**Based off of a small fan-fic off of . Credits go to original author of this fic, unashamed-shipper. This person gave me the go ahead to go a little more into the fic. Also, this is how I think things transpired. **

All rights go to Hiro Mashima-sensei, I DO NOT own ANY of the characters or locations of this fic. As stated above, this idea is not mine.

A Small Price to Pay.

Original idea from: unashamed-shipper on Tumblr.

Ch. 1: The Beginning

It all started four hundred years ago or so. The dragons were going rampant, and as a dragon slayer, it was my duty to protect the country from those creatures. Little did I know, I would become one of those creatures, and then I met her, Anna Heartfillia.

~*Flash-back*~

I was battling one of the toughest dragons. It seemed like hours, no more like days until the battle was finished. Taking off the blood from my sword by sticking it into the bloodied ground, wasn't one of my best ideas, but, it was better than nothing. I'll clean it when I get back to camp. As I made my way there, I heard a cry. Not the cry of tears but a cry for help. I started to walk, no run, towards the sound. My feet, though weary as they were, began to go faster. What was even more astounding was that even as tired to the bones as I was, I managed to reach the girl in a matter of minutes.

When I looked for the person who gave the cry, I couldn't see anything at first. There was just so much dust, debris, and collapsed buildings and temples that it was hard to find her at first. I stopped for a minute, gathering my bearings then listened for the cry again. It was coming from the old temple of the Zodiac deities. I began my search, listening for any sign of life, or another cry. Then I heard it, a small tiny voice call out, "over here. Please, help. Please, I know someone is there. Please, quickly." Between each little phrase was a gasp of pain. I drew closer and I could smell the coppery scent of blood. I breathed in deeper to get a sense of where the voice was coming from and how bad the wounds of the woman were.

I reached the woman. When I took in our surroundings, I noticed a few things. One, she was young, eighteen or nineteen years old, a little younger than me. Two, there was blood on her face and hands, weather it was hers or not, I couldn't tell. Three, the woman had two companions with her, both unconscious. One with blue hair the other with dark brown and hints of red in her hair. But the most astounding thing was the woman's hair. Golden. She looked like an angel, fallen from the heavens and only the ruble of the ruins to catch her descent. She was utterly beautiful. No, beautiful didn't even describe what she was, or how she looked. Her cough brought me out of my wandering thoughts and back to the situation at hand. "Err, sorry. Let me get these out of the way, and help you three." As I made my way over to pick up what seemed like one of the heaviest pillars, there was a golden light that flashed. At the light, I turned, ready for an attack, but one never came.

"Never fear, my queen. I shall help you." The voice came from a man. He was dressed as one of nobility, but spoke as if he were in service to someone. His clothes seemed to be made from the finest silks, he had a fur lined coat, and elaborate rings upon his fingers. Though his fingers were dainty, you could tell that there were calluses from hard work and labor. The noble-man went to help the golden woman out of the ruble. I continued on with what I was doing, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I abruptly turned and punched the man, but before my fist was able to connect with his face, he dodged it, almost as if he was expecting it. "Woah, my friend, no need to start a fight that you will lose." The man smiled. I don't know whether it was to mock me, or if he was genuinely smiling, and saying he wasn't a threat to me. At the look on my face, he had the audacity to laugh. To laugh! "I'm only kidding you my friend. Here, no need to go and pick up the largest piece of ruins, the ladies are only surrounded by smaller pieces than the one you're looking, or glaring at, right now."

He started walking towards the women, and as I looked, I noticed that he indeed was correct in saying that there were smaller pieces of ruble than I thought. As we began clearing the ruins away from the three women, the air started to clear, and the sky beginning to darken. "We need to hurry. Though it is still fairly light out, we need to move." My words spurred the man on, and we wordlessly continued to dig the women out. As soon as we finished, I stood and sighed. "We may have to set up a camp here, for it is almost too late to return to my base." I looked over my shoulder to see the man placing the women into a cart. "What are you doing? Where did you get the cart?" Questions were coming and going into my mind and making me sputter and stutter out incoherent words.

"Slow down on your questions. I'll answer them, now first let us be off to your base. I think I have the general idea of where it is, but you'll have to give me precise directions." He lifted the handles of the cart and started to where the end of the city was. "Now, to answer your first question, I'm putting the women into this cart to help transport them to your base. The answer to your second question is it came from the Realm of the Stars. Or as it is better known as the Celestial Spirit World. Don't give me that look. I am Leo, the leader of the twelve zodiacs, and personal friend of Anna Heartfillia." As the man continued speaking, the only thing on my mind was Anna. Anna Heartfillia, yes, she is the one. The one that completes me. My mate.

Although Anna is my mate, I didn't realize that her descendent, Lucy Heartfillia, would look exactly like her and have the same mannerisms.

End of Ch. I! Hope you liked it! Please, leave a review, favorite the story/author, follow the story/ author. I'll try and update When Thunder Met the Stars as soon as I can! Love, ~Jesse.