HI! Welcome to the newest chapter of Dragonheart!

IMPORTANT MESSAGE! PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE STARTING THE CHAPTER! PLEASE READ THIS VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE!

I've had so much inspiration for this story and honestly the only reason I haven't updated earlier was because I honestly detested the previous chapters. I absolutely hated how I portrayed Lucy's magic and Cobra's character and therefore I have rewritten chapters 1-5, however the prologue is the same. Please take the time to read through those because they changes are phenomenal and I spent sooooo much time rewriting them. But now that I have, I'm so excited to continue writing this story!

Also word of warning, with how much I feel like I've grown as an author, I have decided to delete Dragons, Fairies and the Celestial Emperor and rewrite it even better than it was. The story just angers and embarrasses me so much that it genuinely makes me want to cry. So here's your heads up for that, keep an eye out for that in the future. Probably once I've completely SoaCM and DH

END OF IMPORTANT MESSAGE OKAY THANK YOU

Onwards with the chapter!


Instincts

Team Natsu sat in front of Master Makarov, as the other teams who were also looking for Draco's Celestial key surrounded them. Everyone made themselves as comfortable as they could inside the cramped office space. Each team had returned within the week and none had been lucky enough to locate the Celestial Dragon key. Master Makarov stared gravely at all the mages sitting in front of him, unsure of what to do next. A whole week had passed and the only progress they'd made was Lucy finding out that the previous owner of the key had been killed by a demon. That didn't bode well for anyone but they couldn't give up hope now. But still, they had to change tactics; this was taking far too long.

"So everyone returned empty handed huh?" He stated, each team nodding solemnly.

"The key hasn't been found in over hundred years, there was no way we were going to find it that easily Old Geezer" Laxus spoke out, his grandfather shrugging.

"I'm aware of that my boy, but we must not give up. However, I fear these teams will not be working out. Too many of you are congregating on a single mission. I've decided to split you up even further," Makarov suggested, Team Natsu raising their voices in protest.

"But Gramps! These are our teams" Natsu argued.

"The flame fucker is right, we've always worked in these teams," Gray added.

"Master you cannot be serious, these teams are how we work best" Erza protested. Lucy and Wendy both sweat dropped deciding to keep quiet. Master Makarov silenced them with a glare, his arm extending as his fist pinned a flaming Natsu down.

"This is what I believe will be best. Too many of our strong are in one team, splitting up further will not only increase the chances of finding his key, but also speed up the process. Mira, call Cana we will have her cards decide what teams would best help us locate Draconis' key" Makarov ordered, Mira doing as asked. Cana staggered into the office, hiccupping and grinning drunkenly at everyone.

"She's completely plastered, how is this going to help" Lily spoke, Happy, Lector and Frost giggling while Carla tutted at Cana's behaviour.

"This really isn't a good example for Wendy" Carla reprimanded, glaring at Cana.

"Fro thinks so too" Frosch called out from Rogue's shoulder.

"What's up Master" Cana asked, falling onto the seat Rogue offered her with a thud, Cana sending him a flirtatious smile in thanks.

"Cana, we need your divination powers to predict the best teams from these lot" Master said, Cana nodded as she sat up straight. Sting, Rogue and Yukino looked on in disbelief as the once drunk mage immediately sobered up before their eyes, her face completely serious.

"Right away" Cana replied, pulling out a deck of cards with all the Fairy Tail mages faces on them. The Sabertooth mages shivered, slightly creeped out by how Cana already had cards with their own visages considering they'd barely been part of Fairy Tail for a week. Cana threw down her cards, everyone watching in awe as they immediately split up into groups.

"There we go. These are your new temporary teams" Makarov said, however everyone was too shocked to move.

"But Lucy-" Natsu began to argue, only for Master Makarov to crush him once again.

"No arguments! Cana's cards never lie; these teams are what's best for these jobs. Now what are you brats doing? Pick some jobs and get moving," Makarov shouted, everyone snapping out of their daze. They turned to their respective teammates before heading to the mission board, picking random ones that would suit their team but also somewhere they could hopefully find the key.

"Well, strategically some of the teams do seem very powerful. However, we're not really looking for power and I worry about some of the combinations… intelligence wise. However, your Fairy Tail has surprised me from the start Third and sometimes bonds do overcome statistical calculation" Mavis said, her green eyes watching in happiness from the second floor as the teams left for their jobs.

"I have to agree First, some of the teams… do seem odd. But I have faith in Cana's divination skills" Makarov said, Mavis smiling brightly at him as she nodded.


A couple hours later

"Ahhhh! I hate the train! I'm seriously going to blow some chunks" Natsu moaned, his face green as he held onto his stomach. The carriage was shaking more than usual and it wasn't helping his motion sickness at all. It was too bad he was practically immune to Troia now due to the amount of times Wendy has cast it on him, that or his brand of motion sickness was just more vicious than the others'.

"Wendy did give you those motion sickness pills Natsu" Happy said, chuckling at his friend from his seat.

"You know those don't work Happy" Natsu replied, lying on the floor and groaning. Usually he would be lying on Lucy's lap as she played with his hair; that or he'd be knocked out cold from one of Erza's punches. However, thanks to Cana neither Lucy nor Erza were here, Natsu silently griped to himself.

"I'm sorry I can't do much to help" Meredy said sheepishly, Natsu shrugging, or at least trying to.

"It's not… your fault. Oh Mavis, I'm gonna hurl" Natsu whined, Meredy's shoulders drooping as she could do nothing to help her fellow guild mate.

"Well… how would you usually cope?" Meredy questioned, staring at him from her seat by the window. Happy placed his hands on his mouth, snickering to himself.

"He'd usually sleep on Lucy cause he liiiiiiiiiikes her" Happy replied, Natsu sending him the best glare he could from his position on the floor.

"Shut up Happy, you know me and Luce ain't like that. Oh Mavis, she's just my… best friend" Natsu mumbled moving into the foetus position, pausing in order swallow the bile in his throat.

"Does that usually help?" Meredy questioned, wondering what about Lucy's lap calmed Natsu's motion sickness.

"Somewhat" Natsu managed to reply. Meredy stared at the pink Dragon Slayer, deep in thought before coming to a decision.

"You can lie on my lap if you want" Meredy finally said, looking out the window as her cheeks flushed rosy pink. Natsu nodded feebly, knowing anything was better than the floor, which was only making him feel more ill, before crawling over to Meredy. However before he could climb onto the seat, the train rocked causing his stomach to turn. Falling back to the floor Natsu groaned out loud, his face turning greener.

"Help" He squeaked out and finally Happy took pity on his friend and sprouted his wings.

Flying over to Natsu, Happy quickly picked him up and dropped him onto Meredy. Natsu's nose twitched as he picked up the strong scent of peaches and cream that he knew belonged to Meredy. He'd never been this close to her before and her fragrance completely overwhelmed his senses. He took a deep breath, inhaling as much of it as he could before breathing out and sighing. Something about the scent was very calming; nuzzling into her lap he let out another sigh as his stomach stopped cartwheeling in his belly.

Natsu's brows furrowed slightly, wondering what was going on. Even Lucy's raspberry, oleander and stardust scent didn't calm him down nearly as much as this did. However, all thoughts went out the window as the train shook once again, his stomach lurching. He let out a soft whine and took a deep breath once again, letting Meredy's aroma settle his stomach once more. He decided to stop thinking so much as it was beginning to hurt his brain; he would just accept this soothing bit of reprieve without much further thought.

Meredy watched the pink haired slayer from the corner of her eye, blushing as she felt him shift closer so his face was pressed into her abdomen, his nose absentmindedly nuzzling her. She let out a small smile, her hand moving to tangle into his hair, playing with the thick salmon locks. Her eyes widened slightly as she realised they were softer than she imagined before grinning and twisting her digits further into the tresses. Meredy went back to staring out the window, watching as the scenery zoomed passed her, her fingers endlessly twirling through Natsu's hair for the rest of the journey.


At the same time…

"Woman would you just slow down and tell me where we're going" Elfman called out, watching as Evergreen flew ahead of him. He couldn't help but stare at her delectable ass in her usual tight green dress.

"I thought that maybe you'd be able to keep up but I guess not" Evergreen replied back haughtily as she flew back to the ground, causing Elfman to glower.

"I can keep up! I'm a man!" Elfman exclaimed, Evergreen smirking as she turned around, beginning to walk once again. Elfman jogged and caught up with her, looking down at her from the corner of his eye.

"So you didn't answer me, what's the mission about and where is it?" He questioned. Evergreen pulled out the flyer from between her breasts before passing it to him for his own perusal.

"Bandits are running wild in Tulip huh? Sounds like a job for a real man" Elfman cheered, Evergreen shaking her head slightly.

"Whatever, we're almost there anyway" Evergreen replied, Elfman nodding. If he was correct, then Tulip was close enough to Magnolia that there were no trains running towards it considering most people decided to walk or hire a carriage. That and it was a relatively small town with not much to do or see apart from the small merchant guild that made it's home there.

"The master of the Ivory Tips merchant guild put out the request, it should be quick and easy" Evergreen informed, Elfman nodding.

"But it's so close to Magnolia, what are the chances of it being there?" Elfman asked, Evergreen shrugging in response.

"Very little, but it's a small enough town that it's secluded from the rest of the major cities, so I'm hoping we'll find something or the other" Evergreen replied, Elfman once again nodding.

Fifteen minutes later, the two reached the town of Tulip and reported to the merchant guild's master before starting their mission. Another ten minutes later and they found themselves in the midst of a battle between themselves and the bandits that were raiding the small town. Evergreen quickly immobilised half of their forces using her Stone Eyes and Fairy Machine Gun: Leprechaun spells, while Elfman made quick work of the rest of them with his Beast Arm: Jet Black Sword. Turning around to ensure all of them were defeated, Elfman's eyes widened as he called out to his partner.

"Behind you" Elfman roared, running after Evergreen in order to protect her. One of the bandits had managed to get back up and pull out a knife, making a beeline towards the brunette. However, before Elfman could reach her, Evergreen turned around and flew out of the way, narrowly dodging the attack. The knife however, managed to knick her dress causing her to scowl at the man.

"How dare you ruin my favourite dress?" Evergreen shrieked, promptly kicking the man away from her before attacking using her Fairy Bomb: Gremlin spell. Elfman watched in wonderment as the woman quickly defeated the man, sending him a final kick for daring to ruin her perfect fairy dress.

"What a woman" Elfman mumbled, completely awed by her power. Evergreen smirked in response, flicking her hair behind her haughtily before examining her nails as if defeating the bandit was mere child's play.

"I am a part of the Thunder Legion you know, I can hold my own in a fight. Now come on, we have to cash in the reward and see if we can find out anything about Draco's key" Evergreen ordered, Elfman following her hastily. He continued looking at her, his gaze full of wonder and amazement as she sauntered beside him, confidence exuded by her body language, almost as if she owned everything around them. He couldn't help but admire the woman besides him.


Two days later

"Oh my darling Gray, once again the fates have pulled us apart" Juvia cried, rain surrounding her as Lisanna and Freed followed her.

"It can't be that bad working with us can it Vi?" Lisanna questioned as she teased her friend.

"What of course not Lis! It's just… not as great as working with my love" Juvia replied, once again crying as Freed calmly walked behind the two girls.

"This team is certainly an oddity, however I don't recall Cana's cards ever predicting anything incorrectly. Besides, these were Master's orders" Freed cut in, Juvia only crying more as Lisanna sweatdropped.

"The only great thing about these teams is that Lucy isn't on a team with Gray either. Although… Erza is a dark horse… is she perhaps trying to steal my beloved from me?" Juvia questioned, remembering the job in which Erza and Gray had been on together as thoughts of Erza and Gray cuddling under the stars surrounded her head.

"Erza certainly would be a formidable opponent, more challenging than Lucy" Juvia muttered under her breath, wondering how she was going to fend off both Lucy and Erza's seductions towards her precious Gray.

"Could Erza have somehow influenced the cards so that she was purposely put on a team with Gray?" Juvia gasped, as she continued muttering to herself, Lisanna giggling at her friend's thought process.

"I doubt that is the case, it's hard to influence any divination considering how evident it would be that someone had tampered with the cards. Moreover Jellal and Frost are accompanying them too" Freed responded breaking Juvia out of her daydream.

"Are you trying to tell me… that Jellal and Frost are also vying for my beloved's attention?" Juvia screeched, Freed sighing in defeat as Lisanna guffawed loudly.

"I don't think so Vi, if anyone is competing for anyone's attention, it would be Jellal for Erza's" Lisanna snickered, remembering all of the gossip about Jellal and Erza from Happy. Freed shook his head in exasperation as they continued their journey.

"Oh Laxus please give me strength" Freed silently prayed, knowing he'd need every ounce of his patience to deal with the infatuated Rain Woman and the Take Over Mage, the latter who had no problem fuelling the former's crazy fantasies.


Meanwhile…

"Achoo" Gray sneezed, rubbing his nose.

"Could it be that the guild's resident Ice Dragon Slayer is coming down with a cold?" Erza quipped, her tone light and teasing as Gray shot her a glare.

"It's impossible for me to catch colds, being an Ice Dragon Slayer and all, you know that Erza" Gray replied.

"Well then, someone must obviously be talking about you" Erza shot back, Gray shrugging.

"It's probably Juvia" Frost butt in and Erza turned her gaze from the calico Exceed towards the blue haired slayer.

"Have you not made your feelings about her clear?" Erza questioned, knowing she advised him to do so at the Grand Magic Games, more than a year ago now.

"That's the thing! I have but she just didn't listen. I don't know what else to do" Gray said, defeat lacing his voice.

"Yeah! She's still crazy; I can't even sleep in peace anymore. She keeps crawling into our house at night" Frost said, pouting as he remembered all the times Juvia had broken into the house he shared with his Dragon Slayer.

"Sorry about that Frost, I know you're a light sleeper," Gray said sheepishly, Frost shrugging from his shoulder.

"You can't help having a psycho being in love with you" Frost replied, sulking slightly. Gray scratched his head, causing the Exceed to purr unintentionally.

"She's not a psycho, she is a valued member of our guild" Erza reprimanded, Frost saluting her in fear.

"Yes ma'am" He called out, staring at his offending paw in betrayal.

"How about you Erza? Any change with Jellal?" Gray asked, turning to face her, his back against the balcony railing. Erza let out a sad smile, moving to face the sky.

"We haven't had the chance. It's been busy you know?" Erza answered, holding onto her arm as she sighed. Just as Gray moved to reply, Jellal returned causing the Ice Dragon Slayer to turn to greet the newcomer.

"There are no more trains running from here to Matza Valley until tomorrow, so we'll have to stay in this hotel overnight. However, they only had two rooms left" Jellal stated and Gray, realising this was an opportunity to help out his friend, grabbed one of the keys from Jellal's hand before waving to the two, Frost flying after him.

"Me and Frost will take one of the rooms, you two can share the other" Gray said, grinning at both of them before winking at Erza, the latter blushing bright red.

"Wait Gray, surely it would be best for me and you to share… and he walked off," Jellal said, shoulders drooping in exasperation. He turned back to Erza, who was still frozen in place, her cheeks blending into her hair.

"So I guess we're sharing a room for the night" Jellal said before turning to lead them towards their room.

Erza quickly pulled herself together, trying to think off anything but sleeping next to the man she had been in love with for most of her life. She shifted her gaze from the floor to his back, losing herself in her own thoughts. She hadn't been lying when speaking to Gray. She had meant to speak to Jellal about their feelings for each other but they had been too busy since the end of the Grand Magic Games. It wasn't easy clearing Jellal's name with the Magic Council, especially since said Council were baying for Fairy Tail's blood.

It had been a long and arduous task clearing not only his name but Meredy and Ultear's too, even though they had no idea where the latter had disappeared off. It had taken a lot of convincing, letters from Princess Hisui, at Lucy's request, who was still trying to make amends for opening the Eclipse Gate and the King who was still fond of Fairy Tail, granting them the wish as an added reward for not only winning the Grand Magic Games but also helping stop the dragons as well as a lot of paperwork for Master Makarov to gain custody of Jellal and Meredy and Erza would eternally be grateful to the old man, for not only taking her in all those years ago but also the two who had somehow lost their way.

She had meant to speak to him after he gained his guild mark, however they were both then busy with jobs and their respective teams. It didn't help that Jellal had been given the status of an S Class mage in order to replace Mystogan, and that they had been called on S Class emergency jobs separately between then and now. Finally, when all the madness had calmed down, she had wanted to speak to him then only for them to be thrown into this war against the dragons. It seemed that no matter what, they just couldn't catch a break. Were they destined to be star-crossed lovers for the rest of their lives? Was she living the life of one of the heroines in the many trashy romance novels she read?

No, Erza couldn't believe that. She didn't believe in fate or destiny. She'd always held onto the belief that you crafted your own destiny, with your own decisions and actions. Nothing was set in stone. Besides, they were alone now, Gray had gifted her with this opportunity and she wasn't going to let it go to waste. Suddenly, Jellal came to a halt, forcing Erza out of her thoughts. She watched as he opened the door to their hotel room before following him inside. Erza gathered every ounce of courage she had, trying to prepare for the conversation. Is this what she wanted? Of course it was. She'd been waiting all her life.

"Jellal, we need to speak" Erza finally called out, the blue haired mage turning to her in question.

"Yes? About what" He asked, taking a seat on the sofa before beckoning her to join him. She accepted his invitation, sitting opposite with her arms crossed across her breastplate.

"About us" She finally replied, Jellal stiffening in response. His eyes widened slightly in shock before he pulled at his collar, trying to think of ways to get out of the conversation. Finding no excuse, he merely nodded, letting her lead the conversation.

"Is there an us?" She questioned, cocking her head to the side slightly.

"Erza you know I have a fiancée-" Jellal began, Erza shaking her head.

"You're lying" Erza said, her gaze steely as she watched him sigh.

"How long have you known?" He asked, shifting uncomfortably.

"I never believed it you know. You've always been a terrible liar," Erza said, letting out a small smile, Jellal chuckling at her words.

"You've always known me too well. I could never lie or keep anything a secret from you for very long could I?" He replied, Erza shaking her head in amusement before realising they were trying to have a serious question.

"Why did you pull away?" Erza asked, her voice laced with pain as she remembered their first kiss.

"It was wrong" Jellal mumbled and Erza stiffened, tears forming in her eye. Had she been wrong this entire time? Did Jellal not love her like she loved him? Had she been lying to herself this all this while? Did he not want to be with her?

"I didn't mean it like that! I just… I have caused so much pain; all the lives I've stolen, all the deaths I've caused. My sins are too far and too great to even count and no matter what I do; I will never be able to atone for them. No matter how many dark guilds I abolish, no matter how many followers of Zeref I purge, nothing I do will ever be enough to expiate for them, I will never find forgiveness for my actions. I have too many regrets in my life Erza, you deserve someone better than me" Jellal muttered, Erza shaking her head.

"You cannot still believe that! You have been forgiven! The Council has pardoned you. You've striven to make so many people's lives better and you've helped so many people. All those villages that could have been destroyed by dark guilds, all those people you've saved from Zeref's followers. Do they mean nothing to you? Why must you still focus on your past? Why can't you focus on the present and what you've done for everyone now? Where is your hope? You were supposed to walk in the light… with me" Erza argued before her voice quietened, whispering the last couple words, a tear rolling down her cheeks.

Jellal immediately moved to kneel in front of her, his heart gripping in sadness as he cradled her face in his hands, his thumb brushing her tears away. Erza couldn't believe she was crying, she'd always hated showing her weakness to other people; always dressed in armour she kept her heart locked away. However, she just couldn't bear to keep her walls up around Jellal, he knew too much about her; they'd been through too much together. He'd seen her cry far too many times in the Tower of Heaven for her to shield her tears or sorrow from him now. He'd always been her rock and support, even when he'd been imprisoned, somehow she'd always found strength in her thoughts and memories of him.

"Because despite all of that, I haven't been absolved of my greatest sin" Jellal murmured under his breath, staring deep into her chestnut eyes.

"Your greatest sin?" Erza questioned, unable to look away from his dark chocolate eyes.

"My greatest sin has always been and will always be all the pain and heartache I have caused you" Jellal mumbled and Erza's heart broke. Unable to take it anymore, she let out a quiet sob before throwing her arms around him, pulling him close to her and burying her face into the crook of his neck. Jellal's arms immediately found her waist as he pressed his lips to her temple, one of his hands moving to entangle deep into the scarlet hair he loved so very much. Despite himself, he couldn't help but feel nostalgic; he'd use to hold her just like this when they were in the Tower, after every single time she was punished.

"I forgive you. I forgave you a long time ago" Erza cried, her voice filled with raw emotion as she broke down for the first time since he was taken away by Lahar all those years ago.

"I know. But I haven't forgiven myself" Jellal replied, holding her closer to his body, in contempt of everything he couldn't help but notice how well she fit into the grooves of his body.

"You have to. Please, I can't… I don't want to lose you again. I need you so much" Erza confessed pulling away to stare into his eyes. She waited for his reply and knew she was being selfish. But hadn't she earned that? She'd suppressed her feelings for him for so long, buried them deep within her heart; locked away so no one knew for as long as she could remember. Surely she'd be allowed this small moment of selfishness? Jellal's heart soared at her words and he so desperately wanted to throw caution to the wind and be with her. Every bit of his being screamed for her, needed to be with her. But could he allow that? Could he really afford to be so selfish? She was so full of honour and light, his Scarlet Knight. Could he walk the path of light with her once again?

"Please" Erza pleaded, and as Jellal stared into her coffee eyes, he knew he'd made his decision. In fact, he'd made it long ago. As a promise to Ultear, that he would live on and fight to the fullest in honour of her sacrifice, that when the time came, he'd finally forgive himself. And as he gazed at Erza, Jellal knew that he would move the sun and the stars if it meant he could see her smile. There was no way he could refuse her.

He would do anything for her.

"I love you Erza Scarlet" Jellal finally declared causing Erza to let out another sob, this time one of happiness.

"I love you too Jellal" Erza sobbed and Jellal quickly swooped down and captured her lips with his own, his fingers once again intertwining in her soft scarlet tresses.


Three days later

"Iron Dragon's Club" Gajeel spelled, a his hand extending into a metal club before sending a punch towards the Sand Worms that they had been ordered to take out so they could procure some of their blood, a potent ingredient in many healing potions.

"Solid Script: Storm" Levy called, writing the word Storm in the air and summoning a strong gust of wind. Next to the two was Lily in his battle form, who was busy hacking and slashing at the Sand Worm.

"Damn, these things just don't know how to quit" Gajeel said, narrowly dodging one of their attacks before attacking with his Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Logs. He could feel the effects of fighting the gigantic worms; they were A Class monsters after all, his magic slowly draining. Suddenly, the word iron appeared in front of him, he sent Levy an appreciative smile before feasting on the meal in front of him.

"Cheers Shrimp" Gajeel thanked, and Levy turned to smile at him, distracted from the fight and giving the monster behind her an opportunity to land a hit, causing her to be sent flying.

"Ahhhhhh" Levy shrieked as she flew through the air and towards the monster's mouth.

"LEVY" Gajeel yelled, eyes wide.

"I've got her" Lily called, sprouting his wings and flying after her.

"Thanks Lily" Levy said as she landed in his bulky arms, Pantherlily smiling in response.

"Listen here yer overgrown caterpillar, yer gonna regret that" Gajeel said, glaring at the monsters in front of him. All of a sudden he was covered in shadows, his eyes glowing blue as the tendrils of darkness surrounded him.

"Iron Shadow Dragon's Roar" Gajeel bellowed and a vortex of shadows and shredded metal spiralled out of his mouth and towards the Sand Worms, the large, destructive blast finally killing the monsters.

"Are you okay Levy?" Lily questioned as he flew her down to the ground before popping back into his usual form.

"Yeah, thanks to you" Levy said, smiling in appreciation as she scratched him behind his ear.

"Let's get this blood and go," Gajeel said gruffly and Levy nodded quickly as she pulled out the containers from her bag, collecting the blood into the glass jars before capping them.


"Are you sure this is the right way?" Orga questioned, turning to his partners.

"Yeah yeah! Bacchus took me here on a job once" Cana slurred as she chugged her whiskey.

"Must you drink all of that? Surely it can not benefit your health in anyway," Rufus uttered, looking at the drunken brunette from the corner of his eye.

"What are you? My dad?" Cana quizzed, glaring at him as she put down the flask.

"Leave it Rufus, you know Fairy Tail's ladies are as stubborn as they get. Besides, she's barely had anything compared to what she usually has" Orga said, Cana giggling as she sent Orga an appreciative smile.

"Indeed, if my memory serves me correctly then she's only finished a bottle. However, I am not concerned about the amount she's consumed. I am more anxious about what will happen to us should something happen to her on this job due to her intoxication. Neither Fairy Tail, nor Quatro Cerberus will be very happy with us" Rufus expounded and Orga simply shrugged him off.

"Like I said, she's a Fairy and even their woman are far more stubborn and sturdy than any of the ladies we knew in Sabertooth" Orga insisted, Rufus finally accepting his friend's words.

"So what is this job anyway?" Cana questioned, Orga turning to her.

"It's a simple one, deliver the casket of Elderberry Wine to the Duke of Wisteria" Orga replied and Cana blanched.

"Ummmm… did you mean this casket?" Cana said sheepishly as she pointed to the already half empty bottles and Rufus and Orga's eyes bugged out of their skulls.

"Well… there goes that reward" Rufus sighed despondently, Cana laughing awkwardly.

"You should have known better than to take me on a job with booze" Cana hiccupped; the boys simply sweat dropped at her response.


"My my, this is an interesting development" Mira said cheerily as she entered the tent. There, on the floor besides the bed, tangled in the sheets were Sting and Yukino. The blonde was currently on top of the Celestial mage, his face in her breasts, his hands braced on the floor and their legs entwined.

"It's not what it looks like I swear!" Sting said as he desperately tried to disentangle himself from Yukino, only failing as his head once again fell down into her breasts.

"Sting get off me!" Yukino yelled; her face flushed bright red as she tried to push him off of her.

"That's it Sting! You can get any girl you want" Lector cheered, their embarrassment only growing.

"How did this happen?" Mira questioned, finally relenting and deciding to help Yukino.

"Yukino hadn't woken up yet so Sting tried waking her by scaring her. Yukino immediately woke up and attacked Sting because she thought she was in danger. They fell off the bed and then you walked in" Lector replied and as soon as they were untangled, the two shot as far away from each other as possible. Sting's arms crossed as he kept his gaze firmly on the wall, Yukino's face buried in her two hands as she tried to push down her mortification.

"How interesting. I can just imagine the babies. But before that, come on you two. Breakfast is ready" Mira proclaimed and Sting immediately perked up, rushing out of the tent as his nose caught whiff of Mira's cooking.

"Hells yeah! Mira's cooking is the best" Sting called out, Lector flying out besides him.

"Are you okay Yukino?" Mira questioned, smiling fondly at the white haired girl who reminded her too much off her younger sister.

"Y-y-y-y-yeah… let me just get ready for the day" Yukino fumbled, the blush finally receding. Mira simply giggled at the girl before nodding, leaving her alone to her own devices.

"I can't believe that just happened" Yukino mumbled to herself, her face flushing once again as she remembered Sting's warmth and the feel of his hot breath. She shook her head, slapping her cheeks, she banished the thoughts far from her mind, as she got dressed.


Three days later

"Sky Dragon's Roar"

"Lightning Dragon's Roar"

"Now babies! Baryon Formation"

The three spells hit the large wyvern full force, causing a large explosion as the two dragon roars spiralled together, crashing into one of the wings. The three were currently airborne, Bickslow flying on his dolls while Laxus and Wendy swapped Exceeds for the time being as Cora tried to get used to carrying a Slayer. The dust cleared, leaving the wyvern relatively unharmed. Laxus and Bickslow moved for another attack only for the wyvern's tail to crash into them, sending them flying a considerable amount away from the fight.

"Laxus! Bickslow" Wendy called, turning to make sure they were okay. However, Cora, who narrowly dodged the wyvern's tail, quickly pulled her to the side.

"I can't keep this up much longer" Cora said, while she was the oldest of the new Exceeds and had developed her wings further than both Daphne and Nyla, she was still inexperienced and the added weight was quickly wearing her down.

"I understand. I guess this is gonna be left to me. Laxus and Bickslow were thrown way too far" Wendy claimed, her eyes filled with determination as she stared at the angry beast.

"IT'S TOO STRONG, GET OUT OF THERE" Bickslow yelled.

"WAIT FOR US" Laxus bellowed, the two flying quickly to get back to the Sky Dragon Slayer.

"CHILD, LISTEN TO THEM. IT'S AN S CLASS MONSTER" Carla reprimanded, fighting through the exhaustion of carrying Laxus, the weight difference between Wendy and Laxus quickly catching up to her and draining both her magic and strength.

"I know Carla. But I'm a Dragon Slayer, just like Gajeel, just like Laxus and just like Natsu. I can do this!" Wendy declared and she quickly gathered the magic around her, letting the air around her fill her lungs. She formed a fast wind barrier in front of her with her arms out, the wyvern getting ready for its next attack. She waited until the wyvern was close enough before quickly moving her hands in an anticlockwise fashion, the barrier contracting inwards and towards the hulking monster.

"Dragon Slayer's Secret Art Shattering Light: Sky Drill" Wendy spelled, sending her magic hurtling towards the fast approaching wyvern. Her magic forced the wyvern back, sending him flying away from her. Wendy panted, however, before she could celebrate, the wyvern made one last-ditch effort to attack and clawed at Wendy. Cora tried to evade, but her magic ran out and her wings disappeared, sending the two towards the mouth of the wyvern; the beast snapped at her with its mouth, fully intent on ripping her to shreds.

"LIGHTNING DRAGON'S IRON FIST" Laxus roared, smashing his lightning coated fist into the winged monster's jaw when he got close enough, knocking it out.

"AHHH" Wendy screamed, holding tightly onto an exhausted Cora.

"I've got you" Carla said, quickly catching the drained Dragon Slayer. Wendy smiled at her white Exceed before passing out from overspending the magic.

"Honestly child, you've been spending far too much time with Natsu. But… I'm proud of you" Carla admonished tenderly, carrying the sleeping Dragon Slayer down to Bickslow. Laxus fell from the air, Bickslow's dolls catching him before he could impact onto the ground.

"Damn, Munchkin really did a number on that guy" Bickslow praised, taking the small girl from Carla's hands, Laxus nodding.

"It was an S Class monster and she beat it. She had help from us and I had to finish him off, but she's definitely got the makings of an S Class mage" Laxus said as he looked over Wendy, making sure she was fine.

"She just passed out from overexerting her magic, she'll be fine with some rest" Bickslow said, Laxus nodding once again.

"I'm sorry I dropped her Carla" Cora apologised, Carla simply shrugging it off.

"It's alright, I know you didn't mean to. It's not easy carrying them if you're not used to it" Carla replied, Cora smiling bright at the older Exceed.

"You did well Cora, you can rest now" Laxus said, picking up the cat and petting her before placing her on his shoulder. Cora purred into Laxus' shirt, nuzzling his skin before closing her eyes and falling asleep.


Lucy, Cobra and Rogue had been teamed up together, along with their Exceeds and they were currently walking through a dimly lit cave. Their employer had requested them to clear out the Mole Bandits that had made their home in the mountainside. The creatures were powerful, A Class monsters that were burrowing underground, towards the town of Foxglove, stealing food and valuable items from the townsfolk's homes. For most of it, Lucy wasn't sure what to do. The two Dragon Slayers were equally antisocial, Cobra would only spoke when spoken too and it was easy enough making small talk with Rogue but even then, he wasn't the greatest conversationalist. They'd spent most of their time over the past five days in silence even though Lucy tried her hardest to speak to the two.

"I can't believe you put her in that costume. That and the name Daphne? One of the most poisonous flowers known to man… boy do you want her to be a snake" Lucy teased as she looked at the green eyed Exceed.

"I didn't force her into it, she wanted the costume" Cobra replied completely ignoring the name of his Exceed because he had indeed named her after the poisonous flower, Daphne smiling from her seat on Cobra's right shoulder.

"Oh? Why's that" Lucy asked, the Exceed blushing brightly as she twiddled her paws.

"I found out Co likes snakes… so I wanted this costume so Co would like me" Daphne said, a blush on her face and Lucy's heart exploded from the cuteness.

"Oh my god, that's so precious" Lucy gushed, resisting the urge to squeeze the grey Exceed between her breasts.

"Please don't, you'll probably suffocate her with those jugs" Cobra commented, Lucy stuck her tongue out at him, Cobra rolling his indigo eye at her action.

"It's a very cute costume" Rogue commented, Cobra cocking his head slightly in a nod of thanks.

Lucy sweatdropped, somehow over the course of five days, Cobra and Rogue had formed the strangest most tentative friendship. So far, Cobra didn't care for most of his guild mates; in fact, Lucy had to hear the brunt of Jellal's indignant rant when Crime Sorcière had returned from their first job with Cobra as part of their team. It seemed that while Jellal could control and tolerate Cobra's snarky nature, he was driven mad by Cobra's stubbornness and argumentative traits. Apparently, Cobra would argue and question Jellal on everything, from why they were doing a certain thing to how much salt Jellal had used in their food. By the end of their job, Jellal was on his last nerve and had been oh so close to ripping out his hair. However, Lucy was eternally grateful that Cobra had been on his best behaviour on their job so far.

Cobra scoffed at her thoughts. It wasn't like he hated Jellal, in fact, the two had fought on the first day and Jellal had easily handed his ass back to him. Cobra may be able to hear souls, but that meant nothing when Jellal used his meteor spell against him. Cobra didn't even mind following Jellal, despite everything, he trusted him somewhat. He knew Jellal was trying to make up for his past actions and one of those transgressions had been how he'd treated the children in the Tower when he'd been possessed, Cobra being one of them. He knew Jellal wanted to make it up to him, to help Cobra 'walk the path of light' but all Cobra really wanted was his freedom, to listen to souls and free his friends. He'd already found Cubellios and for that he was eternally grateful. So yeah, Cobra trusted Jellal on some level, but that didn't mean he was going to kiss his ass. Oh no, Cobra enjoyed pissing off the blue haired cookie fanatic far too much to just stop being difficult. No, in fact, annoying the Heavenly Body mage had quickly become one of his favourite past times.

Rogue on the other hand, was a completely different story altogether. Out of all the Dragon Slayers, Cobra felt the most kinship towards the Shadow Dragon Slayer. They both had walked the path of darkness, Cobra through his past and Rogue in an alternate future. The alto sounds of gloomy cello strings partnered with the sombre tones of baritone saxophone notes filled his ears, the dark harmonies and thrumming played the most haunting melody Cobra'd ever heard. Every now and then the sax would chime in with a jarringly pleasant inflection, which signified his happiness, that was far too out of place in the melancholic tune. But it was hard to focus on the cheery notes when Rogue's soul was crying out so obviously.

No, Cobra knew, that Rogue was trying to make up for what his future self had done. However, it was unlike Laxus and Gajeel, who had walked the path of darkness only to return to the path of light when they'd found forgiveness. The two already had what Cobra and Rogue were looking for as they wandered through the bleak isolation deep within their own minds, a seclusion created as the by-product of their actions, whether they be past or future. Rogue, very much like Cobra, was looking for freedom. Freedom from the darkness that surrounded his heart and soul, the shadows that clouded his very being and no matter what, Cobra couldn't fault him for that. Not when he knew what that felt like. So Cottontail had been right, they had struck up an unlikely friendship, because the two were far too alike to not have found familiarity within each other. After all, they were kindred spirits.

"It's like Fro's! Except Fro's is a frog" Frosch piped in, cutting off Cobra's train of though as he flew over to the grey Exceed.

"Where did you get yours?" Nyla asked and Lucy smiled at how far her Exceed had come in just two weeks. Nyla could now form proper grammatical sentences and Lucy couldn't have been more proud of her, even if she still referred to herself in third person every now and then. According to Pantherlily, Exceeds grew at an increased rate from birth and she could see where he was coming from, Nyla was already slightly bigger than when they first met. She wasn't nearly as big as Happy or Cora, but she was getting there.

"Uhhh…" Rogue stuttered, Lucy's eyes widening slightly as Cobra began laughing quietly, his deep laugh sending shivers down her spine. She stared at the embarrassed Shadow Dragon in puzzlement, wondering why Cobra had seemingly lost his marbles. It was too bad she couldn't read souls like Cobra.

"Rogue makes them for Fro" Frosch said cutely and Rogue almost died as his secret was revealed. Lucy did a double take, blinking owlishly as she stared at the expert craftsmanship that was Frosch's costume.

"Wow… really? That's pretty good you know. When did you learn to sew?" Lucy asked, Rogue silently muttering to himself while Cobra wiped the non-existent tears from his eye.

"Skiadrum forced me to learn. He couldn't exactly go and buy clothes for me so I had to make them myself. He said it would come in handy when I was older. He'd make them himself but you know… dragons don't exactly have opposable thumbs," Rogue confessed, Lucy giggling as she imagined a large black dragon teaching a young Rogue how to craft clothing.

"That shits brilliant. Can't believe Daddy Dragon taught you to sew" Cobra said, Rogue shrugging it off. Before he could reply however, the walls around them began rumbling, Lucy accidentally falling into Cobra, who caught her easily as he braced himself against the wall.

"What the… What's happening?" Rogue asked, holding tightly onto Frosch as he steadied himself, stopping his body from falling over. Rogue and Lucy cringed at the sounds of falling rocks, the noise deafening their ears.

"Be careful. It's the moles, they're getting ready to attack" Cobra said, a whole slew of colliding colours and discordant instruments blaring into his ears, the high pitched noises causing him to cry out as he held onto his ears, trying to drown out the sounds.

"Cobra!" Lucy yelled in alarm as she watched Cobra double over in pain. She watched him hold onto his ears as he slid down the wall, sitting in a near foetal position. He must have been hearing not only the sounds of the rocks but also the sounds of the souls of the monsters they were supposed to beat and Lucy knew that Cobra's ears were a lot more sensitive than the normal Dragon Slayers. If the sound of stones and boulders falling was hurting her eardrums, what could it be doing to Cobra's? Without thinking about it, she threw herself at him, bringing his head between her breasts as she tried to muffle the sounds best as she could. Cobra stiffened slightly as he came into contact with Lucy's bountiful mounds before relaxing slightly. Truthfully, her breasts didn't muffle all that much, but even that small reprieve from the crashing rocks had alleviated the pain, even if it was the slightest bit. Besides, it wasn't like he was going to look a gift horse in the mouth, not when she smelled so good and her breasts felt like the softest pillows he'd ever felt.

"Lucy look out" Rogue yelled, watching as the cave ceiling suddenly gave way, the roof caving just above where Cobra and Lucy were. Cobra quickly pushed Lucy away, trying to get her to safety as he flung himself back. Lucy flew from the force of Cobra's push and managed to get out of the way just in the nick of time. The boulders smashed between them, effectively separating the three. Finally, the rumbling and shaking stopped causing the three Dragon Slayers to catch their breath and stabilise themselves.

"Lucy! Are you okay?" Rogue said finally, stepping over to the rubble as he called out to the blonde.

"Oi Cottontail, reply" Cobra called, he could hear the telltale sounds of harps and pianos but that didn't mean she was safe. He dreaded to think what would happen if something were to occur to her, her team would probably skin him alive before flaying him, using his pieces as bait for one of Salamander's and his Exceed's weekly fishing trips.

"I'm alright! Is Nyla with you?" Lucy called out after gathering her wits.

"Nyla's here" Nyla spoke out and Lucy's shoulders dropped with relief. At least everyone was safe.

"Is there any way to- oof," Lucy said before being cut off when something barrelled into her side, flinging her into the wall.

"Lucy? What's going on?" Rogue asked only to be met with the sounds of fighting and Lucy's muffled voice before the familiar smell of Aries and Taurus filled their noses.

"She's fighting the Mole Bandits. They're targeting her because she's weaker than us. They can smell how inexperienced she is" Cobra explained as they heard Lucy battled their enemy by herself.

"We have to help her," Rogue said, Cobra nodding at his fellow Slayer before his eyes widened slightly.

"They took out the Ram, she's only got the Cow left. Wait… she summoned the horse guy" Cobra said as he heard the souls around him, her spirits' minds set on protecting their caster from harm's way.

"Watch out Lucy" Aries called out, pushing Lucy out of the way as one of the Bandits flew at Lucy, his hand spinning like a drill, piercing through the Ram spirit, sending her back.

"Aries, no!" Lucy cried, worry and alarm lacing her voice as she reached out to her disappearing spirit.

"This isn't good, she's just summoned Gemini to turn into Magic Mike but that's gonna use way too much of her power and Cottontail's quickly running out of it" Cobra informed Rogue, the two quickly began pulling at the rocks, trying to bring down the wall separating them, but it was easier said than done. Rogue couldn't think straight; his only thought was to get to Lucy and save her. He wouldn't let any of his friends die or be hurt, not if he could help it. If only there was an opening between the rocks, he'd be able to get through using his Shadows.

"I'm sorry Miss Lucy" Sagittarius apologised as he too faded back to the Spirit World.

"LUCY YOU NEED TO FIND A WAY OUT" Came Gray's voice as Gemini tried to hold off the moles.

"Cobra, Rogue, Frosch, Daphne and Nyla are still trapped there! I can't just abandon them," Lucy cried out, refusing to leave her friends alone.

"We can hold our own! Get out of here" Cobra yelled but he knew it was in vain, Lucy was as stubborn as the rest of the Fairies.

"You have to get out Lucy, we'll find a way out" Rogue encouraged.

"Lucy you're magic is draining. Leave" Gemini, in the form of Gray advised.

"I can't! There's no way for me to go, they've caved in the way out anyway," Lucy argued as Cobra and Rogue frantically clawed and punched at the rocks in their way.

"USE YOUR DRAGON MAGIC" Rogue suggested only hearing Lucy's whimper.

"I CAN'T! I DON'T KNOW HOW AND EVEN IF I DID, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MAGIC LEFT" Lucy exclaimed, Cobra growling slightly.

"Your instincts! Focus on your fucking instincts! Dragon Slayer's have bigger containers than your average mage. You'll manage at least a couple of spells," Cobra barked, trying to coach Lucy through the wall, he could hear and feel the magic of her whip, growling slightly. The whip was just eating up unnecessary power, paired with the summoning four Golden Gates, this wasn't working out in her favour.

"I don't know how! NO GEMINI" Lucy yelled desperately as the monsters defeated her last spirit. Lucy's hands shook as they moved to her key pouch; she tried racking her brain to pinpoint which spirit she could still summon. Aquarius was a big no go and she didn't have enough magic to summon Virgo, Loke or Scorpio. It would have to be Cancer or Capricorn as they were more combat spirits rather than spirits who used magic power; Lucy just hoped this wouldn't kill her.

"Open, Gate of the Crab" Lucy said, pulling out the key and summoning her spirit. However, there was no reply and Lucy couldn't help but despair. She was completely drained, turning to the advancing Mole Bandits; Lucy cracked her quickly fading whip, trying to keep them at bay.

"Rogue, can't you use your Shadow form?" Frosch suggested, Rogue shaking his head.

"If I could, I would've. But there's no way for me to get through the cracks, even as a shadow. If we had a small opening then maybe," Rogue divulged.

"Well then, we just have to create that opening" Cobra said and coating his fist in poison, he punched the rocks as hard as he could. The slightest crack opened up and Rogue, grabbing the opportunity, took a hold of Cobra as well as the three Exceeds before turning into his Shadow form, slipping through the small fracture. Arriving on the other side, he quickly exited his Shadow mode, the two Dragon Slayers joining the fight as they watched one of the Mole Bandits finally grab onto Lucy.

"DON'T TOUCH HER" Rogue roared, gathering shadows into his mouth before he sent them spiralling towards the remaining Bandits as Cobra quickly coated his fists in poison once again, punching and kicking the monsters in front of him.

"Get Cottontail out of here, I'll finish these guys" Cobra suggested, Rogue hesitating slightly.

"I'll get out fine, just leave. The job was to clear out all of them and we don't have enough magic for that even between the two of us. I'm gonna let out a Dragon Roar through the tunnels and let the poison slowly kill them off. Now get out" Cobra ordered and Rogue nodded, he bent over to pick Lucy up, gathered the Exceeds and once again entered his Shadow form, quickly flying them out of the caves, before Cobra accidentally poisoned any one of them.

As soon as he could no longer hear their souls, Cobra gathered his most potent toxins into his mouth before releasing them out in a spiralling vortex that was his Dragon Roar towards the rubble Rogue had just disappeared through. Luckily, the force of his roar was enough to break the rocks and quickly covering his mouth, lest he breathe in his own poison, Cobra ran through the burrows, following the scent of fresh mountain air. Finally making his way out, he turned around roaring once again in order to both send some more poison through, but to also cave in the only opening of the mines, preventing any poison leaking through. Turning to his temporary partners, he rolled his eye at Lucy's mournful soul. She was angry for running out of power at the worst possible time once again but also because she had no idea how to use her Dragon Slayer magic. He walked up to her and placed his hand on her head, Lucy quickly freezing as she felt the warmth of the tan Dragon Slayer's hand.

"You did the best you could, now let's go" Cobra mumbled out gruffly, Lucy's eyes widening in surprise before she rubbed her eyes before nodding at him with a teary smile.


YES! THAT FINAL COLU MOMENT OK YES I AM VERY HAPPY. CoLu is seriously becoming one of my OTPs like it's already managed to replace LaLu and we all know how much I love that pairing. I've planned some future CoLu's too, I probably should finish all the stories I've already started but hey, the plot bunnies love running around.

For this story, I've also decided that while it's a Lucy-centric fic, it will very much also feature the other pairings and the rest of the pack making entrances and having their own POV. How did you feel about this chapter? I absolutely adored the Jerza moment and the job with Laxus, Bickslow and Wendy! I've just watched the Tartarus arc because I had decided to start watching FT from the very first episode and I just found myself more in love with the anime. Wendy has grown so much by the end of the Tartaros arc and I just needed to show that in this chapter. Anyway, this chapter also cements a few of the pack relationships as well as other relationships like my classic Jerza and Everman.

ANYWHOO I AM BABBLING. PLEASE FOLLOW, FAVOURITE AND LEAVE REVIEWS TELLING ME WHETHER YOU LOVED OR EVEN HATED THIS CHAPTER! I love reading them so much.