Chapter Two

Ten years later…

"Come on, Lucy, I know you've got this!"

"I haven't been training with swords my whole life like you, Erza! This is hard!" I said, panting.

Erza was training me with a few of her training swords. I decided a few years back that if I couldn't summon one of my Spirits, I needed to have some way to defend myself. Both Mira and Erza offered to help me, of course. They're like my sisters. The whole guild is my family, and I couldn't be happier!

As it was, Erza was trying to teach me one of her dashing-slashing moves. It's really hard, holding two full-sized blades, and making them cut just as deep as though your holding one sword with both hands. Lot harder than it looks.

"Lucy, keep your hands and arms in the position I showed you. All your power has to come from somewhere, right? So if you aren't in the right position, then you won't have enough power for your strike!"

"Okay, okay! I got this!"

A few moments later

"… I don't got this…"

Erza sighed as she looked at me. The trees we were practicing with had done more damage to me than I did to them. Stupid sharp branches…

"I think we've done enough today. And I also believe you're overdue for your training with Capricorn?" she asked as she pointed behind me.

Sure enough, there stood Capricorn, one of the Celestial Spirits found in my mom's bag after… that night.

"Okay. Thanks, Erza. Some more tomorrow? Or am I working with Mirajane?" I asked as I handed her her training swords.

She tucked the two swords away with her magic before saying, "Neither. You, me, Natsu, and Jellal are going on a mission. The people don't need us until tomorrow, so we leave first thing tomorrow morning. Get some rest tonight, okay? You've worked hard today."

I smiled at her as I nodded, and she headed for the guild hall.

Turning around, I said to Capricorn, "So, more meditation today?"

"Of course, Miss Lucy."

"How many times have I told you to just call me Lucy?" I asked as I walked past him, headed for the clearing where we 'trained'.

"Numerous times Mi-… Lucy."

I smiled at him as we continued. It wasn't very far, but it was off the beaten path. Once we got there, my breath was again taken away at the beauty of it. Nobody else from Fairy Tail knew about this place – as far as I knew – and I had every intention of keeping it that way. This clearing was my sanctuary from all the rowdiness of the guild. Where I could clear my head without being interrupted every five seconds.

I sat down in the center of the clearing, like I'd done many times before with Capricorn, as he sat in front of me.

"Now, M- Lucy, remember to clear-"

"My mind? Workin' on it," I said with my eyes closed, drawing in a deep breath.

Capricorn chuckled, and as I gave myself over to the cleansing feeling of meditating, I could no longer hear him. I could hear the wind move through the trees, the creatures of the forest mingling and living.

Though I could hear him.

Natsu.

He too, was training. I could hear his flaming fists hitting dead trees in an area a ways away from here. I smiled to myself as I could feel his power as he lit himself up, using one of his dragon slayer moves on an old log.

Then I felt something. Something foreign. In my clearing, something that shouldn't be there.

Without opening my eyes, I ducked just as I heard something whiz past my head.

Then I opened them to find Bisca standing there, the gun she was holding smoking at the barrel.

"Bisca? What are you doing here?" I asked her, standing up. She was in her usual attire, with her green hair flowing in the breeze, her cowboy hat keeping most of it in its place.

"Capricorn asked me to try something during your training session today. I see all of your meditation is paying off. I didn't make a sound," she said smiling at me.

"Well… yeah, of course its paying off. I'm being trained by the best. Right, Capricorn?"

Capricorn shook his head, slight grin on his face. He had told me numerous times that he wasn't the best teacher for Celestial Magic, but that he could prepare me for the best.

I laughed at him, then turned back to Bisca, "Thank you, Bisca. I'm glad to see everything Capricorn has hammered into me is sticking. But what did you shoot at me?"

She laughed as she said, "Just a stun shot, Lucy. See you back at Fairy Tail?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a few."

She nodded, then headed for the building.

I looked back to Capricorn just as he said, "I think that is all for today, Lucy. You have learned how to read your surroundings in meditation. Now, you must learn to read them without it. Your eyesight will try to trick you. But your instincts will be correct more often than your eyes."

"Thanks, Capricorn," I said as he disappeared in a golden light.

I took a deep breath, trying to see if I could sense my surroundings again, but I couldn't. Letting out the air, I headed for Fairy Tail. I was too tired to cook something on my own. Perhaps Mirajane had something?

Just as I got to the building's entrance, Natsu came zooming around the corner, headed for the entrance as well.

"Heya, Luce!"

"Hi, Natsu. Have you been training?" obviously I knew the answer, but I was just making polite conversation… right?

"'Course I was!" he responded, grinning that big grin of his.

We both headed through the doors to see the rest of the guild inside. As far as I could tell, not a soul was anywhere other than in the main hall.

I quickly went over to Mirajane while she had a moment and asked her for my usual meal. Natsu came up behind me and asked for his.

And I saw, once again, the twinkle in her eye. She wrote down the order, and as soon as Natsu was over by Gray, Jellal, and Gajeel – probably about to start a fight – Mirajane said, "So…?"

"Nothing, Mira. Nothing. I'm eating at my place, Natsu probably will too, and like usual, he'll stay over. I honestly don't know why he doesn't just move in with me. He practically lives there, anyways."

When I saw the hope in her eyes I quickly said, "Strictly as roommates! Good grief, Mira, why are you so keen on getting me and Natsu together anyways?"

"Because you'd make the perfect couple, silly."

"We're best friends, jeez… I'm beginning to regret confiding in you about that… thing, we talked about..."

"What, your crush on Na-"

"That's enough, Mira!" I said, covering her mouth before she could say anymore.

Yeah, so, I had a crush on my best friend. And I told Mirajane about it. I regret that decision to this very day, because ever since I told her, she's been trying to get us alone on a mission or out on some romantic dinner or something.

"I just don't think he sees me the same way," I said as I removed my hand, "I mean, we've been best friends since I was ten. Why would he see me the same way?"

"That might have something to do with how he wants to cuddle with you every night since, and how he always makes sure you're okay during missions and-"

"That's another thing! Its beginning to distract both of us on our missions. We worry about each other, all the time. I mean, I know Natsu will be okay – its Natsu for Mavis' sake. But what about that one time, when I was thirteen, and these kids were picking on me cause not only was I a wizard, but a weak one? Natsu beat them to a pulp, and they didn't even hurt me!"

"But they made you cry. That's what made Natsu so upset! You can't tell me Natsu doesn't have at least some feelings for you, can you?"

"I…"

"Don't worry about it today, Lucy. You've got a mission to prepare for tomorrow, and your food is ready," she said as she handed me one large bag.

"You put our stuff together?" I asked as I noticed the amount of food in the bag.

"I've been doing it a lot lately. Remember what you said? You figured he was coming to your house anyways."

"True..."

"So go. I'm sure Natsu's nose will follow you."

"You mean follow the food?" I said as I paid what I owed – and unfortunately what Natsu owed as well.

"No. You."

I blushed heavily as I quickly turned to leave, telling Mirajane a rushed 'goodnight.'

I was barely a few paces out the doors of the guild when Natsu came out right behind me.

"Do you have my food too, Luce?"

"Yeah. Mira just assumed you were coming to my place for dinner, so she put it all in one bag. Are you coming?"

"Yup! Man, Mira sure does know me!"

I shook my head and we headed for my apartment.

Once inside, Natsu dug into his food, thankfully not making as much of a mess as he did when we were kids. I had finally knocked into him that he'll feel a lot better after a meal if he didn't rush to eat everything – and that it was a lot less destructive whenever we ate in public.

We ate in silence for a while when I noticed someone was missing.

"Where's Happy?"

"He's with Wendy and Carla on a mission. He seems to go with them a lot more than you and me nowadays."

"You're tellin' me. I rarely ever get to see him anymore!"

"Same."

I could tell he was missing his friend. Maybe I could convince Happy to go with us on our next mission. Though, it wasn't likely unless Wendy and Carla came with. He rarely ever leaves Carla's side ever since she accepted his request to go on a 'date' together a few months back.

We finished eating, and because we knew we were going on a mission tomorrow, we got ready for bed. Natsu went and took a shower, while I got dressed behind the privacy curtain I had bought a few years ago. Since Natsu had been staying over most nights, I figured it'd be wise to buy. And its saved me from embarrassment multiple times.

I had just gotten in bed when Natsu stepped out of the bathroom. He practically lived here now. I still don't get why he has his own place. He comes here directly after missions, to go to sleep, to eat, to hang out, to recuperate. I just don't get it.

But all those thoughts disappeared as Natsu got in bed beside me, his warmth filling the bed quickly. As usual, I snuggled up next to him, sighing happily. I didn't even care that he was just in a pair of pants to sleep in. Nope. Not one bit. And no, I wasn't blushing because I currently had my hand resting lamely on his rock-hard abs. Nope. Not even a little bit.

And we all know that's a big fat lie, because I was blushing because my hand was in fact touching his rock-hard abs.

Eventually though, my blush died down, a smile still on my face as sleep claimed me.

xxXXxx

Was it good? I liked it better than my chapters before, for sure. Also, I'm not certain what is going on, but I get an email notification saying someone has posted a review, I look at the story online, and next to it the number of reviews has gone up. But I go to look at it, and there's nothing. No new review. Are you guys seeing your reviews? I do receive them, I just can't see it on this site. I read it through my email... Please let me know if its just me, okay?