Back from my break. I love you all so much that I've been working hard on this chapter. Hope this chapter keeps you thinking and interested. This is so far my longest review if you like this story so far and want me to continue. Chapter ahead! Enjoy!

Chapter-2 You'd never change

Lucy laughed as Natsu went on cracking jokes. She laughed so hard that tears flowed from her chocolate brown eyes. Never in her life has she laughed so much. Life was fun with Natsu around. He was something different from others. He always made her smile. He didn't like to see her cry, no matter what. As she laughed, the memories of her past began to haunt her. Soon the smile disappeared. Memories of her past surfaced her mind and sorrow crowded her face. That fight with those 25 mages made her tremble with fear. The thought of not being able to save her kingdom killed her. She remembered:

Her father was taken away. Then she heard his cry of pain that indicated his death. She wanted to protect her kingdom. 25 mages surrounded her. Using her ability of multiple summonses, she summoned all her 10 spirits. She even joined her spirits in the battle, fighting alongside them, with her whip. Energy was being drained out at a rapid rate. Her spirits were also falling down, losing to the enemies… 25 powerful mages were they and 10 spirits and their master fought them. She didn't know how long she could keep up. The last spirit fell, after taking out 10 of them. Lucy closed all the celestic gates. Though they didn't want to leave her alone, they had to leave as they couldn't disobey their master. She was exhausted. She fell to her knees. Surrounded by 15 mages, she was helpless. No one was there to help her… no one! But then there was a flash of light. She thought it was an attack from the enemies. She collapsed even before it hit her… She lost her kingdom… the thing that was so dear to her, that was most precious to her mother, that for which she had been living all these years- it's lost into the hands of darkness. She couldn't protect it. She's so lame.

"Lucy… Hey Luce … Lucy…" This was hundredth time Natsu had called out to her. Natsu saw the change of expression on her face from laugh to worry and from worry to fear. A tear slid down her face. He just hated to see that, for some reason. He was worried about her. He decided to draw her attention. But how? An idea struck his mind. He cleared his throat and called out in a princely manner, stretching out his hand to her.

"What's the matter, my princess?" he asked. It was quite unlikely of him. He really sounded like a prince. This drew the blonde's attention at once.

"Princess? ... Did he call me that? How the hell did he know? I never wanted anyone to know it. Or may be I just imagining things…" her thoughts ran like this.

Natsu saw the confused expression on her face. So, he thought of clearing any doubts she had by calling out again.

"My princess… seemed to be so worried. Let me know it's cause and I swear I'd kill everyone that caused you any trouble… Please, speak out my princess", said Natsu in a princely manner so as to keep her attention.

"Your princess! What the hell are you calling me?" Lucy shouted at him.

" No, no ,no… I was calling you by your name. But you weren't listening. So, I thought if I call you like that, that will draw your attention… Anyways, you do look like a princess you know. So, I really wonder calling you like that from now", he said as he pouted. He was waiting for her reply.

She turned her head away from him so as to hide the blush that formed on her face because of his compliment. However, she didn't like to be called like that. She always wanted to run away from her princess life. She had no freedom which she enjoys now.

"Well… Many people have told me that I look like a princess. But… I… prefer to be called Lucy… that's my name, you see. So please…" she said, not letting out any details.

"You really are a princess," he thought by the way she answered him.

"Okay then, Princess Lucy. It's night already. Therefore, we can sleep here. I'd be on guard. Don't be afraid of anything and sleep in peace," he said, giving her a mischievous smile.

"Why does he sound more like a prince?" she thought. She snapped out of her thoughts soon only to see his mischievous smile.

"Hey, don't call me that!" she shouted at him as crossed her arms again her breasts.

"What do you mean you'd be on guard? I'd be on guard too", she continued.

"Then, whom would we protect- The logs, grass and trees? Listen, Lucy, for some strange reason I do not know and that you are not telling me, you've still not regained your strength completely. So, I suggest that you sleep or I'll have to knock you out," said he, getting ready to knock her down.

Lucy paused at this. There was a kind of confusion in her mind. His voice echoed in her mind. The manner Natsu said that felt so familiar to her but she couldn't remember anything happening similar to this. She was sure she didn't meet Natsu before or at least had a conversation with him before. Then why she had that feeling of familiarity, she didn't know.

Lucy thought it best to take his advice to sleep. Natsu prepared a bed of hay for her and she was asleep in no time. She was really quite exhausted.

"Why don't you tell me, princess? Why don't you acknowledge the truth?" he thought, as she lay asleep. She was so cute while sleeping. He couldn't even take his eyes off her.

"She's so pretty and cute just like…" he was cut off in the middle of his thoughts when a tear slid down his face making his vision blurry.

"How the hell in the world did I think that? No way… No one in this world will ever be like her. I cannot think of anyone else in her place… Never…" he thought. He wiped his tears and was now backing on his guard.

He noticed that the smell of the air around him changed. He could sense danger. However, his princess was too weak to fight again. If he wakes her up, she'd even lose the strength she had hardly gained. He looked at her condition and decided not to wake her up. With his magic, he put a fire circle around the princess and he stepped out.

He saw the bandits from the previous day have come to attack. This time, they got their number multiplied to three folds. Some of them were mages while the others had weapons that nullify any magic.

The whole night Natsu was fighting the bandits alone, ensuring in every way that Lucy doesn't wake up or gets hurt. He noticed some of them coming towards the circle but he prevented them from entering it.

It was around four in the morning when Lucy woke up. She saw herself in the circle of fire. Startled, she stood up at once. She saw Natsu standing in front of her, enraged. The bandits from the previous day along with some other men were lying down on the ground. The grassy ground of the previous day changed to dry burnt land. Everyone fell except two- Natsu and the last one of the bandits. The last one seemed a powerful one. He wouldn't fall easily. Natsu wasn't holding back either. Though quite exhausted, he still stood fighting to protect her.

"Give up child, give the girl to me and I'll spare your life," said the bandit.

"I'd rather give up my life for my nakama… I am a soldier of Fairytail and I pomised to be her nakama. There cannot be any betrayal in friendship. I am not giving her to anyone… Roar of the Fire Dragon!" said Natsu.

"Is this what being a nakama means?" thought Lucy. Tears ran down her porcelain cheeks. Something struck her memory:

Fire surrounded her. She didn't know how to use her magic.

"Lucy!" she heard a voice call her name.

She was still a kid of about seven years old. Her eyes were searching for someone… someone who would come out of the fires. However, no one came out of the fire. She turned around to see whose voice it was. It was her mother! She paused, still waiting for someone to come out of the fire. However, that someone didn't turn up. She waited until her mother reached her. Nevertheless, that someone didn't turn up. Tears filled her eyes and it was pouring down her cheeks. She hugged her mother and clung herself to her. She still waited for that someone to come out. However, he didn't come. They prepared the royal carriage to take her away. She couldn't believe they were taking her away. She couldn't believe she'd be leaving that someone to die in the fire. That someone was her first nakama ever.

"Is this what being a nakama means? I am not worth to be one", she thought, still staring at the fire.

Her mother saw her daughter pondering. She got so worried. He began calling out to her to draw her attention. However, nothing could draw her attention. Finally, she decided to call out to her daughter with all her love.

"My child, Lucy… Lucy!"

"Lucy! Watch out" shouted Natsu.

Lucy came back into this world from her memories. She saw a stone blizzard towards her but Natsu destroyed the stone pieces. But, the next attack came so quick that it hit him. Lucy's eyes widened at this sight.

"Is this what being a nakama means? I cannot let that happen… again," she said as she searched for her whip and her keys. She couldn't find them only to realize that Natsu had hid them somewhere.

"Natsu" she cried. He turned back to see if she was okay. But Lucy meant to point out the next attack from that guy. He shot stones at them. Moving fast she pushed him getting hit by the stones herself, thus finally protecting him.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled in pain. Somehow, his fire changed to deep red golden flames. Great flames emerged from his body burning everything in its vicinity. Finally, the last one fell. But his flames didn't stop emerging. Lucy tried to move. She was wounded again. It struck her mind as if it's a natural instinct. She stood up gathering all her strength and held him back.

"Natsu… Stop it… Please stop it…," she said.

Natsu stopped at her voice. The very moment he heard her voice, he stopped. That voice, you could say actually froze him. That voice of her was like that of… Thinking of her would make him cry.

"Natsu", she said, worried.

The next moment he was hugging her tight as if he would never let her go… as if he held onto his dear life… as if he didn't want to lose her… as if she was something so precious to him than his own life.

Lucy was astonished at his instinct. Something seemed to prick her mind. That warmth of his… That warmth of his body was so familiar to her. She was feeling quite comfortable after a long time. But why? She didn't meet him before, did she? Why is she feeling so comfortable? She could understand.

"He is holding me the same way. But which way? Why am I so comfortable? Why is he so familiar? Why can't I …?" She was cut off in the middle of her thoughts by his voice.

"You'll never change, huh? … You'll never change… Why don't you change? ... How many times did I tell you to protect yourself, not to protect me?" said Natsu in a low voice. Her eyes widened at his voice. She was like getting lost in him.

Natsu drew back his face from her neck and placed it nearer to her face. A slight blushed formed on her face. Her heart was beating fast. But she paused looking into his eyes. His eyes… they were full of tears. Tears made their way to her chocolate brown eyes too.

"Even without your powers… you cared for my life… You'll never change, no, As…" Natsu realized what he was about to do. He was about to kiss her on her cheek! He jumped back from his position. He was blushing heavily. What did he think- he would kiss a princess? He's just a soldier, how could he even think? He turned his head away from her.

"L-l-Lucy, are y-y-you alright?" he asked, trying to hide his blush.

"W-W-Well, A kind of. I have a few wounds but its fine," she said, still unable to believe what just happened. She noticed he was still blushing. An awkward tension filled in the air between them.

"What was I thinking? He- how did I not scream at him?" she thought.

Breaking the tension, Natsu spoke, "Thank you, Luce, for protecting me"

"Thanks for protecting me too. That's what being a nakama means, right- being with your friends, being protected and also being able to protect and help them. But you should better wake me up next time or else, I'd really get mad at you", she shouted on him.

"So, You are a soldier of Fairytail regime…" she continued smiling at him.

"Yea… But if I say that Gramps will kick me out. He considers all of us as his children, you see," said he, rubbing the back of his head, giving his goofy grin.

Lucy laughed, seeing him.

The day passed so quickly. You know that if it's with Natsu, life is fun. Darkness fell and their argument started. As usual, Lucy had to go to sleep. Natsu wins in all arguments. He doesn't like losing. Soon, Lucy fell asleep.

Natsu was on guard. He looked at the night sky. It was clear. Stars were shining so brightly at him. He slipped back into his memories.

"If you were there here, sweetheart, I am sure you'll love it tonight. We could have walked under the stars holding hands like we always did…," said he.

Soon, his vision became blurry and he could feel his tears falling down his face.

"I really miss you… miss you so much… Would you come back to me? I'm really sorry for what I've done… Please come back to me… I cannot live without you… I'm sorry," he said to himself, wiping his tears so that no one sees him cry. He was back on his guard.

The smell of air has changed but Natsu didn't even move from his place. He even let his guard down.

But why? Why has the smell changed? What danger is held in store for Lucy? Who is Natsu's sweetheart? Why does she feel him so familiar? Who was that someone Lucy waited for? What is Natsu's secret? Find out in the next chapter- Chapter-3 A princess' message