A/N:

It's a little late but here's the third chapter! It starts off pretty heavy so again just be warned but if you've made it this far I'm sure you see what themes I'm going for! Please review and let me know what you think! Next chapter will be up tomorrow sometime! Thanks again! 3

-Ally

_For the second time in a week, Lucy woke with a jolt, her breath caught in her throat as she tried to scramble off the bed. Strong hands gripped her shoulders forcing her back against the bed that she lay on, she thrashed and clawed. Her body screamed. Her eyes had yet to focus and her head pounded, blurring everything. "You're alright, please, you're hurt, just stay still." A voice tried to soothe her- a man's voice. It scared her, she understood the words he said phonetically but in her head, her brain focused on the roughness of his voice, the warning tone. It made her want to run.

Somewhere around her, there were shouts, she squeezed her eyes shut and ground her teeth, everything hurt. How could she be safe if she was still in pain? The voice was a liar. "Natsu let her go, holding her down won't help. Let her go!" A new voice rang through, a girl's voice small but sharp. The man started to protest but fell silent, seconds later the pressure of his hands disappeared from her body. She struggled away from the hands, away from the voices. Lucy hit the floor in a heap and she scrambled away, hitting a wall, a corner somewhere in the room. She curled in on herself again, like she had tried to do in the forest.

The forest. She realized with a jolt that she was warm, clean, and most definitely not in the forest. Her mind hit a roadblock then, going no farther than the word Safe. Safe. Safe. Safe. It repeated it a thousand times, it settled in her bones as she cowered. The girl was speaking again, Lucy heard it as if she were far away like she was underwater. She opened her eyes, teary and blurry but after a moment her brain tried to fix it, to make everything not so soft and hazy.

Infront of her stood a small girl, her hands held outwards in an "I surrender" gesture. Her eyes were kind. Behind her stood three men. Lucy recognized Makarov, he stood with his hands tightly clasped behind his back. He was safe. Lucy knew that. Next to him stood a burly man with hair the color of night, his eyes pierced her own and she looked away. He was most definitely not safe, Lucy decided quickly. And then there was the third. She knew him, the dragon prince, Natsu Dragneel. He had attacked her the first time they had met but now he looked worried and tired- his stomach was wrapped in bandages. Lucy didn't think the word danger was what she felt but it wasn't safe either, the way she saw him.

Lucy tried to focus on the girl, she was still speaking but Lucy had not heard a single word she's said. She interrupted her voice small, "I'm sor- I'm sorry, I didn't..." she trailed off shaking her head, it felt like her brain was melting, but she made no move to flee from the blue haired girl as she knelt beside her.

"I'm Wendy, you're safe here. You're at Fairy Tail. Do you remember Fairy Tail?" Wendy asked. Lucy nodded, a smile lit up Wendy's face. Fairy Tail seemed like a world away from where she was now, it didn't make sense. How did she come to be here? She couldn't remember. All she could remember was pain and fire. And then... nothing. "Do you know your name? What day it is?"

Again Lucy nodded, "Lucy Heartfilia. It's Monday." A frown pulled at the girl's faces and Lucy watched as Natsu shook his head.

"Lucy, you've been asleep for five days. It's Friday now." Friday? No, that can't be possible. She had lost so much precious time, there was no way. She had to get home, there was still work to do. Lucy tried to get up, shaking her head vigorously and tried to push around the girl

"No. That can't be right. I have to go home, they need me. I can't let them die, there's too much to do." Her people needed her, five days were days she couldn't spare. She fell forward trying to get up, strong hands caught her. Natsu looked down at her, his eyes blazing.

"Lucy, you can't go back." his grip was strong but it didn't hurt. Not like her Fiance.

Makarov came forward, "Lucy, you can never go home. They know what you are, who you are. You'd never make it out. They tried to kill you."

It was all coming back, everything flooded to her mind at once. The war, the scheming, the sneaking, her treason; everything rushed to her and she felt the fight was from her. She slumped in Natsu's arms, he caught her quickly and pulled her closer. Her brain should have been screaming at her that he was a danger, but instead, her body found comfort in his arms around her. She didn't have the will to fight, not when she had lost so much already. She had nothing now. No family, no power, no title, nothing. Lucy had known this could be an endpoint for her plan, that she could lose everything, but she had tried to push that far from her mind at the time. There was no way she would lose and in thinking like that, in not realizing the possibility of defeat and accounting for it, she had written her downfall.

Natsu pulled her up and placed her back on the bed, his hands this time were not one of force but a pillar of relief for her. She clung to the feeling of his hand on her shoulder, clung to it for dear life. She was afraid if he took it away she'd be lost again. Becuase he was real. This was real. This was not a dream. The weight of his hand on her shoulder kept her grounded in reality.

Makarov pulled a wooden stool in front of her, he took a seat, though he was still inches shorter than her. "Lucy we need to know what happened. Start from the beginning. There can be no more secrets, Fairy Tail understands now that you were only trying to help, we won't judge you. You're home now, with your people."

Her people. The words brought small tears to her eyes. She had many people, was one of many people, but had never felt home in any of them. The humans loved her, but she was not one of them. And the wizards had hated her, but she was their own. It was a scale that Lucy had desperately tried to tip and finally maybe if she were lucky enough she had done it. She had tipped the scale, hell she had knocked it off the damned table and let it break on the floor. Lucy swallowed. "My mother... She was a Celestial Wizard, she passed her power to me. My father was kind, a long time ago, but after the wizards failed to heal her and she died... my father went mad. He wanted revenge and so he started this stupid war to make people pay. He didn't know what I was, I didn't tell anyone. I couldn't, they'd kill me too." she wiped tears away. "I tried to help, I tried to make everyone leave our lands but some of them wouldn't so I had to resort to drastic measures. Then father told me I was supposed to marry the prince of a neighboring country. He was a horrible man, his temper..." she trailed off and shuddered. Natsu's hand squeezed her shoulder. She took strength from it and continued, "I couldn't marry him. I'd have killed myself before the wedding. My father couldn't control both armies, you'd all die. I had to do what I did, I hope you all understand that. I didn't want to hurt you." she broke out in sobs and shudders at the thought of so many innocent people dying by her family's hands.

Makarov nodded, "Lucy, how did you end up in the forest? We need to know." He placed a hand on her knee.

"I was asleep and I woke up and my fiance was holding me down. He had his hand on my mouth and nose, I couldn't breathe." She could still feel his hands on her like he was there still. "I don't know what happened after that, I woke up in the back of a carriage in chains. He knew what I was, I don't know how he knew, but he knew. He dragged me into the woods and-" she shook her head. She didn't want to remember. "Please don't, I don't want to remember. I don't want to think about it." She sobbed, her hands curling up against her eyes.

Natsu cut in, "You were already unconscious when I got there. He hurt you bad, Lucy." His voice was clipped. Natsu was furious. It hadn't been just any human man, it had been the man she was going to marry. His whole body blazed with anger- a husband was meant to protect his family, his brood and all their possessions, not hurt and mangle. Her betrothed was no man at all, Natsu couldn't even think he was human, it infuriated him.

The explanation seemed alright to everyone in the room because they just nodded. Makarov patted her knee, "It's alright Lucy, you don't need to tell us if you don't want to. We understand."

The room was silent for many moments before slowly people started to exit. The large man with the piercings- Lucy still didn't know his name- left in a huff, then Wendy exited with a smile and well wishes saying she'd be back later on to check on Lucy. Next was Makarov, he left with a sharp nod. And suddenly Lucy found herself alone with the pink haired dragon. Natsu had unwound himself from her, choosing to sit at the end of her bed while she sat against the soft pillows. Everything hurt, Lucy knew it would be awhile until she was alright but for now, she was safe, warm, with people she could trust. Lucy watched Natsu as he scooted closer, his hand awkwardly scratching his neck like he didn't know what else to do. Lucy broke the silence. "I'm sorry".

Natsu snapped his head up to look at her. "This had as much to do with my land and my people as it did your's, Lucy. You left us in the dark." He hadn't realized how upset he was until they were alone. She had put his people in danger too, put a target on his back.

Lucy nodded, "I know. I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you. When I went to visit Makarov I didn't know you'd be there. I wanted to seek counsel with him first before I sent anything your way." she gulped, "And then you were there. And you were so so angry and I saw how much you hated me. I didn't think you would listen."

The fierceness in his eyes faded, she was right. He wouldn't have listened, he was too blinded by hate for her to think that she wasn't the enemy at that point. It had been his attitude that had kept her at arm's length. If he were in her position he would have done the same. "You're right. I'm sorry too." He'd never said sorry for anything, never showed regret. He was a prince and his people drew their strength from his unwillingness to give in, but here, alone with Lucy in this room, his walls were starting to crumble. They sat in silence for a long time, Natsu didn't so much as peak over at the blonde. At one point he thought she may have been asleep because all he could hear was the quietness of he breathing. He was deep in thought when she spoke next.

"Natsu, it's been five days since I've been gone. Has my father done anything?" Her voice was so small, so sad. Again Natsu's walls crumbled. Brick by fucking brick, he thought to himself. This wasn't his conversation to have with her, this wasn't his expertise. Makarov should be here.

Natsu ran a hand through his hair. "Your father declared you dead the night we found you." He heard Lucy gasp, felt the bed move as she fiercely shook her head. "He sent out a decree that that there had been a fire in the castle and you had not made it out alive. There was no funeral. We haven't heard from the Kingdom of Fiore."

Lucy's mind swam- she knew her father had been distant from her, but this. This she would never have thought would be an outcome. But for some reason, it didn't surprise her, even if it was a possibility she hadn't considered. The maids had often said she looked like a carbon copy of the late queen, had all her quirks, the same broad smile, and to her father, it was just too much to bear. Lucy imagined it would be hard to live with another person who carried the face of a dead loved one, she understood her father's rage but knew it was undeserved.

"And the armies? Have they merged?" Her people had to be safe, they had to. She didn't care to ask how her prince was doing, she'd rather him burn. But her people were innocent and they deserved better.

Natsu shook his head, "We haven't gotten word that they've moved at all actually. The borders have been quiet."

Relief flooded through Lucy. "We have to tell my people that I'm alright. If the soldiers knew that I was alive, I'm sure they'd stand with me. They owe no real loyalty to my father, they're just afraid of what would happen if they didn't follow him. If they weren't on his side they'd have nowhere to go- I could give them a second option. Me." Lucy tried to move to him, to grasp his warm hands, to show him how much she wanted to help, to change things, but instead she fell forward, pain rippling through her sides. She had been so caught up in the conversation she hadn't even thought of her wounds. Natsu grabbed her before she could fall face first into the blankets and helped her sit back.

He let out a chuckle, "Careful there princess. We'll speak with Makarov later, tell him there's another option. For now, you need to rest." Natsu was right, she was so tired. All she could do was nod at him.

He let her go and walked out, she was quickly on her way to sleep when she heard him pause at the door, whisper something under his breath, and leave. And then Lucy was gone too, much happier than she had been the last time she'd slept.

The weeks that followed were a whirlwind for the Fairy Tail guild. Fighting at the borders had decreased and it was a small relief, though it brought more fear with it. Why had they stopped fighting? What were Jude Hearfilia's plans? The questions swirled in Natsu's mind that evening as he sat at the guild's bar, a forgotten drink in front of him.

Shortly after that first day Lucy had woken they'd both spoken to Makarov, he was hesitant and leary at Lucy's suggestion, but they could find no other way. The mage's forces just weren't enough to invade the human territory, they only had enough people to keep their lines held at the borders. But with Lucy's army, they could fight the last few who had not switched sides, stage a coup, take the palaces and the crown and put Lucy back on her throne. But Makarov and Natsu had never seen her interact with her people, they couldn't be sure that they would turn to Lucy's aid and that scared them. It would take one mistake for the Dragonlands to fall and if they put all their strength in one push and it didn't work then there would be no way to recover. But Lucy was adamant that the people would turn on her father, would support their princess. A princess they all thought was dead. Natsu wasn't so sure, but things were getting tough. While the fighting had stopped mostly, the Fiore soldiers had started blocking trade routes into the country. Even their best smugglers were having trouble crossing with their goods. Fiore was slowly smothering the Dragonlands.

Soon Natsu would have no choice but to side with Lucy, his people were slowly starving and Natsu could not sit idle while his people died. At the meeting Makarov had divulged that in addition to mages Lucy had also been sending money- the money orders that Mirajane had seen Makarov stress over had come from Lucy. The money was for the care of the mages she was sending, for Makarov to do what he saw fit for them. The money had bought them all new homes, lands, clothes, and right now it was being bought to buy them food. Food that now cost ten times its previous amount thanks to the strong arm of Fiore that was choking them. But without the money Lucy had smuggled to them they'd be in a far worse situation. Again, she was helping keep them alive.

A shadow fell over him and he looked up, Lucy was settling into the seat next to him. She looked well, the color had come into her cheeks, her bruises were all but gone and her ribs were healing well. Today she was wearing her usual outfit, a blue tank top, and short skirt. She had told Natsu it made her feel free, all she had worn at the castle were large dresses. It had made her smile and that's all Natsu cared about. They'd become close over the weeks almost inseparable. Natsu put it up to the fact that they were both royals, royal blood called to its own, Makarov had laughingly said.

Lucy slung a slim arm over his shoulders and smiled. "I want to show you all my magic. I've decided its time. I miss it." Her eyes lit up talking about her magic. She'd been too weak to use it, her body was still healing.

They'd spoke about it before, how much pain it brought her to have to hide it from everyone. To train in secret to use her keys and how much harder it had been for her once her mother had passed. Some days Natsu found her quietly sitting in bed, looking longingly at the box that held her keys. She had told him about it, explained that her magic was a holder magic, that she couldn't use it without her keys. Each key held a spirit she told him, like a person who lived in another world that would come out to help her when she called on them. Natsu could hear the love in her voice when she spoke of her magic. He felt the same thing when he summoned his fire, it was a connection to his family and to his past, one that he couldn't even begin to think of hiding.

His smile spread broadly across his face, he knew he looked like a child with it, but he didn't care. "You're sure Luce?" She nodded and pulled him up from the bar and out the door, Natsu saw her keys were hanging from a gold ring from her waist.

Lucy dragged him around the back of the guild, as soon as the pair were out of site Mirajane set to work. She ran through the guild telling everyone Lucy was using her magic. Soon the two mages had a procession of onlookers running behind them. Everyone was keen to get a look at the girl's magic. No one had seen a Celestial Wizard in action for hundreds of years, few books had even detailed it. Lucy's magic was one of the oldest magics in the world- as old as the skies themselves- but few had ever been witness to it. The bubbly girl was shrouded in mystery.

Lucy looked around at the people, they were there all supporting her, it was a stark comparison to where she had been weeks ago. Natsu stood next to her while the others stood in a circle. "I'm going to start off small, I want to make sure I can handle it," her heart told her she could but her body was wearier. She stepped away from Natsu and grasped a silver key. "Open, Gate of Canis Minor, come through Nikola!" Wind picked up around Lucy, it blew the mages as they guarded themselves against it. Pink light shot through the air and formed together a small white being. He looked like a cross between a dog and a snowman.

"Umm, Luce, what is that?" Everyone in the crowd was equally confused.

Lucy pet the spirit, he was small, the size of a little dog. "This is Plue, he's a dog spirit. He doesn't take much magic to bring forth so he's like a pet. Isn't he cute?" She was smiling, it dazzled Natsu.

Lucy stood, hands on her hips, "Okay! Time for another!" She grabbed a key from her ring.

"I'm already here Lucy. You're looking beautiful today." A voice came from behind them. Lucy turned to the familiar voice. Natsu hadn't even heard the person come up.

"And this is Loke, the Lion spirit... but he should wait to be called instead of just popping up." She said in annoyance. Natsu narrowed his eyes at the handsome man in front of him. Loke ignored Natsu, acting as if he weren't even there as if all of the wizards weren't there.

"Oh come on, princess, I came all this way, least you could do is go out on a date with me." He manifested a rose in his hands, Natsu blinked. Where had he even gotten that?

Something sparked in Natsu as he stormed between the pair with a huff, "Go home bucko, she doesn't even want you here. She didn't call you out!" He knew he was acting childish, but his mind told him he didn't care.

Without batting an eye Loke called "Regulas Impact!" and punched the fire mage. Natsu shot into the air along with a golden light- the whole crowd gasped. He landed face first in a heap outside the circle of his guildmates.

Somewhere in the crowd, Gray called "Ten points for the landing, Flamebrain!". Through a mouth full of dirt Natsu grumbled, "Shut it, Ice queen." He picked himself back up, ready to fight the lion spirit as he elbowed his way through the crowd.

Lucy waved the antics off with a sigh, "Loke, I didn't ask you here just so you can terrorize my friends. Natsu, stop making that face if you stay like that it'll get stuck that way." Face? What face? This was his face? Natsu made a sound of annoyance and rolled his eyes. Suddenly Lucy crumpled to the ground, breathing heavily. Natsu raced to her side.

"That's my sign to leave. She's used up too much energy, take care of her Natsu. I'll be back when she can handle it." And with that, he was gone. Lucy was shooing him off, saying she was fine, just tired. And then Plue the dog puffed away, leaving nothing but smoke behind.

Natsu scooped her up, in his arms she closed her eyes and fell into a quiet slumber. He returned her to her room, the guild following them back into the massive building. Lucy was amazing, he thought, but she still had time to go before she could once again control her spirits. Natsu hoped it wouldn't be too late. War didn't stop just because someone was sick, it kept going, kept decimating everything in its path. Lucy would have to get stronger, for all of their sakes if she wanted to take her country back.

He stayed there while she slept, looking out her window, wondering if soon would he see their city burning? Would the fighting stretch so far? Or would they be helping rebuild the human lands? Would the fighting ever, truly stop? It left Natsu with a pit in his stomach.