her feet as he swiftly stands, snapping around almost mechanically. "Natsu!" She raises her voice, catching the others' attention. Erza and Gray, who've been fascinated by the interactions they've had with a dragon and enjoying what time they had left with Lucy, snap their attention over. Igneel does, too. "Natsu, what are you doing?"

He ignores her, striding straight over to Igneel. Lucy flinches when he suddenly shoves at Igneel's large snout. Igneel snorts smoke in surprise as a black rage enters Natsu's face. "Help her," he snarls at his father.

Igneel eyes him warily. "Natsu-"

He ignores the dragon as Lucy hastily scrambles over, gripping his wrist gently. Her heart is racing, fear gathering. She doesn't know what he's planning, but she doubts she's going to like it. "Help her, Igneel." Not Dad, as he's called him every time before, but Igneel, and Igneel truly focuses his attention on him, trying to puzzle out his plan. "Or I will."

"Natsu," Lucy echoes, voice trembling. She tugs to try and get his attention but jolts when he pushes her away instead. She trips and falls, landing hard. She barely catches herself. "Natsu!"

Erza echoes his name with a snappish voice, furious with his behavior. Gray begins to make his way over with her, neither too eager to get close when Natsu bursts into flame again, viciously angry.

"What are you planning?" Igneel asks. He seems concerned. "Whatever it is, put it from your mind, boy. You already conquered death once; do not make it necessary again."

Natsu presses his lips into a hard line. "Fine," he spits venomously. Without hesitation, he rounds on Lucy. She's gotten to her feet with Erza and Gray's help; he doesn't even notice the worried fear that crosses her face when he steps right up to her, getting in her face. "Summon Leo."

Her world threatens to turn upside down. "What?" she breathes, putting a hand over the keys. She gets an inkling of what he's been thinking about for the last few days. "What are you-"

"Summon him," he barks, furious. He reaches out to try and snag the keys himself, but Lucy swerves back, ducking behind Gray. Gray's frowning at him, bracing his feet.

"Natsu," he says warily, "you need to chill out."

"Fuck off," Natsu snarls, trying to duck around him and catch Lucy.

"Natsu," thunders Erza, but even her temper isn't enough to drag him from this odd frenzy. He lurches, nearly manages to catch Lucy by the arm, but she dives away. He darts after her and then shouts in horror when she suddenly just reels an arm back and throws them.

"LUCY," he cries as he lunges for them. They skitter over the ground and then vanish over the side of the cliff that lines the area. He stares in horror at the drop below, hears them clatter somewhere far, far below. He snaps his head around, glares at her, and she glares right back, refusing to feel guilty. She knows he won't go after them. Not when it means leaving her for more than a few minutes.

"I won't," she seethes, "summon Leo so that you can try and bargain for my life, Natsu. I won't let you." She suddenly looks drained. She sinks to the ground, sitting there. She wraps her arms around herself, shaking her head. Tears gather as she cries, "In what world would I want you to do that?" A sob escapes her. "This isn't what I came with you for, Natsu! I didn't join the Fairy Tail guild with you so that you'd kill yourself trying to help me. I don't want that. When I'm up in the stars, I don't want the last thing I remember of you to be whatever you're becoming; I want...I want to remember the you I love. The you who didn't want me to be alone, who danced with me at the fire festival, who gave me a life that was so much better than the one I planned. I want to remember you, Natsu, not...not whatever this is."

His fury dies almost immediately and is replaced by guilt as she simply sobs into her fingers. Hesitantly, Natsu crawled over to her, his hands trembling. He wants to pull her to him, but isn't sure she'd appreciate it after what he's just tried to do. "I'm sorry," he whispers, tears gathering in his own eyes as she just shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Luce. I won't...I won't do it. I won't try and bargain with the spirits. Just...don't cry. Please don't cry, Luce, don't cry."

If this is truly it...if this is truly the last day he's going to ever be able to have with Lucy in this life...he doesn't want his last memory of her to be her tears. Just as she doesn't want to see him utterly destroyed by his anger, he doesn't want to see her broken by his actions.

She lurches for him with a sob, and he wraps his arms around her, rocking her with a matching sob.

After days of so much rage...it feels good to cry.

---

He knows it's time when he's sitting out beneath the beautifully glittering stars, a sleeping Lucy tucked into his arms, and a hand touches his shoulder gently. He's not let go of her since earlier in the afternoon. Even Igneel is sleeping, rumbling with each breath.

He doesn't need to look to know that it's Leo. His lips tremble as he tightens his arms around Lucy. She stirs and then settles back into sleep. Leo looks truly agonized when he finally looks up at him. "I'm sorry," Leo whispers, not wanting to wake anyone else. "I...I sent her in search of Igneel. I'd hoped he would help her, grievances with us aside. I see now that it was cruel to offer false hope, unintentional or not."

He shudders and looks down at Lucy. He recognizes that it's not anyone's fault, but it still kills him to realize that this is the last time he'll ever see or touch her, ever hearing her soft breaths. He smooths a finger over her cheek. She stirs again, but doesn't wake.

"She won't be alone," Leo offers gently.

"I know," he finally says. His voice is hoarse. "You promise...you promise you'll take care of her?"

"Always. Until the day she can finally join you in the fields of gold. You can wake her up. If you want to say goodbye properly."

"No," he says softly, and gently kisses Lucy's forehead. Maybe it's selfish, but he knows she'll cry, and he doesn't want to see it again. He wants to remember seeing her like this - serene and peaceful. The kiss moves from her forehead to her nose and then finally, he kisses her gently on the lips. She mumbles in her sleep against his mouth, practically purring. He bites back a bitter laugh.

"No," he repeats. "She'll cry." He hesitates and looks up, meets Leo's gaze evenly. "But can you tell her that I'm sorry for not waking her up? That I...that I love her and will wait for her as long as it takes?"

"Yes," Leo promises, smiling kindly. "I will." Rather than just doing what needs to be done, he says, "Are you ready?"

He shakes his head. "Just...go ahead." He'll never be ready, he realizes, and leans back a little when Leo looks on in understanding before shifting to kneel in front of them. He reaches out, fondly brushing some hair from Lucy's face, and then leans in to kiss her forehead lightly. He can't stop the sob that rips from his chest when she dissolves before his very eyes into beautifully glowing golden stars without so much as shifting in her sleep. Just like that, Lucy's gone, and his arms are empty.

"Thank you," is all Leo says before he's gone, too.

He doubles over and hides his face in his hands, a hysterical sound escaping him. He can't stop it - can't stop his tears and sobs even as the others are jarred awake, demanding to know what's wrong as they stumble over, eyes bleary with sleep. He can't stop the screams that leave him as he relives the moment over and over again. Only Igneel is silent as he watches from an eye long since cracked open, full of sympathy.

High up above, the stars twinkle merrily.

---

When they enter the guildhall, every single set of eyes turns to them excitedly. They are met by three weary travelers. Erza smiles faintly. Gray does nothing but study the building as if he's forgotten what it looked like in their year away.

Natsu doesn't respond at all, merely takes one look around the guildhall, thinks it empty of what had made it so fun only one year ago, and then spins on his heel and leaves. Confusion floods the air. Excitement turns to dread.

"She's gone," Gray says quietly, and dread turns to grief.

---

Seasons change, one after the other.

Natsu watches the others move on, and though it's hard, he makes himself move on, too.

Nothing is the same. Lucy's not there anymore, and he feels that with every moment that passes. The first year is the hardest; he turns to tell her something and finds that she's gone, and is reminded all over again. Grief is refreshed and he sometimes can't make it through more than a day without having to just sit there and let it wash over him. That year is hard on Sabertooth as well. Sting and Rogue are rocked to the core when Yukino turns into stars one day, joining Lucy among them. They are reassured by the fact that at least Yukino is not alone - something that comforts Natsu, too. He knows that Lucy was fond of Yukino and would enjoy having her around wherever they may be.

But one year turns into two, and he finds it in himself the ability to smile, just faintly.

Two years turns into three, and he can laugh again, share fond memories with the others.

Three turns into more.

People get married, although he never turns his thoughts away from Lucy. He refuses to consider it. Lucy was his other half - is his other half. He won't ever make someone try and live up to that.

Children are born.

New people come and old people leave.

And before Natsu knows it, he suddenly finds himself standing in an unfamiliar place. He furrows his brow, confused. It's warm and sunny and he likes the endless golden grass that surrounds him, though last he checked it had been cold and winter. When he studies his hands, he's shocked to find that they are no longer wrinkled. He hastily checks his hair as best as he can and laughs at the fact that there are no more silver strands - only the vibrant, wild pink from his youth. It doesn't draw breath from him to run, and he can't help but do just that through the soft golden grass that goes on endlessly.

It takes a while for him to realize the truth of where he is and he can't say he minds. Being old is hard more often than not, particularly at the age he'd gotten to. It had been harder and harder to get out of bed and he'd missed the friends that had gone onto the next adventure without him.

He remembers then where he'd heard of this place.

Lucy.

She'd mentioned that this was where the spirits had gone when they were done with their work. She'd promised she'd wait here for him - and he'd promised that he'd wait here for her in return. It's been so long since he's seen her that it doesn't bother him, the idea of waiting longer. She'll be there. He knows it. That wait had seemed impossible so long ago, when he'd debated coming to his place sooner rather than latter and on purpose, nonetheless, but he's glad that he took the long route.

Natsu can't say he knows how much time has passed when a voice he's not heard in decades says softly, "Natsu?"

He whirls around, nearly tripping over his own feet.

His heart misses a beat.

She's just as he remembers. Golden hair spills around her shoulders, dark eyes shimmering with life. She wears clothes he's never seen her in, but that doesn't matter. Not as he laughs and throws himself at her. She holds her arms out in time to catch him, and they fall together, his mouth already crushed to hers. "Lucy!" he cries and he realizes he's sobbing against her.

She's crying, too.

"Don't cry," he begs, even as he cries. "Please don't cry."

She just draws him in for another kiss. "You waited."

"I promised I would," he says fiercely when he pulls away. His hands caress her cheeks lovingly, his heart swelling with warmth. "I said I'd wait for as long as it took, remember?"

Lucy merely smiles widely, tears of joy spilling down her cheeks. He presses his forehead to hers, doesn't tear his eyes from hers as he clasps their hands together. Natsu smiles widely at his other half and feels such happiness that he thinks his heart might burst.

"Thank you," she breathes. "For waiting."

He merely murmurs, "For you, I'd wait forever."

---

When the song ends, it is met by applause and approving cheers. She smiles as she bows her body in gratitude, her cheeks flushing with pleasure. She is grateful, remembering days when such gratitude was nonexistent.

The song is not a popular one, only known by a select few that it has been passed down to. She's grateful that it was entrusted to her by the last member of the Fairy Tail guild before they'd passed away. She feels the trust now, pressing a hand over her heart. She's honored to have such a song in her arsenal.

It is known as the Song of Travelers and tells the story of a woman who travels with her lover and friends in search of help escaping from a bargain. And although it ultimately ends with a lack of success, the singer likes to think that there is an unsaid happy ending no one thought to include.

She hopes so, she thinks as she presses a hand over the warm keys at her hip, her gaze soft with affection. Her hair glows gold in the sun as it swirls around her shoulders and when she smiles, her dark eyes soften with adoration. The song is so similar to the fate she's been forced into that she hopes it means she'll find someone to have an adventure with some day. As long as fate doesn't rip her to shreds first.

A set of eyes resting on her draws her attention upwards and her own lock with those of the person watching her. He's not bad looking, she can't help but think, with a mop of shocking pink hair. He blinks curiously at her, as if confused, and she can't help but feel that he's important. Rather than dismissing him, she instead smiles and approaches, confident after her performance. "Hi," she says in a friendly voice.

"Hi," he echoes, suddenly nervous, and she laughs softly, the sound making him flush. She likes it; likes him, and she's only just met him. "Nice song."

"Thanks," she says warmly, eyes flashing with mischief. "I'm glad you liked it. I'm Lucy."

"Natsu," he replies, taking on a bit more confidence. He grins, offering his hand. When she takes it, his calloused fingers scrape against hers. They linger there, not bothering to let go. A frown appears on his face when her smile fades, replaced by a guilty sadness. "You're leaving."

"I'm a traveling singer," she says softly, apologetic. "Sorry."

He searches her gaze, tightens his fingers around hers. She doesn't mind; he feels important, more important than anything or anyone she's ever seen. Her breath hitches when he leans in a little, squinting at her. "Stay," he finally demands, and she blinks. He grins at her confusion. "Stay in Magnolia."

"I can't," she begins, reluctant. She finds that she really does want to stay, to get to know this strange man more and understand what this weird connection between them is. "I'm on a schedule to see the world." Not that she's sure she'll see it all. At this rate...she won't even see most of Fiore before her time's up. A thought occurs to her. "But...you could come with me. If you'd like."

His lips quirk. "That's quite the invitation for a stranger."

She merely grins widely at him. "Well?"

"Be here at ten," he says simply. "I just need to grab some things."

Her heart swells and she nods, vowing to not move an inch. He vanishes, darting off. Lucy raises the keys at her hip to her mouth and smiles as they warm against her flesh.

Maybe, just maybe, she can't help but think, some day has come much sooner than she'd thought.

---

Absolutely love how this turned out. :)