Sorry everyone for the lateness of my update but I've been busy the past few weeks around the house.


Chapter 3 - "The Sky Dragon!"


Two Years Later...


As the sun slowly disappeared behind the treeline a single ray of light broke through an opening in the trees and carefully bathed a sleeping two-year old child - Her name was Lucia Heartfilia. While the child slept, thirteen celestial spirits kept watch over her.

"She's late again!..." Virgo sighed as she knelled down and gently ran her fingers through Lucia's golden locks. "...That's the third time this week!"

"Yes!... And she's been acting rather strangely as of late!" Capricorn added.

"...And what should I do about it? I've tried talking to her but she won't give me any answers!" Said the perturbed celestial lion.

"Well we can't babysit forever! Besides we still have our own duties to attend too and I for one am sick of babysitting this little brat!" Aquarius smirked as she shot a small beam of water just past the sleeping child's head. A low voice behind her growled causing water spirit to cringe.

"We are, don't do that my dear!" Growled the sand spirit. "She won't' like it!"

"WHAT!... But honey!... " Aquarius swooned "She's not here and... And besides, the brat doesn't scare m..." Aquarius innocently said but before she could finish speaking, she was sent flying through the brush, coming to an abrupt stop when she slammed into a nearby tree.

A slender hand gripped tightly around the water spirit's neck and pulled her to her feet. A soft but menacing voice spoke, "if I ever catch you doing anything like that again against my charge I'll kill you!... Do you understand?" A terrified Aquarius gulped as she slowly nodded her understanding. "Good!" The blonde woman smirked as she dropped the water-mage to the ground.

"Lucy!... I mean Cetus! Was that really necessary!?" Leo growled. "We've all been stuck in this world for the past two years, so you have to understand if we aren't quit ourselves lately!"

"Hmmm!... Did you say something Loki and for the last time, there is nothing inside of me that is Lucy! So don't call me that again!... Whatever made Lucy - Lucy, it's now inside the child!" Cetus laughed as she turned and approached the sleeping child. She bent down and scooped up Lucia and turned towards the annoyed Zodiac Spirits. "What!?" She exclaimed. They all shook their heads and waved off her menacing look.

"Well Cetus-dono, did you find what you've been searching for?" Capricorn said as he leaned against a tree with his arms folded. Her eyes grew wide as a smile made her face lit-up.

"Yes!... Follow me!" She exclaimed as turned and walked into the woods. She was quickly followed by the rest of the Zodiac.

"Scarey!" Aquarius mumbled as she latched onto Scorpios' arm and followed her comrades.


Present - July 8, X784


Perched beneath a mountain range and secluded inside a vast forest stood a small unnamed village. It's residents were comprised of farmers, cooks, maids and other paid employees of the Heartfilia Corporation. To those outside it's protective barrier, it appeared as the home of the Heartfilia family but to those on the inside, it was home of the magic world's greatest kept secret... It was the oldest known guild in existence and could trace it's roots back to the the time of the Dragon King Festival. It's name is Dragon's Heart had been run by a Heartfilia for nearly four-hundred years.

The thing that distinguishes it's members from those of known guilds is that their hidden guild mark is only visible to those of the Dragon's Heart guild. Members of the Dragon's Heart guild are always members of other legal guilds and the guild that houses the most members of Dragon's Heart is the noisy and often destructive guild called Fairy Tail.

As she shifted in her high-backed winged chair the blonde head of the Heartfilia family was engrossed in a romance novel that her daughter in-law had bought back from a mission she and her husband had completed earlier that day. A crackling fire poped in the background as a large heavy door opened and a tall bearded man entered the room and took a seat next to the exquisitely dressed blonde.

"Layla your not reading another one of those foolish books are you!" He said as he slowly shook his head. She looked up from her book and grinned. She knew it was a waste of time and provided no worth from a business or tactical standpoint but she just loved to get lost in that imaginary world even if it was only for a short time.

"Now Jude dear, be nice!... I don't bother you when your wrapped up in your sporting magazines!" She smirked as she playfully stuck out her tongue. He chucked at his wife's childish antics. After years of marriage to this woman he always found her to be a good source of entertainment.

"Yes dear!" He said with a small bow to which Layla giggled. "I'm guessing, Erza's doing!"

"Of course!" Layla slipped an envelope between the pages and closed the book. "She always brings me the best gifts!"

"When did they get back from their mission?"

"About an hour ago!" Layla said as she poured her husband a cup of tea and handed it to him. He smiled and took a sip and then groaned.

"Typical!" Jude said as he laid his cup on the coffee table. "I'm always the last to know when one of the kids shows up! That's what I get for treating them so nice!" He crossed his arms and pouted.

"Oh you poor dear... Nobody loves you!" She teased as she gently cupped his face. Jude blushed and leaned forward and kissed his wife. She returned his kiss and soon the two were nearly in the throws of passion but they were quickly bought back to reality as the large door flew open and an excited voice yelled.

"Pops!... I'm home!"

"Damn it Natsu, you have the worst timing of anyone in this house!" Jude said as he rested his head on Layla's shoulder and sighed while his free hand was caressing her face. "Go away!" He playfully growled.

"Okay, but I'm keeping your gift then!" Natsu giggled as Jude dropped Layla on the floor and raced across the floor to his adopted son, who was laughing at his enraged mother laying on the floor. "I think Moms gonna kill you!" Natsu whispered to Jude. Jude froze at the thought of a pissed-off Celestial Mage bearing down on them.

"Please help me son!" The terrified man exclaimed as he cowered behind Natsu but a voice from the door laughed.

"Gh-hi-hi!" The tall raven-haired man doubled over laughing. "Nothing ever changes here!"

"Gajeel!... Ah! ... And Levy as well!" Layla yelled as she shot her husband a death glare before rushing forward and hugging the pair as they stood just inside the door.

"Mother!" "Layla-sama!" They both said.

"What brings you two back so soon?" The glowing woman said as she smiled at them.

"That idiot!" Gajeel pointed at Natsu and groaned.

"Oh ya!... I forgot!" Natsu innocently ran his fingers through his hair and grinned. "I bought everyone with me!"

"Are Sting, Rogue and Wendy here as well!" Jude asked as his eyes brightened when he saw three more figures walk through the door.

"Mom, Dad!" Rogue said with a stoic smile.

"Momma!" Wendy yelled as she jumped into Layla's warm and inviting arms.

"Hey old man!" Sting grinned as he moved towards Jude and lightly punched his shoulder. They lightly exchanged punches and Jude grinned just before he pulled Sting into a headlock and rubbed his knuckles on the blonde's head.

Jude laughed as he leaned forward and kissed his son's forehead. He knew this would send the temperamental Dragon Slayer into a tizzy and he was right. Sting struggled free and turned beet red as everyone burst into laughter at his expense.

"He falls for that every-time!" Rogue said as he smirked at the embarrassed slayer.

"He's either an idiot or he like's it when the old ma..." Gajeel stopped mid-sentence when he caught a whiff of a new person approaching the door. "Here we go!" he mumbled as all eyes turned towards the door where an armor-clad red-headed warrior stood at the doorway holding a sleeping blonde girl. He could hear Erza's heart race and Gajeel knew she was nervous.

"Ahmmm!" A voice from the doorway sounded. She waited for the inevitable which came rather quickly as Jude took notice of the sleeping child in her arms.

"Oh my what do we have here?" Layla cooed as she approached the nervous Tatiana but was stopped by Natsu before she could get too close.

"Moms, Pops!... I think you should take a seat for a moment. Both looked at Natsu and the child sleeping in Erza's arms and moved towards them. Natsu sighed, "Please!... Please give us a moment!" They both nodded and joined Levy, Gajeel, Wendy and Rogue on the opposite couch.

Natsu turned his back to them and gently spoke to the child Erza held. "Hey little one, time to wake up!" She started to stir and Erza smiled as the child looked from Erza then to Natsu while rubbing her sleep-filled eyes.

"I-Is it morning already?" The child said as Erza lowered her to her feet between her and Natsu.

"Not yet sweetheart!" Erza said as she knelled down and smiled at the curious child. "There's some people who we'd like you to say hi to you!... Can you do that for us!"

"O-Okay!" She said shyly.

As Erza slowly stood, she looked to Natsu for support. His wide grin gave her comfort and with a long exhale to calm her nerves, she reaches down and took the child's hand and walked past Natsu.

The moment the child came into view, two loud gasps could be heard as Layla and Jude's eyes shot open at the child standing before them...

She was about six years old with long flowing blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was wearing a blue knee-length dress with lace accents and dark blue shoes but her most noticeable feature were her over-sized canines which seemed to glisten when she smiled.

Layla fell to her knees at the sight of the child. Her mind was racing and she knew who she was staring at even though there were differences between 'her Lucy' and this child. She just knew the moment she saw her who she was, as did Jude who now moved quickly towards the nervous child.

"Lucy!" He excitedly said as he wrapped the child in a warm loving embrace and then he heard what his heart had missed for all those years... "P-Papa!" It was a softer voice than he'd remembered but it was her, he knew it! Every fiber of his being was screaming that this was his long-lost daughter.

"PAPA!" She screamed as tears flowed down her cheeks. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly to himself - relaxing, he felt her warmth envelop him. It felt like time stood still as he held his lost daughter in his arms but he was quickly bought back to reality when he felt another set of arms envelope them both and he knew immediately who it was.

"L-Layla, she's..."

"...Home!" Layla said as her tears fell. She never thought she would ever hold her daughter again.

The day the Dragon Slayers came into their lives had been a rough day... It was a day in-which they would see their family grow by five but it was also the day that their own daughter would disappear. They spent the next five years searching for her but no trace was ever found! It was as if she had disappeared of the face of Earthland but here she was, a little younger with different colored eyes but it was her... Of this Layla was absolutely certain!

"L-Lucy!" Layla nervously said in a low voice but the child heard her loud and clear and smiled up at her.

"Mamma!... I missed you so much!" She said as she wiggled free from her father and wrapped her arms tightly around her mother's neck. Layla dropped to the floor and cradled her crying daughter and then it happened, time stopped and ceiling of the great room disappeared revealing countless stars above. Layla looked around and noticed that everyone was frozen in place...

...As she turned her head from side-to-side she noticed two figures slowly approaching her. One was a tall graying man with an exaggerated mustache and the other looked as if she could pass for her twin.

"Miss Layla, I'm the Spirit King and this is my..." He turned to his companion who shook her head and sighed.

"Your Queen, you idiot!" The Blonde Spirit growled.

"Sorry!... Sorry Cedus! Anyway Miss Layla we need your help!"


Past - X454, Northern Fiore (Two years after the Zodiac arrived in the past!)


It only seemed like a moment ago that Natsu and Erza stepped through the Eclipse gate but that was more than two days ago. When they arrived they walked into a trap, a carefully placed trap that someone had purposely set. How they knew they were coming was beyond them but they or perhaps someone, did know! So blindfolded they both sat waiting in that dark and damp place with their hands and feet restrained by something that inhibited their magic...

Even their 'bond' had been severed! Whoever did that to them knew exactly who they were and where they came from; they even knew of the pair's intimate relationship.

"Natsu!... NATSU!... Wake up!" Erza screamed as she felt a cold-clammy hand caress her cheek, it was void of heat, something that she had longed for the last few days.

In the two days that they had been restrained in that dungeon, that was the first contact they had had with anyone. Their senses were dulled and they had no clue as to who held them there against their will or what their end-game was.

Their captor never spoke nor did they give any reason for their confinement. The only sound they heard was a very low cackle and the sound of heavy-boots walking away from them, fading into the distance. That was the first and last time they saw or better yet heard their captors.

It took another two days to free themselves and when they finally made it to the surface they realized they were held deep below an old farm house at the edge of a dense forest. With no reason nor any trail to follow they moved on but that incident still remained fresh in their minds. Who had trapped them so easily and why they did it was something that still bothered the duo but that was nearly a year ago and they were finally zoning in on their target... The largest dragon known to exist, Caelestis, the Sky Dragon!


Just a few miles away!


After several days of traveling, the Spirits of the Zodiac finally arrived at their destination - a large sunken plateau high a-top a weathered mountain. This was the nest of Caelestis, Queen of the Sky Dragons.

After decades of war she was one of the few dragons that survived the on-slough. For as much as she would have loved to have fought along-side her comrades and her daughter, Grandeeney, she found it difficult to keep up with the younger generation.

It had been nearly four years since she'd seen her home! 'It wasn't my intention to have been away for so long but sometimes things just have a tendency to go that way', she thought as she neared her nest.

"Flying through the clouds can be so invigorating especially at my age..." The Sky Dragon said with a thunderous roar. "...I needed this, but I wonder what the Spirit King meant when he said, "My new start!" Oh well... I'll figure it all out later!" She growled! "Sleep first!"

She roared with delight as her nest came into view but quickly a grin crossed her snout when she saw strangers standing above her nest! ...Her new life was about to begin!


Next Chapter "City of Lost Souls."

Finally our MC's appear!

Thank you everyone for your support. Please review, fav and follow.