A/N: For snakeboy33. Sorry about that misunderstanding :') There was something wrong with my head while I read your review the first time… I didn't think it was a suggestion for a prompt but a critique on chapter three since it wasn't really that clear xD

This is my version of Chapter 418 in the manga.

Italics/bold = Flashback

The resident of Lucy's new apartment yawned as she stretched her arms out above her head. The street was as peaceful as any other day as the blonde got out of bed to brush her teeth to get ready for the big day. Taking a quick shower, she applied her lipstick and rustled into her clothes right after.

It took thirty minutes to do so, but would you expect a girl of all genders to rush her morning routine? Not in my book.

After grabbing her bag and tying her blue ribbon onto her hair up into a side ponytail, she walked out the door with a nice and pleasant mood hanging about.

Lucy pumped her fist to herself as she headed for her destination, I'm gonna give it my all today, too!

…

One year after the battle with Tartaros, year X792, Crocus hasn't really changed at all. Holding the next Grand Magic Games, it was still an exciting time for the people attending.

It was the fourth day, and intense battles were being initiated. Chrisack of Dullahan Head, one of the guilds in the tournament, let out a "Yo ho!" as the crowd roared.

The announcer declared, "The fourth day of the Grand Magic Games begins now! Today, too, heated battles unfold!

"The man who's shown us his overwhelming strength so far, Chrisack of Dullahan Head, what kind of battle will he give us today?! His opponent is Berik of Dwarf Gear. This seems like it's going to be quite an interesting bout!"

He turned to the small, old man sitting next to him on his right in the stands, "Yajima-san, would you happen to have any insight to give on which contender we should pay particular attention to?"

Yajima watched the two opponents as they were getting ready to battle, "Chrisack-kun really is a strong mage, isn't he?"

Suddenly, reporter of the famous Sorcerers Magazine, Jason shouted, "COOL COOL COOL! I should be able to get an interesting article out of this! Cool!"

Lucy shows up from the stairs entrance, "Senpai! I'm sorry for showing up late! There was quite a crowd, and..."

Ignoring her explanation, Jason pointed his fingers at her and said, "Lucy! Today's gonna be another cool day again!"

She sighed and turned towards the arena, "Did the battle start already?"

He took his trademark pose, "Not yet, not yet! Even so, this is probably just going to be another walk in the park for Chrisack."

Holding up her pencil with a notepad in her other hand, Lucy yelled, "RIGHT! Let's put our back into it and cover this event!"

"COOL!"

She could hear a bang coming from the cymbals as the battle began.

It's been one year ever since that day. The day that Fairy Tail's dissolution was announced. Natsu and Happy suddenly left on a quest while the other members disbanded and went on their separate ways.

Lucy smiled sadly as she quickly made notes in the notepad. She missed them. Terribly. Another day without Natsu was just...dull. She now worked as an editor-in-training for the weekly sorcerer magazine. Since the disbandment was so long ago, she had to get over it and stand tall. Don't let it bring you down—they'll always be there in your heart.

She was unable to take all of this information in, and sunk into a long, deep depression for some time. But since everyone began to move on, she had to, too.

When Lucy just came to this realization, there was Jason. He offered her a job. As a gravure model.

As Lucy posed for the camera on a bed with her hair up in low pigtails, multiple shots were being taken while she was wearing the lacy, black lingerie assigned to her.

After the shoot was done, Jason exclaimed, "Cool! You should just become my exclusive model, Lucy!"

"Er, uh…" Lucy struggled to capture his attention as she slowly walked towards him. "I want a job that involves writing...you know, actual sentences. Can you please hire me something along those lines?"

And in the present day, here was Lucy. As an editor-in-training.

The battle ended, and, unsurprisingly, Chrisack won the fight.

"Okay, I guess I'll do the article and the layout," Lucy confirmed to Jason after they left the arena.

Jason nodded approvingly, "Thanks, that'll be a big help.

"You know, this year's Grand Magic Games were sort of a letdown. Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, and Mermaid Heel didn't make any appearances…"

"Neither did Blue Pegasus or Quatro Cerberus," she added.

"Or Fairy Tail," Jason smiled.

Lucy chuckled, "You know why...it's long gone…"

Jason noticed the crest on the back of her right hand, "That crest, on the back of your hand…

"But yeah, I guess they really are gone...it really is a damn shame, huh…"

Lucy gave a small smile in silence.

…

Back to her new apartment, Lucy began to write the newest article for the Sorcerers Magazine on her small, wooden desk.

For the past year, Lucy hadn't had contact with anyone from the guild. Everyone has starting walking down their own, new paths. But lately, she'd felt like she's been wanting to see them again.

Lucy rested her head on the desk and sighed.

Later, at night, she warmed herself in her bathtub.

"I want to see all of them," she murmured with the memories flashing back. She wants to see all of them, but she doesn't have the courage to. She sank into the bubbly water as her hair floated like a mermaid on the surface of the ocean.

Lucy abruptly sprang up and shouted in frustration, "I want to see everyone but I don't have the courage to go out and actually do it!"

A neighbor from next door roared in annoyance, "Oi, neighbor! Keep it to a mild roar will ya!"

"My...my bad…" she sweatdropped. Draining the water and getting out of the tub, Lucy grabbed a towel to dry her hair.

Walking out of the bathroom, she lit a candle in her bedroom and set it on a pile of books.

On the wall, was a humongous map filled with notes about the guild members and where they could be. Rumors, reportings, or sightings...anything she could get her hands on.

For the past year, she has begun the search for all of them. So that they could all get back together again.

"I guess there's no news of Natsu or Happy today either…" she bonked her head onto a photo of Natsu holding up the trophy for the guild's win in the last Grand Magic Games. She felt tears coming out and slumped down onto the floor, leaning on the map.

If I could get Fairy Tail back together again… She hugged her knees, What would I even do? Fairy Tail doesn't even exist anymore…

...The next morning…

The rising sun peeked over the set of buildings, shining through Lucy's window. Leaning her weight onto her arm, she let out a quiet yawn, her hair sticking out in all directions.

After getting ready once again, she let out a "Whoop!" and strut out the door.

"Whew. All right! Today, I'm going to give it my all!"

In the arena with the Grand Magic Games now occurring, Mato announced in an exciting tone, "It's the last day of the Grand Magic Games! Very soon, the number one guild in Fiore is going to be decided! One of the last guilds standing in the finals is led by the overwhelmingly powerful Chrisack, Dullahan Head! Yet, their opponents have won battle after battle with miraculous victories coming from behind! Skull Millione!

"Because this year's Grand Magic Games are in elimination format, these two guilds will go head to head with each other in the finals and battle for the top spot!"

"COOL COOL COOL!" Jason screamed with his trademark pose. "I'm sure we'll get an awesome article out of this, right, Lucy?!"

Lucy stared blankly ahead, not answering his question.

Jason tilted his head to the side, "Hello?"

"Oh! Sorry, what's up?"

"Look! It's the finals! It's gonna start soon!" Jason pointed to the two guilds' teams in enthusiasm.

"Ah. Looks like a total farce," said Lucy, uninterested.

Jason shook his head, "It's nothing of the sort! Skull Millione has won every single one of its battles coming from behind! Maybe, just maybe, even this final...no. Wait a sec…"

"Like I said. It's all a farce," Lucy rested her chin on top of her hands. "To be sure, Chrisack is strong. But according to my notes and what I've observed, the members of Skull Millione are stronger. I estimate that each one of them is, individually, almost twice as strong as Chrisack. They've been hiding their magic power."

"Wha?!" Jason stared at her in shock. "WHAAAAAT?!"

Lucy predicted, "Skull Millione is going to win. Handily."

"COOOOOOOOL!" Jason screamed as Skull Millione beat up Dullahan Head. The crowd cheered as Skull Millione showed off their hidden powers.

"An...an unbelieveable…!" the announcer was astonished.

"Oh my, that was quite a shock," Yajima remarked.

The announcer announced, "Skull Millione are our champions! And the odds...an impossible one hundred to ten! They've made a killing! Fiore's number one guild is SKULL MILLIONE!"

"Went better than I expected," commented one of Skull Millione's team members.

"Fufu," the leader cackled. "Make it rain~"

Lucy sighed, "They are strong, I guess, but I can't believe these caliber of people are going to be the number one guild in Fiore…"

The audience suddenly silenced.

"What's this?" the announcer glared. "Everyone in the stadium is celebrating, but...what the...hell is going on?!

"A mysterious figure is making his way into the arena…"

The leader of Skull Millione crossed his arms, "Who the fuck are you?!"

"An intruder?!" Lucy yelped.

The black hooded figure stopped in front of Fiore's "number one" guild.

"This feeling…" Lucy shuddered. "This level of magic power…! Get everyone out of here!"

Flames suddenly appeared all over the stadium. The crowd screamed in fear as the flames enveloped them.

Skull Millione threatened the black hooded figure, "You've got big balls, picking a fight in the capital."

"This guy...could he be the one from the recent reports...the wandering, black-cloaked…"

"Come on, there's no way."

The mysterious figure finally spoke, "So you chumps are the number one guild in Fiore, huh?"

"Hm?"

"Yeah, what of it, bitch?"

The black-cloaked man lit his fist in flames, "I'm your next...challenger." He sent a whirlpool of fire straight for Skull Millione.

The announcer took the mike, "He's gone and taken them all on!"

Lucy shielded herself with her arms, "I've got to get all the mages that can fight together..."

The whole audience was sweating from the immense heat.

"What the hell?!"

"Eh?!"

"Heat?!"

The announcer stared, flabbergasted as his clothing began to rip away, "With that heat, my clothes have...no way… The ring itself is melting..."

Lucy attempted to cover herself as her clothes too, melted away, "Kyaaaah! What is this heat… Heat?!"

The black-cloaked man's hood disappeared, revealing his face.

She gasped, "Natsu?!"

"Natsu!" everyone shouted.

"Long time no see, Lucy!" Happy greeted from behind.

"Happy! What's…"

Happy explained the situation, "Well, Natsu, you see, at any cost...just had to see what the champions of the tournament were made of, so… They've already been flattened, though. *sweatdrop*"

Natsu smirked, "Someone, anyone, I don't care who! Bring it on!"

"Someone stop this lunatic!" the mages cried as they plunged into the fight.

"I'm getting fired up!"

"Geez...you need to learn how to hold back a bit, Natsu," Happy commented.

Natsu suddenly noticed Lucy standing in the stands, trying to cover herself as much as she could. He looked at her in realization.

W-What?!

"...Lucy?!" Natsu grinned in happiness. "Lucy, it is you!" He clambered up the stadium to her spot.

"N-Natsu!"

He suddenly enveloped her in a bear hug, "Lucyyyyyyy~!"

She felt the tears coming back as she embraced him, "N-Natsu…"

"Is this a reunion for our couple, Natsu and Lucy?" the announcer and the rest of the audience who hadn't been evacuated yet watched the two.

She blushed furiously, trying to let herself out of his grasp, "W-We're not a cou-!"

"So what if it is?!" Natsu yelled back to the announcer.

The crowd gasped.

"So it is true!" Mato squealed.

"How is it not, can't you see that I'm obviously hugging her?"

"N-Natsu-!"

"Shush," Natsu grinned and winked at her. "C'mon, lemme hug you for a little while longer…"

"B-But, we're not-"

"You know what, we'll talk in your apartment," Natsu cut her off once again.

"Ooh, something's brewing up in there," Mato teased.

…

"Wow, this is your new apartment?!" Natsu admired how much bigger it was compared to her old one.

"Yeah, I'll let you two stay here since I know you've got no where else to go," Lucy smiled.

"OUR GODDESS!" Natsu and Happy went down on their knees to bow on her feet.

"Q-Quit it!" Lucy set her bag down on her desk chair and plopped down onto the couch. "Okay, sit!"

"Yes!" Natsu sat down in front of her on the opposite sofa.

Happy moaned, "I don't wanna listen to your complaints, so I'm going to go fishing." He flew out the nearby window, mumbling to himself about something concerning fish and about how he didn't want to watch whatever they would be doing. Happy had a wild imagination going on there.

Lucy began talking, "Okay, so Natsu…"

"...Yes?"

She looked down, "First of all...WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?!"

Natsu was shocked, "What?"

"Why…? Why did you leave me…?"

"We—we were going training!"

"So why didn't you bring me with you?!" she cried, tears suddenly spilling down her cheeks.

"We...we…" he couldn't come up with a decent explanation.

"You...you didn't think of me…" Lucy brang her hands up to her face. "You never thought of me...what I thought…"

"W-We did! We left you a letter!"

"Did you think I'd be okay with you suddenly going on a quest without me?!" she sniffed. "Aren't we a team…? Partners? Nakama…?"

Natsu slammed his fists onto the coffee table, "Dammit, Lucy!" He cupped her face in his hands and rammed his lips into hers.

"Mmph!" she made a noise in the back of her throat in surprise.

He released her after a while, "Lucy...look at me."

She looked at him.

"I've...always thought about you. I'm just...not good with words," he murmured. "I'm more for action." Natsu chuckled. "I thought that you wouldn't care. That you'd wanted to stay. You had the others, so… Ugh, I know that I made the wrong decision..."

"The guild disbanded, Natsu," she broke it to him.

"...What?!"

"We went our separate ways," she replied, still red from the earlier kiss attack.

"...Well then, we're going to get it back," he stared at her.

"That's what I thought when I first saw you back there," Lucy beamed.

"Yeah, so...can I do one more thing?"

"What is it?"

"Um...can I kiss you again?"

Lucy flushed crimson, "...I...I guess…?"

He looked at her, amazed, "So...can I take that as a yes?"

"...Yeah…"

"So...do you love me, too?"

Lucy smiled as wide as she could, "Yeah. I do love you."