"Lucy… Lucy…" Lucy squirmed in her sleep. "Lucy… Lucy… LUCY!"

"AAH!" She jumped up and came face-to-face with Natsu. "NATSU! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT COMING IN MY HOUSE WILLY-NILLY!" Lucy frantically tried to pull up her robe as Natsu just threw back his head and laughed. "IT'S NOT FUNNY!" Lucy was tempted to pull out her gate keys and summon Leo to send Natsu straight back where he came from. Or Virgo, for that matter.

"Relax, Lucy. I'm just dropping in to say hello," Natsu grinned. Lucy felt her face go angry red. "BY MELTING MY WINDOW?" She shrieked, pointing to the melted gap in her glass window. Natsu shrugged. "Oh come on, Lucy, ya can't blame me for a little fun." Lucy glared at him. "What do you want, really?" She asked, tensing on her gate keys. Natsu ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, um, like I said, I really wanted to say hi, and-" An especially loud rumble ran through the air as Natsu jumped and covered his stomach. "I'M HUNGRY!"

Minutes later, after Lucy got Natsu to call Erza and Grey over to eat, and after she calmed down a bit, she cooked them all food from her personal storage. "That was from my personal storage," she grumbled. Natsu barely paid her any attention and was wolfing down his second plate. Grey rolled his eyes. "Do you always have to eat like a pig?" he scoffed. Natsu swallowed it all down. "Do you always have to be so cold?"

"Hey, being cold is what I do, flame boy."

"Yeah? Well at least I'm on fire today, because you're about to get toasted!"

"Bring it!"

"You asked for it, punk-"

Both boys' heads crashed into Lucy's drawer before Natsu could finish. "Men," grumbled Erza. "Always fighting and steaming to make carnage." "Whoa, did you say steam?" Natsu's head popped out of its paralyzed state. " 'Cause today I'm feeling smokin' hot!" Natus puffed out his chest. Steadily, ice spread through his head and stopped right before his eyes. For good measure, Grey froze his hands together too.

"Hey, what gives? Unfreeze them! Now! Or I'm gonna hurt you-" "Shut up already," groaned Erza, Lucy, and Grey together. "Can't make me!" yelled Natsu. Grey absently waved his hand in his direction and plugged Natsu's mouth. "Mmmmph!" complained Natsu. Lucy snorted a laugh, then turned to Erza. "How come he- and you guys- aren't just eating at the guild hall?" Erza hesitated before answering. "Guild hall.. Isn't getting much these days." Lucy stared at her, shocked. "What?"

"Lately, jobs were less and less taken because for some really weird reason, the wizards who leave never come back. And since we don't have enough jewels to support the Hall, we needed to cut down the food and make our own." Grey leaned back and casually started to unbutton. "Don't even try it," warned Lucy, whip nearly halfway out of her belt. Grey rolled his eyes and grunted.

Erza sighed, violet eyes clouding over with sadness. "We don't know why they keep on disappearing, but if this keeps up, the entire guild was have to disband." Lucy leapt to her feet. "No! Fairy Tail can't break up. It's where so many wizards and people found home!" Erza and Gray both looked at her. "Look, if no one's going to go and take a job, then I will." Lucy grabbed her jacket and began outside.

"Lucy, come back!" called out Grey's voice. Lucy turned. "If you guys are going to try to stop me, don't. 'Cause I'm not going to stop until I get what I want. And that is to save Fairy Tail."

A tense moment projected the silence, then Erza got up, a familiar gleam in her eyes. "I'm in. What S-Class member would desert her people?" She put a hand on Lucy's. Grey stood. "Yeah, me too. I mean, what's to do if Fairy Tail disbands? It would be freaking boring." He laid another hand on top of the girls'.

"Mmmph mmmph!" mumbled Natsu, ice plug still in mouth. Erza laughed. "I'll let you out of your misery."

She drew her sword and cut his ice cage free. "Finally! Man, you guys are cold," he said, looking at the three of them, hand on top of the others'. "You decided to save Fairy Tail and left me to eat ice? No way!" He smacked a hand on top of everyone else's. "One, two, three... Fairy Tail!" they all shouted, their voices carrying out in Mongolia.

They checked out the job board. "Wow… some of these are pretty well-paid jobs!" Lucy commented, checking out a job for 40,000 jewels. Erza shook her head. "These pay well, but it's not enough for saving the guild hall. We need some other people to take at least one more job to save Fairy Tail."

"Drip, drip, drop."

Everyone turned to see Juvia and Gajeel standing in front of them. "Huh?" Lucy said, cocking her head. "You're going, too?" Gajeel let out a booming laugh. "Oh hell no! Not with you losers! No, we're going on a different job," he said, his jagged voice thundering across the empty Hall. "We're going to save Fairy Tail." Natsu stared at Gajeel, brown eyes clouding over with suspicion. "What?" demanded Gajeel, whirling around to Natsu. "Got a problem with that, hot head?" Natsu cracked his knuckles. "Oh, you just went there, didya?"

"I went there a long time ago, fireworks."

"Metalmouth!"

"Coal cover!"

"Aluminum foil!"

"Candlehead!"

"SHUT UP!" roared Erza, and both dragons fell apart, both glaring at each other. "Cut it out, you two. Fairy Tail is in serious danger, and you two are fighting over name calling?" Natsu still glared holes in Gajeel's eyes. "Yeah? Well, sorry Erza, it's just that I burn a little too hot. It's kinda my thing now." "Ohh," muttered Lucy and Happy. "Yeah? Well I'm the fire department, because this fire is about to go down!" yelled Gajeel. "Snap!" said Grey, grinning. "STOP IT!" bellowed Erza. "If you two don't get along, then Fairy Tail is going to go up in flames! Don't even think it," she snarled to Natsu, who then shut his mouth. "Choose your job, the we part ways. When we come back, the job will be finished and the compensation will go to the Master for the Fairy Tail guild hall. Got it?" Erza stared everyone down. "Y-yes," squeaked all of them.

Hours later, Natsu was already complaining. "Glurg," he mumbled as his cheeks poofed out. Gray, Erza, and Lucy gave no attention whatsoever. "So what's the job, anyway?" asked Grey. Lucy pulled it out of his pocket. "Help needed, huge monster sucking up villagers and precious gems. Reward… ONE MILLION?" squawked Grey. Erza nodded. "The guild needs that much to at least keep going for a year. Then we can get rid of whatever thing that's keeping the wizards from coming back, and blow it back to the spirit world!" Lucy put her hands up. "Whoa whoa whoa, Erza, cool it with the spirit world. I've got pretty good friends there."

When they finally made it, Lucy groaned. "W-why's it so cold here?" she shivered, rubbing her arms. Grey rolled his eyes. "It's Greenland, Lucy. Thought that you knew that much." Lucy groaned again. "But it's called Greenland! It's supposed to be beautiful and warm and green-" Erza laughed shortly. "Lucy, Greenland isn't named after what it looks like. Same as Iceland."

"You mean that Iceland isn't icy?"

"Seriously Lucy?" Natsu stretched and smiled hugely. "Even I'm not that stupid!"

"You shut your trap or you've got another thing coming!"

Grey suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Is that…" He pointed to a dark sky. "Yes," said Erza gravely. "It's the job that we are paid to do."

Lucy, Natsu, and Grey all gaped at the smoky sky.

"Smoke?" Natsu rubbed his fists together and grinned. "Where i'm from, smoke equals fire!"

"Smoke equals fire everywhere, flame brains." Grey leaned back, still staring at the huge smoky sky.

"Though I gotta admit… I imagined something… bigger," muttered Erza. Her three other comrades whipped their heads at her. "What! How can you possibly imagine something bigger than… than that!" Lucy pointed to the sky. "No. The type of monster that we are fighting is called the Chimera. It's supposedly a huge monster with lion, snake, and goat heads. It also breathes fire, too." Grey cocked his head. "Wait. So that monster can breathe fire, kills people, is huge, and has a goat head?"

"Don't be too cocky, like Capricorn," warned Lucy. Grey sighed. "Yeah, yeah, fine."

"Well, whatcha guys waiting for?" Natsu rubbed his hands together. "If this monster guy breathes fire, it's a full-course meal for me! Dinner, here I come!" Natsu took off in the smoke's direction.

Grey sighed. "He's off. We need to go after him, right?" he said, fists already on top of another. "Yep, let's do what we do best," said Lucy, one hand on her whip and the other on her keys. "We're going to take this monster down!" roared Erza, and with a victory cry, all three sped after Natsu, who was already glowing red-hot with fire.

Lucy stopped in her tracks. "I-is that it?" she stammered. Erza nodded gravely to the huge monster that now loomed over them. Erza took a step forward, ready to do a quick requip, just in case.

Grey's hands were already smoking with cold when he shouted, "THIS ICE HAS A SPEAR WITH YOUR NAME ON IT!" Natsu stepped next to them. "Holy crap! Aw, it's not a dragon?" Natsu complained. "WHAT, YOU WANTED IT TO BE A DRAGON?" Lucy yelled at him. Erza stepped in. "Lucy's right, Natsu. We can't afford to gape at the huge monster. Listen up!" she shouted. "We need to kill the monster. Not leave it alive, not capture it, but kill it like sever-the-head."

Natsu grinned devilishly. "Yeah? Well it just gives me a reason to overdo it again! And if I can, I'm gonna send it to hell and tell the Devil that Fairy Tail isn't something to mess with!" Without any warning, Natsu charged in the carnage. "DRAGON THING, YOU'RE GOING DOWN!"

Grey cheered and ran right after him. Erza and Lucy headed the back. "LET'S GO!" Lucy took out one of her gate keys. "Open, gate of the scorpion! Scorpio!" The scorpion leapt out of nowhere. "Whoa, that's one hell of anthole," he said. Then he made his signature peace sign. "Nothing that the pred can't handle! Sandstorm!" He roared, pointing his stinger at the lion head. Natsu was in the flames, sucking every single ember of flame around. "Oh yeah, now I've got a fire in my belly," he said, wiping his mouth. "FIRE DRAGON ROOOOOOAAR!" He issued a huge flame towards the snake head. To his surprise, the snake sucked it in too. "Aw, come on!" Natsu complained. He had his hands out, ready. "Stop eating my flames!"

"Come on, I get the goat head?" Grey stood against the bleating head. "Fine. Ice-make lance!" Jets of sharp ice flew towards the monster. To Grey's surprise, they simply shattered against the ram's horns. "What?" he spluttered, narrowly missing the snake tail. "Get out of my way!" Natsu barreled against Grey, knocking him down. "Watch it!"

"I'm the one to tell you to get out of my way!" Natsu shoved him and charged after the snake head.

Erza was holding against her own before all three, trying to behead one. However, even she didn't make much progress than annoying the monster. "We must work together!" She sliced at the lion, but her spear shaft merely caught against the lion's mane. "Lion against lion!" Lucy held the key of Leo. "Open, gate of the lion, Leo!" In a flash, Loke leapt out of thin air. "Ya called?" he said, winking at Lucy. Lucy sighed. "Not now, Loke, we need your help. Take down this so-called lion!" "Got it, girl," he said, winking again. "Just go!"

Loke slammed the lion's snout over and over again with his beams, though it didn't look like it made a difference. "Argh! Why won't it work?" yelled Grey, frustrated.

Natsu bared his teeth at the snake back. "YOU DON'T SCARE ME!" He bellowed, spewing a fresh wave of fire. The snake simply ate it. "CUT IT OUT!" Natsu charged with two hands aflame. "FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!" They bounced off the snake's tongue. "Crap!"

"STAND FIRM, EVERYONE!" shouted Erza as she helped Lucy battle the monster. She took out her scythes and slashed at the monster's face. Sadly, they barely made a scratch. "WAIT!" yelled out Lucy. "LET'S ALL ATTACK TOGETHER!" Erza stopped, almost getting decapitated. "That's a wonderful idea! Everyone! Aim for the lion head!" she roared.

Natsu snarled, body flickering with power. "LIGHTNING FIRE DRAGON MODE!" His body flickered with electricity and fire. "EAT THIS!" He slammed into the lion head. To everyone's surprise, it stopped, dazed.

"Yes! It worked! Natsu, keep slamming it with electricity! Grey, hit it with everything you've got! Erza! Strongest set of armor and weapon! And I'm gonna summon both Aquarius and Leo!"

"AHHHHHH!" Erza leaped up on the lion's snout, and hit it with the force of an earthquake. "You've really gotten on my nerves, because I only used this once: ICE-MAKE: UNLIMITED MAGIC!" Gray charged at it and slammed his freezing hands on its eyes. "UNMELTABLE ICE!" He completely froze the eyes of the monster, rendering it blind. "RAWR!" The monster shook, knocking Gray off its back.

"Gray! Get a load of thin ice here!" Lucy charged on a high rock. "Open, gate of the water-bearer! Aquarius!" She slammed the gate key on the melted ice. "WHY WOULD YOU CALL ME NOW?" roared Aquarius, cracking Lucy's rock. "Aquarius, please. Help me just this once, and I'll give a month off!" Lucy's voice quivered. "Fairy Tail's in great danger! Please, Aquarius!" It took a moment before she realized she was sobbing. "Okay, okay, no need to cry for it," muttered Aquarius. "You mean the one-month off deal?" "JUST DO IT!" bellowed Gray, Erza, and Natsu together. "FINE!"

Aquarius hurled a great blast of water towards the lion's flames. "SHUT UP ALREADY!" she yelled, dousing the monster from head(s) to toe. "GOD!"

She turned to Lucy. "There. Now I'm done, don't call me for a month."

Lucy nodded and wiped away her tears. "OPEN, GATE OF THE LION! LEO!" she yelled. In a flash, Leo appeared to her. "Ah, this one's not done yet? Well, no worries. I'll get rid of him."

After he left, Lucy promptly collapsed. "LUCY!" Natsu yelled, still shocking the monster with his lightning-fire combo. "She'll be fine! Natsu, shock it again!" Erza shouted, slamming her blades repeatedly.

Though this went on, both the monster and the wizards grew tired. "DON'T GIVE UP!" roared Gray.

"There's no need to."

Surprised, everyone turned, even the monster. A lean girl stepped out of the darkness. "Who're you?" said Natsu. She smiled faintly. "Me? I am Asuka. I am a friend of Lisanna's. And I am a water dragon slayer."

A stunned silence awaited them.

"WHAT!?" they all roared. Lucy stirred.

"You're a dragon slayer? But how? But why? But-" Natsu was cut by Lucy's scream. "LUCY!" They all whipped around to see Lucy, limp in the monster's mouth. Her hair was seared away.

"LUCY!" they all screamed, and charged the monster. A quiet voice stopped them. "Water dragon water arm."

A giant watery arm stretched out and smacked the monster in the face, causing it to drop Lucy. She rolled off the rock that she had sat on.

Natsu whirled to Asuka. "Hey, I wanted to do that!" he complained, then sped over to Lucy. "Lucy? LUCY!" he yelled, shaking her. There were tear tracks on her cheeks. "Lucy!"

"She'll be fine, loverboy," said the petite girl. "Besides, you and I need to fight a monster."

"And I thought fire and ice didn't go very well," Gray murmured. Erza sighed. "Yep."

Natsu grinned. "Well, if it means I get to kick some monster butt, then I'm in! Gray, Erza, help Lucy. I gotta plan."

"For the first time in ever," muttered Erza.

He ran over to Asuka. "So I'll combine my attack. You use your water cannon, or something-" "You mean my water dragon roar?" she said innocently. Natsu let out a yell of frustration. "Whatever! And I'll use my fire dragon roar."

They went close to the monster. "Hey, three-face!" yelled Natsu, spewing flames at the goat. The goat merely batted it away. "EAT THIS!" Natsu charged, Asuka right behind him. "Fire dragon-" "Water dragon-"

"ROOOOOOOAAAAARRRR!"

The combined attack of the double dragon slayers literally shook the ground as they blasted the monster out of the sky.

"YES!" Natsu pumped his fists in the air as the monster fell to the ground, dead. "WE BEAT IT!" He raised his hand for a high-five to find Asuka blushing. "Y-yeah," she stammered. Natsu lowered his hand. "What's wrong?" Asuka was definitely blushing now. "W-well, um… I don't have anywhere else to go," she said quietly. Natsu stared at her in shock. "What?"

"This village was my home." She gestured to the broken, burning village. "Now that it's reduced to rubble, there's nowhere else to go." Natsu grinned. "So come with us!"

Asuka startled. "Huh?"

"Join Fairy Tail! You'll find a really good family there," assured Natsu. He smiled widely. "Besides, Lisanna's waitin'!" Asuka considered it for a moment. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess."

"Will you two get over here?" Gray's voice called out. He was holding Lucy's hand. Erza supported her weight. "Lucy's not breathing."

"WHAT?" yelled Natsu, then sprinted over to Lucy, who was pale and cold. "That bite… it must've been poisonous," said Erza grimly. She passed a hand over Lucy's face. "Gray froze the wound, but we need Wendy's help for this." Natsu picked Lucy up and turned to the frozen Asuka. "We need to get to Fairy Tail, fast!" he said loudly. "We need to go! Now!"

xxxXXXxxxXXXxxxXXXxxxXXXxxx

By the time that they arrived in Fairy Tail, Lucy's wound was red and was scorching hot. "WENDY!" yelled Natsu desperately. "WENDY!"

The petite girl peered out from a table. "Oh hey, guys! You won't believe what just happened. I-"

Gray shook his head. "There's no time, quick, heal Lucy!"

Wendy gasped as Lucy was brought up to her. "I don't know this type of magic, but I'll try!" she said, then put her hands over Lucy's faint body. They pulsed with a bluish glow. "Mnm!" Wendy grunted, concentrating even more. Slowly, majestically, the wound on Lucy's neck vanished, leaving only a long scar.

Wendy collapsed.

"She'll be fine," said a bossy feminine voice. Carla hopped on top of Wendy. "She does that when she channels too much power. Now, is the girl breathing or not?" Natsu quickly checked the pulse. "Yes!"

All of the team sighed in relief.

"A-asuka?"

Lisanna stood in the doorway, holding a cup of tea. It cracked as it dropped to the floor. "Lis! Oh, I missed you," said Asuka happily, tears welling in her eyes.

Lisanna smiled and nodded. "Me too… Natsu, how did you find her? I've been searching for a long time now…" Natsu scratched his head. "Actually, we didn't find her. She found us."

Lucy groaned. Natsu flew to her side. "Lucy!" But when she opened her eyes, they were a tinge of deep scarlet. "W-what…?" Wendy groaned and got up too. "It's a side effect that will be there for the rest of her life," she apologized. "It's a kind that no wizard can remove. It will gradually decrease over time, though I don't know if there are any other side effects…"

Lucy's eyes returned to normal. "What…" She felt around, finally touching Natsu's face. "Natsu?" Natsu grinned. "Hey! Glad you're back, Lucy!"

She got up and groaned, putting a hand to her forehead. "My head is killing me.." She gasped and went back down, shaking once and passing out again. Wendy struggled to her feet. "Yes, well, nothing we can do about that. She'll have them once in a while, but… I could really get some sleep right about now…" Wendy, too, passed out in a cold sweat. Erza sighed. "Yes, well, I think they will be alright, but…"

Lisanna was finished hugging Asuka and now Asuka was grinning over Natsu's head mischievously. "I remember that Lisanna told me that you two used to play husband and wife together… are you now for real?" she teased, blue eyes sparkling. Natsu and Lisanna both blushed. Lisanna laughed. "No, he's with Lucy now, 'cause I'm just outta his league." Natsu stammered. "Hey, I am not with Lucy, I knew her for about two years! I'm not with anybody! I'm not- I ain't-"

And so the day ended with love and happiness in the Fairy Tail guild.