A/N: Hello everyone and welcome back!

First of all, I want to sincerely apologize for taking so long to update this story. Between college ending for the year, my exams (which I passed by the way) and working on other things (both writing wise and stuff in my life) I was a bit preoccupied before finally getting back to this story.

I want to thank all of you who patiently awaited an update for this story so I hope this chapter makes up for the wait. I think there are some of you out there who may enjoy this chapter in particular. There's a scene in this chapter that although not explicit or detailed…it should give you all an idea none the less.

Speaking of this chapter, if things seem a bit condensed plot wise or not exactly in line with the current manga arc, I have reasons for this. There's only so much I can put into once chapter and I have to take a little creative liberty with things. So if things seemed rushed or not in full detail, time and plot restrictions added to this.

So, last time we saw Natsu make a bombastic return after fighting off a new set of enemies sent by Zeref to retrieve Natsu. With the threat dealt with for the time being, Natsu has reunited with Lucy and Happy as they begin to reconnect after a year of being separated. We now join them in the aftermath of the Grand Magic Games…

And as usual, here is a shout out to you wonderful readers who left a review for the previous chapter:

Wacko12: Hey dude, welcome back! Natsu's curses are whatever I can think of along with enhanced versions of his already existing powers. I made this evident in the last chapter. Don't expect too much from me, I'm not going all out with some things like you are with your stories. As for the Enforcers, they'll show up in the next chapter just be patient please.

Grapes: Hello and welcome back! I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far and it's nice to hear that my writing style is so well liked.

Jbadillodavila: Hola y bienvenidos de nuevo ! Cómo te va? Me alegro de que haya disfrutado de la escena reuninon . Yo también hubiera gustado que había sucedido en el manga , pero por desgracia no fue así. Sin embargo , comunicaba con el camino las cosas van en la historia , no debe ser largo antes de que consigamos una escena así.

Sailor Pandabear: Hello and welcome back, glad you liked the chapter!

Eien ni Touko: Hello and welcome back, how are you doing? It was 3AM last time, what time is it now? I'm glad you liked the previous chapter. "Gend" for Good END's nickname…I'll have to think about that one. Yep, Natsu has some new powers to show off as there's more of that to come and truth be told, that isn't the last we've seen of the Hunters. And if you liked the reunion in the last chapter…you'll love what happens in this one.

Johnny Spectre: Hello and welcome back! So last chapter needed more melting clothes eh? Well in that case you may enjoy what comes next in this chapter.

Myami95: Hello and welcome to the story, how are you doing? I'm…I'm at a loss of words to your response; I'm flattered that you've enjoyed the story as much as you have! I wouldn't call this story a master piece (you're too kind). I'm glad to hear that you've enjoyed the story so far and thank you so much for the wonderful compliments, they mean the world to me. And, if you liked the reunion last time then you'll love what happens next.

HazelDragonNora: Hello and welcome back, how are doing!? As always it's nice to hear your input on the chapters and I'm glad you enjoyed all the things I added in the last chapter. Yep, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have Natsu find a magazine with Lucy in it. Good END is a part of Natsu so it's natural for him to have an interest in him. But he's also a good guy so that helps too. The reunion was fun to write and I think that if you liked it that much, you'll love what's to come. As for any other FT mages seeing Natsu and Lucy kiss…you'll have to read on to find out. Zeref, in this arc of the story is not dead. In this plotline, Lucy saved Natsu before he could kill Zeref. Thank you for your patience, enjoy the chapter!

Zivyx: Hello and welcome back! I assure you, Lucy will strut her stuff in the next chapter, just wait and see!

Winter Chase: Hello and welcome to the story! To answer your question, Natsu can change back to his "human" form at will but he prefers his new "battle" form if anything. He cannot use his old magic as it has been replaced by his new curses, however his old magic has in turn been enhanced by the curses. I'm glad you've enjoyed the story so far because there's plenty more to come!

sabrina-luna-potter: Hello and welcome back, glad you enjoyed the previous chapter!

Sara lovelymusic: Hello and welcome back! I had a lot of fun writing the previous chapter and this one; I just love to write in general! And I passed all my college classes and finished the year strong with a 3.5 GPA!

Guest: Hello and welcome to the story, sorry for making you cry! I…I just couldn't resist, the temptation to have Natsu do that was too tempting!

JokesOnYou: Hello and welcome to the story. Sorry man but when you have a death wish, you have a death wish. And in Zeref's case, he's set on dying…not the other way around.

JustTheFun: Hello welcome to the story. I can't tell if you are joking with me or not. But, for Natsu dying, this is not that kind of story. I can understand why you may have wanted that but this is not that type of story. I'm sure if you look elsewhere you can find a similar story more to your liking. Have a nice day.

OoohYes: Hello and welcome to the story! I take it from your response that you are enjoying things so far?

Fallout-boy97: Hello and welcome back! How are you doing? It's okay if you don't know what to say :) If that's the case, just say whatever is on your mind!

IceMageNinjaTalia: Hello once again my dear, how are you? Welcome to the story and welcome aboard the feel train. Sorry for making you cry once again; but if you enjoyed the last chapter, you'll enjoy this one even more.

So, now that that's taken care, let's continue with the story, shall we?

XXXX

Arc 2: Alternate END…

XXXX

CHAPTER 3: Reunited

XXXX

Then…

Elsewhere in Magnolia towards the end of Natsu's fight…

Mirajane Strauss hummed merrily to herself as she finished cleaning the mugs set before her and began to stack them onto the bar rack behind her. It was her last day on the job before she and Lisanna made their way back to Magnolia Town. Their bags were already packed and ready to go but their employer had asked the two sisters to help out one last time.

Mirajane's smile faltered slightly, as she thought back to the aforementioned letter. Although it had been a year, she missed everyone from Fairy Tail terribly and it panged her heart when she thought of Lucy…the poor girl must have been so lonely. Especially with Natsu having disappeared to parts unknown.

Mira sighed before her smile was rekindled on her face.

"No need to fret," Mira whispered to herself, "we'll all be home soon and we'll all get back together. Everything…everything will be just fine."

"Something wrong Mira-nee?" Lisanna asked as finished folding a set of napkins.

"No, I'm just over thinking that's all." Mira said, having finished her task.

"You ready to get going?"

"Yep," Lisanna said as she tied her hair back into two pigtails, "I'm ready when you are. How long do you think it will take to get back to Magnolia?"

"A few days at best but I'm sure the others are well on their way by now." Mirajane said.

"Do you think the others got Lucy's letters?" Lisanna asked.

"I don't think so, I know so." Mira said with a sweet smile, "Trust me little sis, we'll all be waiting for Lucy when she gets home."

"Right…" Lisanna said before lowering her eyes and frowning, "Do…do you think Natsu will show up? That he knows about everything?"

Mira smiled gently, left the bar and walked up to her sister; taking her into a gentle hug.

"I miss him too sweetie." Mirajane said, "But I'm sure in one way or another, Natsu will make his way back home. And I'm sure he and Lucy will be reunited."

"…You're right. I'm just worried about him that's all. I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't." Lisanna said, making her sister giggle.

Mirajane made to answer but suddenly froze, a shiver running up her spine.

"Mira-nee?" Lisanna asked, pulling back, "What's wrong."

Mirajane's pupil's had shrank visibly as a very…peculiar smile formed on her lips.

"My shipper senses are tingling," Mira whispered, "I feel as if something wonderful has happened-"

And in the blink of an eye, the mother hen of Fairy Tail had suddenly changed into her Satan Soul form, haphazardly pulling Lisanna into a tight embrace.

"-AND I MISSED IT!" Mira roared in frustration.

"M-Mira-nee!" Lisanna chocked out in panic, "You're crushing me!"

XXXX

Now…

With Natsu…

"I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see you again young man." King Fiore said to Natsu from his throne with his daughter Hisui and Chief Arcadios at his sides.

The fire mage turned demon stood before the King of Fiore at an attentive manner with his exposed hand on his hip. Natsu gave his trademark grin and a light bow of his head.

"Same here gramps," Natsu said, earning a few glares from the nearby guards, "I certainly was gone for a while wasn't I?"

"You gave us all quite a scare when you simply upped and disappeared like that." The King continued, "I even had Sir Arcadios dispatch a few of his men to go look for you to help ease the worry of your Guild…but they never found anything…and your Guild disbanded as I'm sure you already know".

"Yeah…I know," Natsu said, a melancholic look briefly appearing on his face before he smiled brightly, "but we won't stay like that forever. Just you wait, Fairy Tail will be back together in no time."

"Ah, getting ideas in your head now are you," the King, "thinking about bringing the old gang back together?"

Natsu's smile diminished as he averted his eyes to his boots, shaking his head as he did so.

"…No sir, I'm not. Now is not a good time for me to try and attempt something like that. There's some…"personal business" of mine that I have to see through until I can even start thinking about that."

"This personal business of yours," Arcadios said, "would it have anything to with what happened at the arena today?"

"Aye." Natsu said, looking up at the knight.

"What were those things?" Hisui asked, "I've never seen anything like them before."

"They were a hindrance that has been dealt with." Natsu said flatly.

"That's rather vague wouldn't you agree?" The King asked.

"They're my problem…so I'll handle them my way. Believe me when I say this, they're more interested in me than anything else. If they show up again…well, you saw what I did back at the games." Natsu said.

"Is there anything else you can tell us about the incident that happened in the arena today?" Arcadios said, retrieving a small bundle of papers from beside his chair.

"The statement you gave the guards has some rather large gaps in it concerning what you've been up to the last year and as to what really those creatures are."

"Like I told you," Natsu said, "I wanted to get stronger to protect the people I cared about so in order to do that, I had to leave Fiore. Once my training was completed, I came back here only have those monsters come after me. I don't know why they're doing this but I assure you, I'll kick their asses seven ways to Sunday if they ever show up again."

The Kings eyes moved to the dark marks on Natsu's right arm before looking back to the fire dragon slayer.

"Young man, you wouldn't be lying to us now would you?" The King said, lacing his hands together and narrowing his eyes inquisitively.

"…No sir." Natsu said.

"Are you sure?" The King enquired further.

"Yes…sir." Natsu said, his tone hardening only slightly and a defiant flint glowing in his eyes.

The two held each other's gazes for an unspoken minute before the King once again smiled in his jovial manner.

"Well then, I see no reason to doubt you then. It's obviously your business and you'll handle it of your own accord. Am I right you two?" The King said glancing to and from Hisui and Arcadios.

"Everything seems fine to me." Hisui said with a smile.

"If his majesty believes so…then who am I to doubt him." Arcadios said.

"With that being said, I am pleased to announce that you are free to go of your own accord. All charges pressed against you have been dropped and you are acquitted of any wrong doing." The King said.

"Acquitted, your majesty?" Said one of the nearby guards who had escorted Natsu to the King.

"As in released? Innocent? Free to go?"

"Yup; he's a free man!" The King said with a friendly grin, making Arcadios sigh while Hisui giggled.

"But sir, he caused a mass disturbance at the arena and damaged the structure itself. He interfered with the games and prevented the winning team from accepting their award." The guard continued.

"And then there were those monsters."

"Oh please, I could've mopped the floor with them if I had both my hands tied behind my back." Natsu muttered under his breathe.

"Why do I have a feeling that if we hadn't been interrupted, you would have done just that?" END said in the back on Natsu's mind.

Natsu simply snickered in response.

"A perfect case of self-defense. A little damage was to be expected given such a fight occurred." The King said.

"As for the rest...just chalk it up to youthful exuberance."

"Your majesty!?" The guard said in disbelief.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way." Natsu said, "I have someone special waiting outside for me and I want to catch up with her."

"Ah, Miss Heartfilia I would presume," The King said with a sly, playful grin, "Then by all means my boy, go get your girl. I'm sure you two have a lot to catch up on indeed."

"Thank you sir." Natsu said, with a bow of his head, "Your Majesty, Arcadios, Princess…"

Natsu gave another polite bow of his head and turned on his heel, leaving the way he'd came.

"He certainly is quite the character." Arcadios said.

"Of that we can both agree." The King replied.

"Should we be concerned about him hiding things from us?" Arcadios added only for the King to shake his head.

"Let him be Arcadios. The boy can be trusted. He gave us his word that he would handle whatever is bothering him and we should respect his decision." The King said.

"…As you wish then your majesty." Arcadios said with a small smile of his own.

XXXX

"AND DON'T COME BACK!" An irate guard hollered at Natsu, shaking his fist in anger as the castle gates were slammed shut.

Natsu simply grinned like that cat that caught the canary.

"Don't act so smug Natsu," END said, "we might not get lucky the next time something like this happens."

"I know, I know." Natsu thought back, "But that guard overreacted to the point where it was just too funny."

"Well, you did show everyone that you are now a one man killing machine." END quipped.

"…Point taken." Natsu thought.

His gaze then caught sight of Lucy and Happy who were waiting for him just a few paces down the road. Lucy and Happy waved their hands high, the latter doing so in a rather excited fashion, as Natsu returned the gesture.

When he was close enough, and without preamble, Lucy took a single stride forward and wrapped her arms around Natsu, drawing him in close and resting her head against his chest. Happy in turn quickly scampered up Natsu's leg and made his way onto the fire mages shoulder.

"I take it you were you were acquitted?" Lucy said as Natsu's hand cupped the small of her back while his other scratched Happy on his chin.

"Yep, I'm home free…for the time being anyways." Natsu said with a slight chuckle.

Lucy sighed gently angled her head up to look at Natsu. He'd gotten taller, she noticed. It wasn't a marginal difference but it was a noticeable one none the less.

And speaking of differences.

"Look at your hair, it's a mess." Lucy said as she moved her hand to fiddle with Natsu's pony tail while her other tucked a few loose strands of hair behind Natsu's ear.

"It's weird seeing it all long and pulled back like this."

"Not all of us can have long, silky flowing hair like you Luce," Natsu said with a grin, "besides, you know I look badass like this."

"If you say so," Lucy said with a playful roll of her eyes, "c'mon, let's head back to my place and I'll have Cancer give you a haircut. In fact, you can stay with me again, it'll be like old times."

Although she had tried to hide it, Natsu could hear the apprehension in Lucy's voice. He even Happy tense on his shoulder. They were afraid he'd up and leave…again.

"I'd like that…I'd like that a lot." Natsu said with a smile, kissing Lucy's forehead as he did so.

"Wonderful." Lucy whispered and rested her head against Natsu's chest once more. The two stood there together, simply holding each other for a few quiet minutes before Lucy took Natsu's hand and led them on their way.

As the two made their way through the streets of Crocus, Natsu noticed that Lucy was holding his hand a little tighter and was staying closer to his side as well. And he could practically hear her heart hammer in her chest. Frowning slightly, a guilty look crossed his features.

"If I had known things had gotten this bad…that she'd be alone…I never would have left her. To hell with the risks, I should've been there for her damn it!" Natsu thought.

"Natsu?" Lucy said, snapping him out of his stupor.

"Oh, hmmm?" Natsu said.

"You alright?" Lucy asked, "You spaced out there for a minute."

"Oh, sorry, just thinking." Natsu said.

"Thinking?" Lucy arched her brow, "Since when do you think things through?"

"I've had a year to practice and hey, I've found that it works out pretty well for me thank you very much." Natsu said, punctuating the last word by quickly tapping Lucy on the tip of her nose, making her giggle.

"What did you think about Natsu?" Happy asked, "Did you think about fish?"

"Heh, I thought about all kinds of things buddy; all kinds of things." Natsu said.

"I thought of you…of Lucy…everything that happened. I had a whole year to do so."

"A whole year…" Lucy thought sadly, "Natsu...there's so much I want to talk to you about; to tell you. But I'm not sure how to do that."

Biting her lip, Lucy casted a nervous glance to Natsu.

"You…you know about the Guild right? About everyone?" Lucy asked.

Natsu gave a solemn nod.

"Yeah…we're disbanded. I still can't believe it. I mean, for crying out loud, what the hell was the old man was thinking!?" Natsu said, his tone tensing.

"I don't know." Lucy answered, "Master Makarov made the announcement a few days after you left. It blindsided everyone. We really didn't know what to do…except to just go our separate ways."

Lucy frowned deeply and increased her hold on Natsu's hand.

"Then the Master disappeared to who knows where…and I've been doing my best to keep tabs on everyone else."

"I'm sorry Lucy," Natsu said, "I really am."

"…When did you hear about it all?" Lucy asked.

"I only found out about it a weeks later…I happened across a news stand and saw the articles about it." Natsu said.

"I…I nearly lost it when I saw the news you know. END really had to kick my ass to get me to calm down."

Lucy froze in her tracks, her grip on Natsu's hand became white knuckle tight. The sudden jerking stop caused Happy to fall from his perch with a yelp.

"W-What did you just say?" Lucy whispered while her skin visibly paled; the memories of the previous year flashing before here eyes.

"Lucy…" Natsu said only to pause when he saw the tears rapidly pooling in Lucy's eyes.

"Lucy…don't cry. It's okay," Natsu said as he pulled Lucy to him, ignoring the stares of the passing citizens, "I'm fine."

"No," Lucy choked, "it's not. I…I don't understand, I thought I stopped him and now you tell me he's still inside of you. Is…is that why you had to leave? Was it because of him?"

Natsu sighed heavily and used his thumbs to brush away Lucy's tears.

"It's true that I had to leave because of E.N.D…but it's complicated. In fact, it'd be better to wait to tell you until we got back to your place." Natsu said.

"But…I…" Lucy said only for Natsu to silence her with a chaste kiss.

"Trust me…please." Natsu said.

"…Was it my fault?" Lucy whispered and Natsu grabbed the spirt mage by her shoulders, instantly catching on to the meaning of her words.

"No!" Natsu hissed, "Never! Don't you even think like that Lucy! I promise you, you had nothing to do with what is wrong with me. I'll…I'll tell you everything when we get to your home okay?"

"Okay," Lucy said, her voice slightly choked, "okay."

Lucy wiped the tears from her eyes as Natsu gently wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, resuming their walk to Lucy's apartment.

"I've said this to myself many times Lucy," Natsu said, breaking the silence, "and now I'm telling you; if I could have, I would have asked you to come with me. But…things just went out of control too quickly for me to have asked you."

"…Was there anything I could have done to help you?" Lucy asked.

"Not particularly." END answered dryly.

"I don't know." Natsu spoke instead, sending a mental punch END's way.

"Yo Lucy, looking hot as always!" A voice called out followed by a cat call whistle.

"Hey Lucy, haven't seen you in the magazine in a while; mind striking a pose for us?!" Another voice called out.

The mages and once cat looked off to their left where a group of men were casting Lucy some very leering looks towards the young woman.

"Oh no, not those guys again." Lucy groaned as she hid her face in her palm; her face colored red in embarrassment.

"Perverts!" Happy called out, "Go bother someone else!"

But the men ignored Happy…much like had done in the past.

"Hey, who's that guy?" One of the men asked, "Looks like a total freak to me."

"Hey Lucy, why don't you ditch that dweeb and-"

The men's leering and cat calling was instantly silenced thanks to the death glare Natsu casted over his shoulder and hissed like an enraged crocodile. For extra emphasis, he made his eyes glow their fierce green.

The display of annoyance coupled with anger was enough to make the perv's squeak and scamper off in fright.

Lucy and Happy blinked in shock before looking to Natsu who smiled sheepishly.

"That's new." Lucy said with a chuckle.

"But it worked." Natsu added, "Besides, I can't have people talking like that to my Lucy now can I?"

Lucy only blushed in response but not avert her gaze from Natsu.

"Wow Natsu," Happy said in awe, "can you teach me how to do that?"

"I can try Happy but I don't know how well it'll work when you do it." Natsu said, making Happy pout slightly and Lucy giggle.

"Well, that's the price I pay for having been a model." Lucy said.

"I figured as much." Natsu said, making Lucy cock her head slightly in a curios manner. It was then that Natsu produced the magazine he had acquired all those months ago.

It took Lucy a minute to realize what Natsu was holding but when she did, she broke out into a furious blush while her eyes threatened to pop out their sockets.

"N-NATSU!" Lucy cried out in alarm, "W-WHERE IN THE WORLD DID YOU GET THAT!?"

"Look Lucy it's one of the old magazines you were in." Happy said, oblivious to the situation.

Natsu for his part was cackling like an idiot. Even in his mind, END was doing his best to suppress his laughter.

"I got this from a magazine stand in Hargeon Town," Natsu said, "it was shortly before I left to go training…elsewhere. I will admit Luce, some of the things you posed to in this magazine even had me hotter than a ghost pepper."

"Natsu…" Lucy said, once again burying her face into her hands. Only for Natsu to pull them away and make her look at him.

"That magazine got me through some tough days when I was training Luce. I wouldn't even read some of the stuff in there, I'd just look at your picture and think about you…doing that kept me sane; it kept me from losing control."

Lucy sighed softly before gently pulling Natsu into her embrace.

"Knowing that…I don't care about being embarrassed. I'd rather have you in one piece than care about how I looked in some magazine." Lucy said.

Natsu simply hummed softly in response.

With that matter settled, the trio were on their way once again. After walking a few more blocks, Natsu once again found himself back at Lucy's apartment.

"So…" END said frankly, "how are you going to tell her we were here already?"

"To be honest, I'm afraid to do so." Natsu thought, grimacing to himself while END let out an amused laugh.

"Well!" Lucy said brightly, "Here we are, home sweet home."

"Aye!" Happy added.

"Eheheheh," Natsu said as he began to rub the back of his neck, "uhm, yeah funny thing about being here."

Lucy raised a brow and crossed her arms while Happy's tail bobbed in a curios manner.

"What?" Lucy said, "Natsu, what aren't you telling me?"

"I…uhm…was already here." Natsu said with an embarrassed grin, "I snuck into your apartment before I went into the arena…I had to sniff you out to find this place."

"YOU WHAT!?" Lucy and Happy said in unison, making Natsu hold up his hands defensively.

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier!?" Lucy said, "Did you break anything!?"

"I was going to, but with everything that happened, I kind of forgot!" Natsu said, "And no, I didn't break anything!"

Lucy sighed heavily and pinched her brow.

"Look, I had no idea where you were so I followed my nose here. I picked the lock on the door, did some looking around and once I knew you were at the arena, I headed straight there." Natsu said.

"I even locked the door on my way out."

"Because I reminded you to do so." END said, but Natsu ignored him.

Lucy was still pinching her brow but smiled none the less. It was so like Natsu to do something like this. Even though he had changed drastically over the past year, it was comforting to know that some of his old, familiar habits hadn't changed.

"I mean," Natsu continued, "what else was I supposed to do? It was either find out where you lived or go to Sorcerer Magazine and threaten everyone with bodily harm until I was told where you were!"

"Natsu," Lucy said in a calming tone, "it's okay. I'm not mad at you. I'm…I'm just glad your back."

"Are you sure…I mean, I know you don't like it when I do this kind of stuff." Natsu replied.

"I'm sure…now come on. Let's get inside and we can catch up from there." Lucy said with her trademark smile.

"Right!" Natsu said with a grin.

XXXX

One of the first things Lucy did was summon Cancer to give Natsu a much needed haircut. As much as she simply loved seeing Natsu with longer hair, the Dragonslayer was more comfortable with keeping his hair in its usual short, spikey self. Although, the tips of his hair remained blackened, if not darker than they were before.

After that, Lucy let Natsu take a bath to clean himself up. While Natsu washed, Lucy set about washing Natsu's clothes. To her amazement, they were surprisingly clean with only a little soot and dirt gathered on them from the fight earlier in the afternoon. When asked about this, Natsu explained that END was a bit of a neat freak. He refused to let Natsu go more than a few days without washing or cleaning his clothes. Whenever a water source was available, Natsu would heat up the water and rinse and for his clothes, he simply manipulated his fire magic to burn away the grim and grit that had gathered on his clothes.

With his bath finished, and clothes washing, Natsu toweled off and used his magic to summon a pair of black cargo slacks to wear…minus a shirt, pants, cloak and boots which were being washed.

Lucy had just started to prep dinner-which would be stew and pot roast-when Natsu finished, so there was ample time to talk while everything was being prepped.

They sat across from each other in the living room, Natsu on an armchair while Lucy and Happy took the couch. The blue cat had fallen asleep, leaving the two mages to talk.

"I have to admit," Natsu said, glancing around the apartment, "this place isn't as big as your last one…but it's very comfy."

"Well, my rent got to the point where I couldn't pay it anymore." Lucy said, sipping her tea, "With the guild gone, I had no income source so Happy and I had to look elsewhere. Hence the job with the magazine. I get paid well enough for what I do and Jason and some friends of his at the Magazine actually helped me find this place."

"I'll have to thank Jason for taking care of you like that." Natsu said with a small smile, taking a dreg of his own drink.

"Yeah, Jason's a bit on the hyper side of things but he's a really nice guy." Lucy said, "He even tried to look for leads on everyone when he went to a couple of places on assignment."

"For the map in your room right?" Natsu asked, making Lucy double blink and become slack jawed in shock.

"I saw it Luce," Natsu continued, "the notes, the news clippings, the magazine articles. You have most of Fairy Tail pegged down to that map."

Lucy set her cup down on the coffee table before them and sighed heavily.

"I…I did that so I could make sure where everyone was. To know that they were alright, know what they were up to…and to make sure I could find them when the time comes to get the Guild back together." Lucy said.

"You think there's a chance of Fairy Tail reforming?" Natsu asked.

"Don't you?" Lucy quipped.

"…I believe there's always hope of that happening Luce. We're Fairy Tail…you can't keep us down that easily." Natsu replied with a grin.

Lucy smiled in turn; Natsu's grin was too infectious. But then her smile faltered as another thought crossed her mind.

"Natsu," Lucy said, her tone becoming somber, "I was able to find most of Fairy Tail…and I have a rough idea as to where everyone else is. But through all my searching…there was one person I couldn't find a trace of."

Natsu was silent as he slowly wrung his hands together.

"You." Lucy said and Natsu flinched when he heard the pain in her voice.

"Natsu, the King sent people out to look for you. Jason and his friends looked for you just to help me out. And I grabbed at every scrap of news or lead that I could find…but you were nowhere to be found."

Natsu didn't respond, he simply kept silent. Even as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

"After you left…the first few days after you left I mean, I…I was a real wreck. Levy and Gajeel were coming over to visit me when they found me on the street. I couldn't stop crying and it took me forever to calm down. I…I was heartbroken."

Natsu still didn't answer. He had closed his eyes in resignation and let Lucy continue. He was afraid of what would happen if he interrupted her.

"Nobody knew where you were. You had just vanished into thin air. You…you should have seen how angry Gray and Gajeel were with you; they even went off looking for you in hopes of trying catch up with you. Even Laxus spent some time looking around the area outside of town with the others. While that was going on, Levy, Erza, Mira and a few of the other girls stayed with me for a bit to make sure I was okay…to make sure I didn't do anything stupid."

Natsu opened his eyes then and looked Lucy straight in hers. Both their eyes reflected the same images of the pain and sorrow they both were feeling.

"But then…then the Master disbanded the Guild and as much as everyone wanted to look for you, they had to go. Eventually, Happy and I left Magnolia Town, found Jason and ended up here. But I never stopped searching for you Natsu. I never gave up hope that you were safe; that you were alright. Some nights I'd just lay awake and ask where you were, what you were doing and when I would see you. But my questions were never answered…until today."

Lucy sighed heavily and wiped away her tears before looking Natsu square in the eyes, holding his gaze.

"Natsu, please…just tell me; where were you? And why…why in god's name did you leave me behind?"

Several, unspoken minutes passed before Natsu rose from his seat and moved to Lucy, sitting by her side. He then took her hand into his…and let her turn it over while her other hand slowly traced the curse mark on his right arm. All the while, her eyes roamed his upper body, taking in the new features that she had not seen earlier.

The curse mark started at the tips of his knuckles and then smoothly and evenly ran up, wrapped and conformed to his forearm, bicep and shoulder in a flame, almost tribal like pattern. There were several new scars on his chest and abdomen while a particularly nasty looking one ran across his back. His eyes, which followed hers, had a slight, almost unnoticed glow to them. There was a hardness to them that hadn't been there before and Lucy suspected it was because someone-correction-something else was sharing Natsu's mind.

"You want to know why you couldn't find me." Natsu said, breaking the silence.

"It's because, I wasn't in Fiore. In fact I wasn't even on the continent at all."

Lucy quirked her brow in confusion. Did this mean he had gone to the islands to the southwest or two the far western continent itself?

"I…I went back to a place I thought I would never set foot on again." Natsu said, "Someplace where our lives were changed forever."

"Natsu…where did you go?" Lucy said.

It was then that Natsu took a hold of Lucy's hand in a gentle, yet firm grip.

"Tenrou Island." Natsu said, "I went back to Tenrou Island Lucy."

The breath left Lucy's lungs in a sharp, surprised gasp; the memories of eight years prior violently flashing before her mind's eye.

"T-Tenrou!?" Lucy said in alarm, "Y-You went…why would you…just…why!? Why on earthland would you ever go back there Natsu!?"

"…Because it's the one place where people would never think to look for me." Natsu said, "Because it's the one place where I could train and not worry about losing control of my powers."

Natsu, his right hand still in Lucy's, let his armor form on his arm up to his elbow. His fingers became dagger like but they did not cut Lucy's skin; only in anger would Natsu us his claw to bring harm.

"I went to Tenrou to learn how to control that." Natsu said, letting his arm revert to normal.

"Shortly after the fight with Tartarus, when we were all settling back down, I started having memories-nightmares actually- of my time as E.N.D. And even though you had gotten rid of his physical form Lucy, a part of him still remained in my head. He was trying to get back out, trying to drive me crazy."

Natsu paused before smiling slightly, his eyes looking elsewhere as if he were lost in memory.

"But END, the good half that fought to help you and the others, he had survived as well. And he promised to guide me…to help me regain control of from E.N.D. And so in order to do that, to make sure I didn't lose control, I had to go off on my own…until it was safe."

Lucy was silent as she let the information sink in. And then a thought crossed her mind.

"Wait, if you were on Tenrou, does that mean something happened to make you leave the mainland?"

"…Aye." Natsu said with a sad nod of his head, "We originally went to the mountains to begin our training. And for the first few weeks, END and I had made progress in learning to control my new powers. But then I learned of Fairy Tail disbanding and…well…I freaked out and lost control."

Natsu's shoulders were visibly tense and his eyes were wide in fear at the memory. Only when Lucy comfortingly rubbed her thumb over his hand did Natsu calm down.

"You know how I said END had kicked my ass to calm me down?" Natsu said, receiving a nod from Lucy, "Well, I went off on a rampage on a mountainside. END managed to summon enough power to manifest some sort of "real form" and he just laid into me. I don't remember much but apparently, END had to repeatedly punch my lights out to stop from E.N.D from awakening.

"Once I had awoken and had calmed down, then I saw how much damage I had done…I had caused a landslide and portion of the forest was burnt to a crisp. It was then that I realized what would have happened had I lost it around a people…had I been in a town or a city. I never would have forgiven myself had something like that happened. So after some talking and END probing my memories, we both agreed that the best place to train from here on out we would train on Tenrou Island. It was far enough away and out of place that no one would know I was there."

The two were quiet for a while before Lucy spoke again.

"Natsu, what happened on the island? Didn't it bother you to go back there?" Lucy asked.

"…No." Natsu said with a smile, "It was weird to be perfectly honest but then again, END and I weren't totally alone out there."

XXXX

1 Year Earlier…

Tenrou Island; 2 weeks after leaving Fiore…

With an explosive, pained gasp, Natsu collapsed to the ground, both hands clutching his chest and coughing up blood violently.

"Get up Natsu," END said, "I only shattered your rib cage. You're stronger than that so stop your coughing, heal yourself and get back on your feet."

The demon had manifested himself before Natsu in manner similar to how he had appeared to him on that fateful day months ago; the day that Natsu learned that E.N.D hadn't truly died.

Currently, the demon and the fire mage were engaged in one of their usual training sessions. However, they were no longer in Fiore. They were on an island Natsu thought he would never return to; Tenrou Island. The island where a war had been fought between two Guilds and where the dark dragon Acnologia had attempted to annihilate Fairy Tail eight years ago.

The training END was putting Natsu through was admittedly, even by the fire mages standards, some of the most grueling training he had ever undertaken. Day in and day out, END worked Natsu to the bone starting with strength training, physical conditioning, sparring, before another set of sparring. Adding in time for meals and rest, upon which Natsu was lucky to catch five to seven hours of sleep, the days were passing quickly.

And then there was magic and curse control. Since the curse had been awoken within him, Natsu had to relearn all the magic he already knew in conjunction with his new curse powers and other abilities. It was draining and arduous to say the least.

But with each hit, each spell and each new day, Natsu could feel himself getting stronger. He could feel E.N.D's influence fading with each passing day as the bond between him and END was strengthened.

"C'mon Natsu, up and at 'em." END said.

Natsu coughed again as he focused his power on healing his ribs and soon after the bones were stitched and popped back together, Natsu was back on his feet.

"Is that…is that the best you can do?" Natsu rasped before taking an offensive stance.

"You tell me?" END said, "I just broke your ribs and shattered your spine earlier."

"If that's all you've done then I'm just getting fired up!" Natsu said as he bolted forward towards END.

Natsu threw a sharp, straight punch which END quickly ducked beneath and caught Natsu's arm over his shoulder before delivering a cross punch that nailed Natsu in the jaw. Letting of Natsu, END quickly pivoted on his foot and delivered a spinning round house kick to Natsu's abdomen, sending him flying into a nearby rock cluster.

Just as quickly, Natsu vaulted out of the rubble to leap high into the air before bringing his fist back and smashing it down into the ground where END stood. When the dust settled-to Natsu's surprise-END was not only still standing but had caught Natsu's fist in his palm.

"Time and time again I tell you Natsu, you can't take me on with brute force alone." Before Natsu could react, END yanked the fire made down and hit him with a horizontal elbow strike.

Rather than let Natsu fly back, END pulled Natsu back and delivered a straight knee strike to Natsu's abdomen. END let Natsu drop to the ground where he lay, clutching his stomach.

"There's still much for you to learn Natsu," END said, "but for now, heal up and go find yourself some dinner. We're done for today."

"N-No." Natsu said, pushing up on his hands and knees, "I can still fight! Let me fight!"

"No Natsu," END said, wrapping his wings around his shoulder like a cape, "enough is enough. Find something to eat and rest up. We'll continue later."

END's tone left no room for argument. With an agitated grunt, Natsu pushed up off the ground and sauntered off, uttering a series of choice words under his breathe.

END, still in his astral form, watched the young man walk off before he directed his gaze to the nearby sea. The training area was a flat, rocky area that ended with steep cliffs at the edge. The water glowed brightly against the slowly setting sun and END walked up to the very edge of the cliffs to continue watching the sunset. In another life, he would have paid no mind to such a simple joy the world offered…but now, he intended to savor such little things while he could.

For he knew someday soon, he and Natsu would have to face Zeref again. And that only one of them would be making it out alive in the end.

"Then again," END mused to himself, crossing his arms, "you wouldn't have it any other way would you…brother."

"Are you ever going to tell him that little secret?" A voice said from behind. But END wasn't surprised, he had sensed her presence since he and Natsu had arrived on the island.

"That you and Zeref are brothers I mean?"

"I remember you…" END said as he turned around, "you were there with Fairy Tail, guiding them against Tartarus. A ghost only they can see."

"Now I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a ghost." A petite young girl with long and glowing blonde hair and vibrant green eyes said.

"Who are you?" END asked.

"My name is Mavis. Mavis Vermillion. Founder of Fairy Tail and its former first master." Mavis said with a bow of courtesy.

"Etherious Natsu Dragneel." END replied, "END for short."

"I know. You certainly made a mess of things back on the mainland." Mavis said, "But most of all you're quite the heartbreaker…taking him away from her like that."

"How do you know that?" END asked.

"I am bonded to all who bare the crest of Fairy Tail. The bonds formed at that guild transcend not only life but death as well...now, explain to me why you took Natsu away from Lucy."

"It needed to be done. If I didn't do something my other half would have torn him apart along with all who got close to him. She would have been one of the first to die." END said.

"I half to make him stronger so that he can be ready for when the end comes."

"Are you so sure you can prepare him for such a thing?" Mavis asked, "A final fight between brothers. You and I both know that this is going to end with the three of you dying."

"It won't…" END said, "Zeref is my brother and I will handle him on my own. Natsu is merely a part of me that developed on its own. He has the right to live while I…I am long overdue to return to death embrace."

"Are you going to tell him any of that?" Mavis said.

"When the time is right I will." END replied coolly.

"Liar." Mavis stated sharply, "Don't you dare try lying to me."

"So what if I am. It's my lie to tell; same goes for the truth." END said.

Mavis drew her lips into a thin line as she scrutinized END.

"Tell me…do you honestly have Natsu's best interests in mind." Mavis said.

"I do." END replied without hesitation, "Him and I are one. But we are different at the same time. He has a destiny all unto his own…while mine has been set in stone. But for the time being…I intend to do all that I can to look out for him."

A heartbeat passed.

And then another.

"Very well END," Mavis said with a gentle smile, "I believe you…and leave Natsu in your care."

"Thank you."

"Hey END!" Natsu called out, appearing from the nearby tree line with a cooked fish on a skewer, "Who're you talking too?"

As Natsu drew closer, his eyes lit up as a smile formed on his face.

"No way!" Natsu said in surprise and glee, "First Master is that you!?"

"Hello Natsu," Mavis said with a soft smile, "it's good to see you again."

XXXX

Now…

"Wow…," Lucy said, "that's right, I forgot that the First Master was buried on that island. And she helped train you too?"

"Not really, she just watched me for the most part and gave me some pointers here and there. END was the one who did all the work getting my ass into shape." Natsu said.

"You're damn right I did!" END said but Natsu ignored him…again.

"Thought, he never did tell me what he and the First were talking about." Natsu added as an afterthought, "Ah, probably nothing."

"Yeah, if it was important, I'm sure he would have told you." Lucy added with a smile.

Natsu expected END to make a reply but oddly enough, he kept silent. He was brought out of his thoughts when Lucy squeezed his hand.

"All my training has finally paid off…E.N.D has no hold over me anymore and I've gotten my powers under control." Natsu said.

"Natsu…I'm just happy that you're back. To see that you're okay. I thought you had left me and Happy behind because it was something we did…but now, I know you were just trying to protect us. And I'm grateful for that…I really am." Lucy added.

"Lucy, I'd go to hell and back for you if it meant keeping you safe." Natsu said, bringing Lucy's hand to his lips and gently kissing the knuckles, making Lucy blush but smile none the less.

The chiming of the dinner bells broke their revere and awoke Happy.

"Oh!" Lucy said in surprise, "It's that time already, I'd better get that lest we have burnt food for dinner."

"Anything would be better compared to the stuff I had to live off of for a year." Natsu said drly, making Lucy giggle.

Together, the set the table and spent the remainder of the evening catching up on a years' worth of lost time. Natsu talked about his training and his time spent on the island while Lucy and Happy regaled Natsu with the many stories and events they had covered for the magazine. Lucy also told Natsu that aside from her search for him and the other Fairy Tail mages and her time with the magazine, she had spent some considerable time with her Celestial Spirits by training on her own. Hearing that made Natsu eager to so how far Lucy had come along since the previous year.

Eventually, the hour became late and Natsu realized how tired he was from the day's events. After helping Lucy clean up the dishes, Natsu looked around for a blanket and pillows for the couch.

"What are you doing?" Lucy asked.

"What does it look like?" Natsu retorted, blanket in hand, "Crashing on the couch, what else?"

"Oh…" Lucy said and averted her eyes…as a blush spread across her face.

"What is it?" Natsu asked.

"I…uhm…I was wondering if you would come to bed with me." Lucy whispered, not meeting Natsu's gaze.

"You know…like we used to sleep."

Natsu's eyes were wide yet he was silent. Both of them were. Slowly closing his agape mouth, Natsu looked at the blanket in his hands, then the couch and then Lucy. He smiled then and nodded his head.

"…Of course." Natsu replied softly as he draped the blanket over Happy who was fast asleep on the couch.

The two were quiet as Lucy switched off the lights to the apartment and after getting ready for bed herself, did the same for her room after changing into her panties and an oversized tee shirt while Natsu simply summoned a pair of black boxer shorts. In the dark of the room, Lucy noticed that Natsu's eyes glowed a pale green in the darkness while the starlight outside provided some illumination. Taking Lucy's hand, Natsu guided her to the bed amidst the clutter of her room and soon enough, the two were settled beneath the covers.

"Your eyes are glowing," Lucy said, settling in to Natsu, "does that mean you can see in the dark now."

"Mhmm." Natsu replied, his arm wrapped around Lucy's shoulder and holding her close.

"END says because of my new powers, my already heightened senses have gotten an overhaul."

"What can you see?" Lucy asked.

"Everything." Natsu replied, his eyes moving to look out the window. Despite the lights of the city, he could still see the seemingly limitless amount of stars that filled the sky.

The two mages were quiet, simply enjoying each other's company.

Natsu felt his body relax as he listened to the gentle rhythm of Lucy's breathing while her heat pounded softly against his chest.

"When I was on the island, there would sometimes be nights like this…no light…no moon…just the stars to light everything up." Natsu said.

"Sometimes, END would let me sit there and watch the stars…there were so many…too many to count…and the light they provided was unreal. And I'd just sit there until the sun rose…and I'd wish you could have been there with me. I also thought of where you were, what you were doing, if you were alright; stuff like that. The stars…they reminded me of you."

"…I missed you." Lucy whispered as she clung to Natsu even tighter, "I missed you so much."

"I know." Natsu whispered, regret in his voice.

"I cried myself to sleep more times than I cared to count, I was so worried about you. I didn't know if I'd ever see you again." Lucy croaked and Natsu could smell the tears brimming in her eyes.

"But I'm here now Lucy." Natsu said, "I'm here and we're together again."

"But for how long?" Lucy replied.

Natsu froze at the comment and he closed he closed his eyes tightly. Her words were worse than any physical blow he had ever received.

It was a while before he spoke again.

"I promise you Lucy, I'm not leaving you the way I did last time. I'm never doing that to you again." Natsu said, his tone soft but resolute.

"But is that a promise you can keep?" Lucy asked.

Before Natsu could reply, she rolled onto her side effectively ending the conversation. Natsu could only sigh heavily in reply.

XXXX

The hours slowly passed by.

Natsu had yet to fall asleep as he silently kept his eyes focused on the outside world while listening to the steady beat of Lucy's breathing.

"God I really screwed that up." Natsu mentally berated himself.

"Can you blame her?" END replied, "You know what she wants after all."

"I'm not putting her in harm's way END." Natsu said.

"She's a strong woman, she can handle herself."

"Not against what we fight." END mentally snapped.

"No one says she has to fight against Zeref and his demons. But even I can see that you to value each other immensely. Why do you deny yourself the happiness you deserve?"

"It's not that simple END…" Natsu gritted his teeth, "I…I nearly lost her last year…I had to leave her behind…and now, I don't even want to think about what would happen if I put her in harm's way again or did something to break her heart."

Natsu bit his lip.

"I can't lose her! I just can't!"

"…Natsu," END said, "I promise you, I will not let that happen; to either of you."

"What do you mean?" Natsu said.

"…When the time comes…you'll understand. But for now, don't worry about it. Oh…she's awake too by the way."

As if on cue, Lucy slowly rolled back to facing Natsu before shifting her weight so that she lay atop him; straddling him. It took Natsu a second to realize that Lucy hadn't been asleep at all; she had laid awake just as he had.

Before Natsu could speak, Lucy's hands moved to gently cup his face as she raised herself so that she was looking Natsu in the eyes; her long, loose hair framing his head like a set of silken curtains.

"Lucy…" Natsu whispered, his eyes wide in awe.

It was then that as Lucy's thumbs gently brushed his cheeks did Lucy dip down and press her lips to his in a deep, passionate lip lock.

A startled grunt escaped Natsu's throat but he made no move to push Lucy away as his hands moved to hold her waist. When their lips parted, Lucy rested her forehead against Natsu's; starring deeply into his eyes.

"Lucy…" Natsu said again only for Lucy to reconnect their lips. She let her hands roam over his chest while she further deepened the kiss; this time bringing her tongue into the mix.

It was a sensory overload for Natsu and he found his mind begin to go blank as he felt Lucy's skin become heated while her heart hammered in her chest. Natsu found his own hands moving up and down Lucy's back, making her groan into the kiss and pushing Natsu further over the edge.

With a gasp, she pulled back, her face a deep shade of red that even Natsu could see.

"Natsu…" Lucy whispered heatedly, "Natsu."

And then in a single, smooth movement, Lucy grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it up and over her head, tossing it aside and leaving her chest and torso bare for Natsu to see.

"L-Lucy!" Natsu stammered in shock, "What…what are you doing!?"

"Natsu…I…I want you to make love to me." Lucy said.

"Lucy…" Natsu said in shock.

"Please...I want you to be my first…I've wanted you to be my first for a long time now." Lucy said as she took Natsu's hands into hers.

"Wait…Wait, Lucy think about this!" Natsu began to protest but was cut off by the sheer determination Lucy held in her eyes.

"I have thought of this Natsu…I've had a whole year to do so. I want this…I need this…I want you Natsu…I…I need you."

"Lucy." Natsu said again.

A torrent of emotions played out in Lucy's eyes and Natsu found himself trying to discern what he saw.

She was nervous.

She was apprehensive.

She was determined.

But most of all, Natsu could see the unconditional love that burned in her eyes. Eyes that were solely focused on him. And judging from the way she held his gaze, Natsu was positive he wore a similar look on his face.

And…a part of his mind, the rational part, told him to resist; that they were both emotionally stressed from the day's events. But the more dominant part, the animal part that had always driven Natsu, told him to give in and allow him and the woman he loved to embrace and share some god damn happiness for once.

It was then that Natsu realized why he wasn't a panicking mess right about now. He wanted Lucy as much as she wanted him.

He wanted her…he needed her.

He wanted this…they both wanted this. They both wanted each other.

It was a split second decision but it was Natsu's decision none the less.

Without preamble, Natsu pulled Lucy back down to him and mashed his lips to hers. It took Lucy just as quickly to realize that Natsu had given her an answer and without hesitation, she gave into the sensations of Natsu's hands ghosting over her body as she in turn returned the favor.

The bedroom became filled with heated gasps and needy pants. And soon enough, the reminding barriers that kept the two mages from each other were removed and Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia began to make love for the first time; a year's worth of pain and loneliness seamlessly being ebbed away by the love and passion the two felt for one another.

"Yeah…uhm…I'll…I'll just give you two some privacy and…yeah…" END said at the back of Natsu's mind as he let his presence recede further back…

…And an hour and half later, Natsu and Lucy lay in a tangled heap of limbs and bed sheets. From the nearby wall and from the floor, two smoking holes were burned into the wood and plaster; courtesy of Natsu's scattergun when the neighbors had begun to pound on the barriers to get two lovebirds to quiet down. The weapon's blast was enough to ensure that Natsu and Lucy's coupling remained uninterrupted.

Also of note, Happy was still asleep outside. Considering all the noise that had been made it was a damn miracle that the teasing blue cat hadn't said or done anything.

Which was fine by both Natsu and Lucy.

They held each other close, basking in the afterglow while the heavy sheens of sweat that glistened on their bodies began to cool. They stared at one another, their eyes half lidded but with content smiles on their lips.

"I…I didn't realize how much I needed that." Lucy said, making Natsu chuckle.

"You and me both." Natsu replied, "I'm am curious as to how you learned to do that one thing with your tongue however."

"Pervert." Lucy said, tapping Natsu on the nose.

"…There's no turning back from this is there?" Natsu said as she thoughtfully starred at the ceiling, making Lucy nod in response.

"No." Lucy replied, listening to slowly calming beat of Natsu's heart.

"Do you regret it?" She asked.

"…If you're asking me if I regret loving you…then my answer is absolutely not. I love you Lucy and nothing will ever change that. What we just did was something we both needed…what we both wanted." Natsu replied, making Lucy smile.

"I'm glad to hear that, I really am." Lucy said, tracing her finger in a circular motion against Natsu's chest.

A moment of silence passed.

"You'll be leaving again won't you? In the morning?" Lucy asked, her tone disheartened.

"Aye," Natsu replied dismally, "I have no idea if any more Hunters are out there…and who knows what else Zeref is cooking up. I need to leave before any more trouble starts. I don't want you or anyone to get hurt and-"

"Take me with you." Lucy cut in.

"What?" Natsu replied.

"Take. Me. With you." Lucy said evenly, shifting so that she and Natsu were eye to eye.

"Lucy-" Natsu began but was cut off again.

"No Natsu, listen to me!" Lucy said, "Please…just…just let me help you this time! Let me be there for you! You've always supported me, you've always protected me; let me return the favor for all that you've done!"

"But I don't want you to get hurt!" Natsu said, "I don't want to lose you; not again!"

"Natsu," Lucy said, cupping his face again, "I understand that. But what about me? I don't want something happening to you either; I don't want to lose you too!"

The two were quiet as they held each other's gazes once again.

"Natsu…I've gotten stronger this past year. Let me show you that I can help you, that I can stand by your side and fight with you. That we can stand together like we once did…and face whatever comes…together." Lucy pleaded, gently.

Natsu was silent as he ran his hand through her long, golden strands.

"There's no convincing you otherwise is there?" Natsu asked.

Lucy simply shook her head.

"Then promise me…promise me that you will never leave my side. No matter what happens, we stay together."

"Do you even need to ask?" Lucy said with a cheeky grin.

Her response was a kiss from Natsu. When he pulled back, he let Lucy rest her head under his chin.

"If we do this, you need to know that I won't be looking for a way to get the Guild back together. I'm still…I'm still need to settle my own problems before we can worry about that."

He could feel Lucy frown against his skin.

"But…I could use a new destination to head off to." Natsu said, with a smile, "Know any good places?"

Lucy smiled in turn.

"I think I know a place." Lucy said.

"Then tomorrow…let's start our new adventure." Natsu said, "Together."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Lucy replied as she and Natsu kissed one more time…before drifting off to sleep.

XXXX

Three days later…

Tuu Village…

Hand in hand, Natsu and Lucy took a look at the village they had just entered.

Days before, Lucy had packed her bags and had left with Natsu for the next leg of his journey. She had left a note for Jason which thanked him for all that he'd done for her while detailing her reasons for leaving. She wasn't worried about Jason being upset with her…he was an easy going guy and he knew she'd be safe with Natsu.

Now, they stood in Tuu Village, looking for a place to spend the night.

"What's wrong Natsu?" Happy asked, noting the blank look Natsu wore on his face.

Following his friends gaze, Happy saw that Natsu was staring at a clock tower. A very familiar clock tower.

"Hey Natsu!" Happy said brightly, "Look, it's the clock tower you broke from all those years back!"

"Yeah, looks like they fixed it." Natsu replied.

"Aye, but now there's this weird brick and concrete border on it from when they fixed it." Happy replied.

Natsu was quiet for a moment.

"In that case, maybe I should break it again so they can fix it properly." Natsu said.

"Put one scratch on that thing and I'll break your legs from the inside out." END said in an even but warning tone.

"On second thought, never mind!" Natsu answered quickly, "Gah, I just need to cut loose and fight someone! I have all this pent up energy from training that I just need to get rid of!"

He then turned to Lucy with a sly grin.

"Hey Luce, want to go around or two?" Natsu said.

"Depends on what you mean." Lucy answered in her own sly manner, "Sparring or something more…intimate?"

Natsu made to reply but paused when his body froze and his eyes focused on something off in the distance; something only he could see.

"END, did you hear that?" Natsu said to himself as he quickly summoned a ball of fire in his hand.

"Yeah, but they're a ways out." END replied, "Think you can make the shot?"

Natsu's response was to duck low and fire off two quick bursts of flame…that went right between Lucy's legs and off into the distance. Lucy let out a surprised squeak in response.

After a moment of silence, a slight presence made itself known at the back of Natsu's mind, making him grin.

"Bullseye." END said, "And to top it off, the old man is okay and the bandits are unconscious."

"And here you doubted me." Natsu said with a grin.

"Natsu," Lucy said, "what was that all about?"

"Ah, it's nothing don't worry." Natsu replied, "So, after we rest up here, where are we going next?"

Lucy blinked her shock away before pointing out the desired direction.

"Margaret City." Lucy said, "It's the home to Lamia Scale."

"Lyon and Jura's guild?" Natsu asked, receiving a nod from Lucy, "Why, what's there?"

"Not "what" Natsu," Lucy said, "but "who." She's someone we hold very near and dear…and someone who will be mighty happy to see you again."

Lucy was vague with details from then on, but soon enough, the duo of mages and one cat had arrived in Margaret City…just in time to see what appeared to be the start of a town wide festival.

"What's with all of this?" Natsu asked as he took in all the sights and sounds.

"Yeah," Happy said, "is it someone's birthday or something?"

"No Happy, this is Lamia Scale's Thanksgiving Day." Lucy said, "It's like the Harvest Festival back home in Magnolia. It's Lamia's way of showing their thanks for all that the townspeople have done for them and to promote further harmony…oh, look over there, the main show is starting!"

Natsu and Lucy made their way to a large stage where they arrived just in time to see Lyon start off the event with a display of his ice magic. With Yuka announcing the events, the rest of the act proceeded with Toby performing once of his bizarre "imitation acts" and then to Lamia's guild master herself, Ooba Babasaama, perform a dance that nearly divulged into a cringe worthy strip show. Thankfully Lyon intervened in ending each acts to spare the audience any further trauma.

"What in the hell was that all about?" END asked.

"Don't ask me man, because I really don't want to know." Natsu replied.

"And now ladies and gentlemen!" Yuka said, his voice picking up in enthusiasm, "The act you all have been waiting for, please give a warm welcome to our beloved angels, our guilds pride and joy; The Sky Sisters Wendy and Chelia as they perform their song "Angel Love Slayer"!"

It was then that the crowd went wild as two familiar faces stepped out onto the stage, waving to the crowd. They were Wendy Marvell and Chelia Blendy…both dressed in elaborate costumes that drew the attention of all present.

"Those two have always been good friends." Lucy said demurely with a slight smile of pride as she watched Wendy and Chelia begin their act.

For his part, the moment Natsu laid eyes on Wendy, he began to freak out as his jaw went slack and his eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets.

"What the hell is she doing?" Natsu said in utter dismay, "More importantly, what the hell is she wearing!?"

"Well, she certainly grew up." END said in a matter of fact tone, "There certainly are no shortage of men clambering at the stage for those two…to be honest, I expected my old nemesis the "Pedobear" to make an appearance right about now."

"THE WHAT!?" Natsu hissed.

"Eh, never mind," END said quickly with a shudder, "it's…it's something I'm really, REALLY, not comfortable talking about. You're better off not knowing."

"I've got to rescue her from this horrible act!" Natsu said as tears comically ran down his face.

"Relax Natsu, it's not like she was forced to do this in the first place," Lucy said, "a lot of people had to find new work once the Guild broke up. Wendy just wound up here with Lamia Scale, that's all."

Natsu simply groaned into his palm.

"Hey, if Wendy's here," Happy said as he hovered in the air, looking this way and that, "then where's Carla? They're normally together aren't they?"

"I knew you'd show up sooner or later." A voice said from behind, making the trio turn around to see a young girl with white hair wearing a black outfit. But her most distinguishing features were the pair of cat like ears the poked out of her head while a tail bobbed behind her.

"Lucy, male cat-pardon, I mean-Happy…" and then the girl looked to Natsu and her smile dropped in favor of a look of shock.

"Natsu? My word is that really you!?"

"Huh?" The mages and one cat said in unison.

"Don't you three recognize me?" The girl said with an irritated huff, "It's me; Carla!"

Carla could only watch as the dumfounded trio before her processed the revelation. She could practically hear the gears grinding to a halt in their heads.

"WHAT!?" The trio screamed in shock.

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HUMAN!?" Natsu said in absolute shock, taking the words right out of Happy and Lucy's mouths.

"Oh, this?" Carla said, tossing her hair over her shoulder, "It's a form of transformation magic I learned. In this form my magic and diviniation powers increase two fold."

"Wow, that's amazing Carla." Lucy said in awe, "You look really cute if I might add too."

"Thank you." Carla said with a smile, "So, what are you three doing here. Especially you Natsu, considering how you vanished like you did. I'd expected to hear your name pop up on the other side of the continent all things considered."

"Eheheheh," Natsu said, rubbing the back of his neck, "It's a long story. But Lucy and I have started off on something else and she pointed us in this direction. When she told me that Wendy was here, I figured since that we're passing through, we'd pay her a visit."

"I'm sure she'd really appreciate that." Carla said with a warm smile, "She's missed you terribly. She's missed everyone…look, the show just wrapped up so I'll take you to Lyon and the others at the guild."

"Lead the way." Natsu said.

And so the cat turned human led the trio through the dwindling crowds and the hustle and bustle of shops closing down for the evening. It wasn't until they reached the center of town that they finally reached Lamia Scale's guild hall.

"Lyon!" Carla called out as they crossed the guild threshold, "We have guests!"

Said ice mage appeared a moment latter before the small group.

"Well I'll be damned," Lyon said with a broad smile, "you three are a sight for sore eyes! How the hell have you been Lucy, Happy, and Natsu?"

"Lyon, good to see you." Natsu said as he and the ice mage shook hands.

"Hello Lyon, long time no see." Lucy said with a bow while Lyon patted Happy on the head.

"I'll say," said Lyon, "what brings you guys out here? Last time I checked Lucy you and Happy were working for Sorcerer Magazine and Natsu, you had dropped off the face of the earth."

"Natsu and I reconnected," Lucy said, taking Natsu's hand, "and we've started off on something new. We were passing by and thought we'd say hi to Wendy before we moved on. Is she around?"

"Yeah, I'll take you to her." Lyon said, leading them across the hall and towards the back.

And standing there, talking with Chelia, was Wendy.

"Wendy," Lyon said, "you've got visitors."

The petite sky dragonslayer turned her head and went slack jawed when she locked eyes with Natsu and Lucy.

"How you doing Wendy!?" Happy said brightly.

"Hello Wendy, it's been a while!" Said Lucy.

"What's up!?" Added Natsu.

With tears brimming in her eyes, Wendy broke out into what may have been the brightest smile Natsu had ever seen on her face.

"NATSU!" Wendy cried out as she ran up to her long lost friends, "LUCY! HAPPY!"

With outstretched arms, Lucy and Natsu took Wendy into a surprisingly strong hug.

"Ooof," Natsu said, "that's quite the grip you got there little lady."

"Y-You're alright." Wendy sobbed, making Natsu pause while Lucy and Happy silently pulled away.

"N-Natsu…I was so worried about you!"

Natsu sighed gently and kneeled so he could let Wendy move into a better hug.

"I missed you too sweetie," Natsu said, "and I'm sorry I left like that. But I'm all better now, I promise."

It would be several more moments before Wendy pulled back from Natsu.

"It's…it's wonderful to see you!" Wendy said as she wiped the tears from her eyes, "It really is!"

XXXX

Later…

The Viper Inn…

"Well, it certainly turned into an eventful evening didn't it?" Lucy asked as she finished brushing her teeth.

"Yep, still can't believe I missed out on so much. Now I really feel like an ass." Natsu said.

"I mean, the Magic Council was reformed by the Ten Wizard Saints for crying out loud; I'm just happy to hear they won't be giving us much trouble like the last guys…before they were all blown up I mean."

Lucy giggled but her smile quickly faded.

"Still no word about Master Makarov though," Lucy said, "even Lyon said that Jura doesn't even know where he is."

Natsu frowned as well.

"I know." Natsu said, "And then Lyon pulled us aside and asked us to check up on Gray and Juvia when we left town."

"Yeah, he's really worried about them. I hope they're alright." Lucy said.

Lyon had informed the two that shortly after Fairy Tail had disbanded, Gray and Juvia had taken up residence in an old town that wasn't that far from Margaret City. The two had moved there to better train and focus on their powers and once Lyon had caught wind that they were close to Lamia Scale, he had kept in contact with them ever since.

But then, six months ago, Lyon stopped receiving letters and messages from both Gray and Juvia. It was…odd and a little unnerving for them to go so long without contacting him or Wendy. Lyon knew the ice and water mage were preoccupied with their training but for them to go dark for six months was unheard of.

Lyon and Wendy would have checked in on the two themselves, but things had been so busy at Lamia Scale that they hadn't found the time to do so. Natsu and Lucy's arrival was the perfect chance for both Lyon and Wendy to get the answers they wanted.

"I'm sure they're fine." Natsu said, "We'll just head their way and pay those two a visit. Maybe I'll kick Gray's ass for making Lyon and Wendy worry so much."

Lucy offered a halfhearted smile.

"I…I just feel like something is amiss." She said, biting her lip only for Natsu to walk up to her and pull her into a hug.

"Those two are unstoppable when they're together. I'm more that sure they're fine."

"…Yeah…you're right." Lucy conceded.

"Speaking of unstoppable, Wendy seemed like she was doing everything to get us to stay at the table and talk some more." Natsu added.

"Well, can't say I blame her." Lucy said, "It's been a year since she's seen us so she probably wanted to catch up with us much like I did with you; especially you Natsu."

"Why me?" Natsu asked.

"Well…when you left, aside from me, I think Wendy was the second person who took your disappearance the hardest." Lucy said.

Natsu paused and lowered his head in shame.

"You helped bring her to Fairy Tail Natsu and she's eternally grateful to you for doing that. But most of all, you were like a big brother to her. She loved you as if you and she were of the same blood. She was so distraught with worry that she got terribly ill for a day until Porlyusica got her to calm down." Lucy continued.

"She's probably afraid of you disappearing again just like I was until we agreed to stick together."

"I know." Natsu said glumly, "And I intend to make it up to her…I promise you that. Well hang around for a little longer tomorrow before we head out. And then after we visit Gray and Juvia we'll spend some extra time after that."

Natsu turned to face the window.

"It's not much, but it's the best I can do for now." Natsu said as Lucy came up and hugged him from behind.

"Just do what you think is right Natsu." Lucy said.

BAM!

BOOM!

CRASH!

"The hell!?" Natsu said in alarm, rushing to and opening the window.

"What was that noise Natsu?" happy asked groggily from his spot on the bed.

"It sounds like it came from the center of town!" Lucy said.

"Those sounds…those are explosions! The Lamia Guild Hall is under attack!" Natsu said.

"Attack!? From who!?" Lucy said in shock.

"END?!" Natsu quickly thought to his alternate persona.

"I sense multiple hostile targets within my sensory range. They're spread throughout the town and are causing mass havoc. The mages of this town are holding their own but they won't last long; they need help."

"Right, I got the message." Natsu said as he summoned up his curse magic.

"It may get ugly out there Natsu, we don't know what we're up against. I recommend you call upon your heavy armor."

"You read my mind." Natsu said aloud as he changed into his etherious form. Once his transformation was complete, Natsu crossed his arms in an "X" shaped manner.

"Strength Curse," Natsu said, "Heavy Armor!"

With those words, Natsu's wings wrapped around his body and congealed into a black mass that quickly conformed to certain areas of his body and hardened.

Natsu's already armored skin and sleek appearance had taken on a new form. His hair was completely black now while his eyes glowed brightly and fiercely. Armor had formed to cover the rest of his head that had once been exposed while his maw gleamed with an almost metallic sheen. His chest, back, torso and shoulders had broadened out with the armor having taken a form similar in appearance to an actual armored vest while a protective collar had formed to protect the back and sides of Natsu's neck. Thicker looking armor had also formed on Natsu's forearms, thighs, knees and shins, giving him a bulkier appearance yet maintaining a certain streamlined element to it.

"Wow." Happy and Lucy whispered in awe.

"The town is under attack," Natsu said as he began to lean out the window, "and they're going to need all the help they can get."

It was then that Natsu looked over his shoulder, his maw turning up in a wicked grin.

"What do you say Luce?" Natsu said, "Want to go kick some ass?"

Lucy smirked as she retrieved her keys, belt and whip from the nearby table. Strapping her ensemble on, Lucy gave a grin of her own to Natsu.

"Let's give 'em hell Natsu," Lucy said, "I'm all fired up!"

XXXXX

A/N: And cut! That's a wrap people! What did you think of this chapter!?

Natsu, Lucy and the gang are back together as they begin to mend their relationship on surprisingly new ground. However, Lamia Scale is under attack and that means it's time for the duo to strut their stuff. And what of Gray and Juvia; what has become of them? All shall revealed in due time!

I once again apologize for how long it took me to get back to this story and I sincerely want to thank all of you who have waited for your patience with me and my writing. It means the world to me to see that an interest is still kept in this story after such a long gap in updates. Things have settled down on my end but I think I should let you guys know that I will be taking an online college class for the latter half of the summer (sometime around mid-July and into August). It should keep me busy but it shouldn't distract me too terribly from my writing.

In the meantime, I am going to update "Kids: Knight's Tale" once more before I bounce back to this story. After that I will continue to work on this throughout the rest of July but I'll also be working on "Vendetta" and drafting two new stories, but I'll make a note on that when the time comes. I hope to complete this story by summers end if not by the beginning of September.

Next time; Alt. END Chapter 4: Party Crashers and Dark Omens

As per usual, if you guys have any comments or questions, please put it in your review and I'll make sure to respond to you in the next chapter. If you have anything else that you wish to ask me or clarify, you can PM me and I'll do my best to respond ASAP.

Until next time; read, review and most importantly, HAPPY READING!