It was hard to believe for Lucy that it had been a month since Natsu had proposed to her. They had already picked out a date, August 26, for their wedding. Lucy had suggested it to Natsu, reminding him it was their first day of college at Fairy Tail, the first day that they had been back in each other's lives. Natsu had loved the idea of getting married on such a special date, which he also knew by heart what it was, and so they had made that their final decision.

A lot had happened since that first year of being back together. Michelle had decided that she would rather be a chef and, at some future time, a restaurant owner, rather than work for the family business, though she had told Jude that it had meant the world to her that he had asked. Michelle was married to Loke and still living in Magnolia, working as a chef, while Loke was hitting it big on the theater circuit, having been cast in several plays for the biggest theater group in all of Fiore, whose home base was Magnolia.

Levy and Gajeel were married as well, Levy was still working on her first book to be published, but it was almost ready and Lucy had enjoyed being able to help her friend with the process. Gajeel, who had took welding classes, had a steady job doing that for a pretty big company in Hargeon that worked on Navy ships.

Wendy and Romeo were engaged and attending Fairy Tail, Wendy wanted to be a doctor while Romeo was studying to be a lawyer, though he wasn't entirely sure that's what he wanted to do with his life. It seemed different, Wendy and Romeo being in Magnolia while Natsu and herself were in Crocus, but it wasn't like they wouldn't be seeing them for the holidays.

Gray and Juvia were recently married, having tied the knot just a week after Natsu proposed to Lucy. Juvia and Gray both worked together at a hydroelectric company, both enjoying the fact that they got to work together and were also living in Hargeon.

Erza and Jellal had eloped last week, so now they were married as well. They just signed a lease on an apartment in Crocus, to be near their humanitarian work. Erza worked at a soup kitchen currently, while working with Jellal on their joint project to help out those that needed it most. Jellal had just got elected to the city council and was working hard to get much needed funds to shelters and other groups that helped others.

Then there was the merger between the Heartfilia and Dragneel families, and Lucy didn't mean her and Natsu. With both Michelle and Lucy not interested in the company, Jude had been unsure what to do, until Igneel consulted with him about combing their companies and rebranding them. After they had sat down and worked out the logistics, they decided on the name that Lucy had suggested for the merger, Dragon Heart. Stocks were up and everything was looking good for the company, with Igneel and Jude serving as co-presidents for the time being.

Mavis, who was recently retired from the army, was pregnant with her first child. She was hoping to be a stay at home mom, however she also said she was available any time her tactical mind was needed. Zeref was still working for the now Dragon Heart Company, though he was no longer a gofer. Now he had moved up to a manager position, with both men grooming him to one day take over the company. There was the option of Natsu joining him one day, eventually being co-president, but that all depended on his singing career, one which showed promise. He had an agent, who had gotten him a chance at a singing competition that was set to start next week.

And then there was Lucy herself, her first book having been published two months ago and doing very well. Of course she had pulled a lot of inspiration from her life, in fact it was basically the story of her and Natsu, but set in a land where there was magic and dragons and fairies and stuff. Not to mention she was engaged to Natsu! She looked down at her starburst, pink diamond ring and sighed. Looking at it, she was in awe how Natsu had found such a perfect mix of him and her in a ring. She wished her mom was there to see her now, she would be so happy and proud.

Just as tears were about to fall, her door was slammed open, startling her. Seeing Natsu enter the room, she exclaimed "Natsu! What the heck, why are you in here and can't you open the door without breaking it." That last part was a bit of an exaggeration, but she had been startled and she wanted to get back at him a little for doing so. He paused mid step and rubbed the back of his head "Sorry Luce." Than he rushed forward as he said "But I need your help! Please don't say no!"

"What is it?" she asked, knowing that no matter what it was she couldn't say no to Natsu. "You know that singing competition my agent got me signed up for?" he rushed the words out so it was almost hard to understand him, but Lucy quickly decoded it and asked "Yes, why? Do you need help picking out songs for it?" "It's so much worse than that unless you say yes!" Natsu exclaimed, causing her to throw up her hands as she said "What am I saying yes to Natsu?!" "So you'll say yes?" he said, calming and smiling at her. "Probably, but first tell me what it is that has you so worked up!"

Natsu gulped, losing his smile and said "Well they decided to do this season a little differently than before." "Different how?" asked Lucy, wishing he would just get to the point. "This year they want to make it all duets, meaning that it has to be a pair that is performing! Will you please come sing with me for the competition?!" he begged. Lucy's mouth dropped, she hadn't sung in public since that talent show almost four years ago. But looking at Natsu's face, she couldn't say no so she sighed and said "Okay, I'll do it."

Natsu pulled her into a crushing hug as he stammered thank you over and over again. She chuckled and said "Of course, no problem. So do they have a theme or anything for the first one?" "No, which is good since they decided to start production of this season tomorrow!" Natsu exclaimed. "Tomorrow?! How the heck do they expect singers to find partners that fast when they are switching to duets so late? And how is that good, we've got nothing prepared!" Lucy flung all of her questions at him.

Natsu frowned and said "Yeah, I'm not sure how they expected people to do that, but oh well, at least I found a partner. And it's good that they don't have a theme because that means we can pick any song we want, which means I think we should do It's Time, like we did for the talent show." Lucy nodded and said "Okay, yeah that could work, I still remember it and we sounded good on that one. Okay, let's practice a couple of times tonight and then you are taking me out for ice cream to make up for dragging me into this." Natsu grinned and said "Deal!"

XXX

The next day the two of them pulled up and saw five other duet groups waiting in line. "Were these the only ones that could get partners to sing with them?" Lucy asked no one in particular as she climbed out of the car. "That it is, let me just say I'm glad Natsu was able to get you." A voice came a voice at her right, startling her. "Lucy, this is my agent Dan Straight, Dan this is Lucy." "A pleasure to meet you." Dan said, "Now quick get in line, they are almost ready to start!" As Lucy and Natsu got into line they heard the announcer say "Hello everyone and welcome to Fiore's Voice! I'm your host Jason and let me tell you this year's theme is soooo cool!"

"We are doing away with single singers this year, this year it's all about duets! So make some noise for these six pairs of singers! First we have Bisca and Alzack Connell! This couple are security guards by night and singers by day, at least for this competition! Next is Jenny Realight and Hibiki Lates, normally they would be working as magicians but they decided to give this singing competition a go, let's see how that works for them."

"After them we have Aceto and Velveno, he quite literally stole her heart and has done his time for it. Now here to give them a fresh start, let's welcome these newlyweds, shall we? Next we have Erik and Kinana, they are professional snake charmers who wanted to try something a little tamer for once. Can't say as I blame them, can you?"

"Here is Mirajane Strauss and Laxus Dreyar, a bartender and electrician couple, I'm sure both help the other see sparks! Finally we have Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia! Lucy has just recently published a book and Natsu is working on becoming a singer, let's see if he's got what it takes shall we?! Alright, you've met them all, now they will all come back on this stage one at a time and preform for us. The judges will then decide which couple will be going home straight off the bat."

Once they were off stage, Lucy asked "How did he know that about me? We didn't have time to tell him anything." "I sent the info in last night to Dan when I told him that you had agreed to join me. He asked for those details than and so I told him along with what song we would be singing so that they could have the music ready." Natsu said with a grin. "Okay, that's good, for a second there I was a little creeped out by him knowing that." Lucy said with a chuckle. They watched the other contenders perform, but Lucy was so nervous she didn't hear a word they sung. Suddenly she realized that they were being called up on stage.

Natsu squeezed her hand reassuringly as they headed out on stage to face the judges. As the music to It's Time by Imagine Dragons started playing, Lucy took a calming breath. Lucy looked over at Natsu who looked at her and they both started singing "So this is what you meant, when you said that you were spent. And now it's time to build from the bottom of the pit. Right to the top. Don't hold back. Packing my bags and giving the academy a rain-check."

Then Lucy started her solo, looking at the judges as she sang, "I don't ever wanna let you down, I don't ever wanna leave this town. Cause after all, this city never sleeps at night." Natsu rejoined her as they sang "It's time to begin, isn't it? I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit I'm just the same as I was. Now don't you understand, that I'm never changing who I am."

"So this is where you fell and I am left to sell the path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell. Right to the top. Don't look back. Turning to rags and giving the commodities a rain-check. I don't ever wanna let you down, I don't ever wanna leave this town. Cause after all, this city never sleeps at night." they continued together, "It's time to begin, isn't it? I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit I'm just the same as I was. Now don't you understand, that I'm never changing who I am."

"It's time to begin, isn't it? I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit I'm just the same as I was. Now don't you understand, that I'm never changing who I am." Than Natsu started his solo, Lucy having sung the last lines with him this time, "This road never looked so lonely. This house doesn't burn down slowly, to ashes, to ashes." Then Lucy jumped in for a solo line, "It's time to begin, isn't it?" Natsu doing the next two lines alone, "I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit I'm just the same as I was." Lucy doing the next line "Now don't you understand." Before they both joined in for the rest of the song.

"That I'm never changing who I am. It's time to begin, isn't it? I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit I'm just the same as I was. Now don't you understand, that I'm never changing who I am." "Stunning performance you two." Yajima said, followed by Toma, Fiore's own king, saying "Yes, excellent job!" "You both sounded like you've done this before, tell me do you sing together often?" Ultear asked. Lucy blushed and said "Well, we've only sang together in public once before for a talent show, but we do sing together in the car and such."

"What talent show, if you don't mind my asking?" asked Toma. "Fairy Tail University's talent show, almost four years ago now." Natsu answered. "Ah my old alma mater!" Yajima said, "I thought I spotted it's emblem on your necklace young lady, but my eyesight isn't what it used to be." "What song did you sing than?" asked Toma. "The same song we sang tonight, though Natsu had a slightly longer solo, but that was because his friends and family had never heard him sing before so I wanted to make sure they really heard him." Lucy answered.

"Well thank you Lucy and Natsu for such a cool performance!" Jason said, now we'll just have you wait off stage while the judges decide who they are sending home. Natsu and Lucy weren't nervous, not too nervous anyways, the judges seemed to really like them. Of course, they hadn't listened to any of the discussions they had with the other members, both had been stuck in their own little world. Soon the judges called all the groups out. "It was a pretty hard decision, but we decided that Aceto and Velveno would be the ones going home today. You both did very well, we hope to see you again, but the others just edged you out." said Toma.

Velveno smiled and said "When we heard the other duets we figured that would be your choice." "And we totally agree with you, thank you for this opportunity." Aceto added, before they walked off stage. "Okay, now you remaining five groups shall have the next week to work on your song choice, the theme will be Disney songs, so put on your thinking caps and pick the best one for your voices. This will be so cool!" Jason said as a way of signing off. Most of the guys groaned, but Natsu turned to Lucy and said, "I've got the perfect song for us!"

Lol so I'm not sure if it came across in the name, but I was trying to go for a mash up between American Idol and The Voice when I went with Fiore's Voice for the name of the singing competition. The fellow contestants chosen were taken from a list of canon/semi canon/fanon couples, mainly because I was like who the heck should I put them up against XD

Since I decided to have it super last minute that they would be singing together, and maybe because I was a bit lazy, I used the song they "sang" in the last story (basically just copy/pasted the whole thing and changed the wording/removed parts where their friends were noticed or whatever). This story was actually fully typed just after midnight on June 13th, so technically I finished writing it the day after the fourth chapter of To Follow or Make a New Path was uploaded.

This story came to be when I felt I hadn't wrapped up Lucy and Natsu's story quite right and when I left what, for me, was a huge unfinished plot point, which doesn't get covered until the last chapter of this story so you got a little longer to see what that is I guess xD Hope you all enjoy the story!