Chapter 9: Dreams

They were on a mission which wasn't really rare except for the fact that this mission was just the two of them. Happy was with Charle and Wendy visiting the Exceed's, Gray had been force to go on a mission with Juvia, and Erza was off on a highly classified mission. That left just the two of them alone the first time since Lucy had used Memora on him so long ago after she had unlocked the dragon armour. Of course since it was just them Natsu had somehow convinced her that they should walk to their mission through a thick forest.

"Luce we're here," Natsu said a big goofy grin on his face as he turned towards her making Lucy bump into him and they accidentally kissed.

She looked at him with wide eyes trying to jump away, but found that his arms were restraining her to him. He nipped on her bottom lip making her gasp just enough for him to slip his tongue into her mouth. Oddly enough with all the spicy food he ate he tasted like a sweet chocolate with a hint of coconut. Natsu growled lightly into her mouth making her knees go weak as she started to respond to his kiss. Finally they broke apart for air and Lucy could feel her face going as red as Erza's hair as she looked at his swollen lips.

"We ... you ... I!" Lucy said looking at him confused holding a hand to her lips feeling the tingly sensation.

"I love you Luce as more than a Nakama. You're my best friend, partner, and most importantly your my..."

With a gasp Arina shot up in the bed she'd borrowed in Fairy Tail. That dream wasn't a dream, but rather the day that she had finally admitted she loved that idiot dragon slayer. Whatever he had meant to add after that though was cut off when the reason for their mission showed up and attacked. Of course that meant that the whole thing had slipped her mind until they had gotten drunk a month later in the guild and he confessed again.

"Mommy are you ok?" Akio asked making me realize I had woke her up when I had awoken from my dream.

"I'm fine sweetheart I just had a strange dream," she said petting her hair calmly until she drifted back to sleep, and then slipped out of the bed quietly so she didn't wake her daughter again.

Knowing she wouldn't go back to sleep, and that Kiko was in the room she was quietly walking through, she just left her daughter to sleep. Kiko often got used to watching her in the mornings when Arina was busy, or because she needed to think. Last night the guys had been mad that they couldn't stay with them at Fairy Hills being their usual protective selves. It wasn't until both she and Erza had threatened them that they went to the place they were being held up.

She calmly walked to the guild not expecting anyone to really be there at this hour, but stopped when she heard raised voices. It wasn't Master and Mira arguing, but by the sounds of it, it was Natsu and the Master which was strange. Natsu had never fought with the Master before were he'd truly been angry.

"You don't understand Master she has to be in town I can feel it," Natsu said loudly growling at the end of the sentence.

"Natsu I've told you a thousand times we will never see Lucy again. She doesn't trust herself coming back to Magnolia because she thinks she would put us all in danger," the Master replied his voice angrier then Arina had ever heard it.

"I can't share dreams with her if she isn't here. That dream I had I know she had it to because I could feel her pain and sadness seeping into the dream. Lucy has to be in town we have to find her," he shouted back angrily although she could hear the desperation in his voice.

"You're imagining things Natsu. If Lucy was in town her mark would have reappeared on her hand, and led us to her like a beacon," the Master replied fighting to keep his voice calm.

"Maybe she joined a new guild then Master," Natsu shouted back not wanting anyone to make him doubt what he knew in his heart.

"Even if she did because I didn't let her remove the guild mark it would still reappear even if it wasn't visible to the naked eye. If she was back Natsu she'd be able to see Mavis, and trust me Mavis has looked throughout the town every morning since her disappearance hoping to find someone who could see her," Master shouted back making her have the feeling he was crying.

"Maybe she had Mavis's permission to leave then and that's why the mark won't reappear. I know she's here Master I can feel her aura in my heart," Natsu said calmly making Arina have to strain to hear him.

"I never gave her permission to leave Natsu, but it is possible she's trained herself enough that she wouldn't react to seeing me," Mavis replied making it hard for Arina not to gasp as she heard her voice knowing that everything Master Makarov had said was true if she could hear Mavis talking.

Knowing that it was better for her to interrupt now like she'd been waiting for the yelling to stop Arina opened the doors. As she thought it was only Master Makarov and Natsu in the guild and they both turned to her, and their expressions turned sheepish at being caught fighting by a visiting guild master. Mavis was observing her as she still talked as if saying let's see if you can see me.

"The yelling stopped, so I thought it was save to come in," she said blocking out Mavis who had still been talking and making sure to not look her way.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that Master Roscheal, I hope your night at Fairy Hills was pleasant," Master Makarov said apologetically giving Natsu a look that meant we'll finish this later.

"It's fine Master Makarov I could barely hear what you were saying," she lied with a pleasant smile, "and please call me Arina."

"Thank you Arina. You must of course just call me Makarov as well," he said all sense of his argument with Natsu gone from the atmosphere.

"Where's Happy Salamander I had a feeling you didn't go anywhere without him?" she asked trying to clear his head from thoughts of her other self.

"He's still at home sleeping, I woke up feeling a familiar power and had to come see Master," Natsu said still looking sheepish at being caught in a yelling match.

"Of course why didn't I think of that the aura you felt was probably Arina's," Makarov said as if it had been obvious.

"I've been with Master Roscheal for a few days already Master, and her aura feels nothing like Lucy's," Natsu said with a huff looking angry again.

"Most likely because she usually doesn't use her first power as a..."

"Please Master let's keep that a secret, I don't want to have to explain everything to your guild members, not that they'd believe me anyway since neither you nor Jellal do," Arina interrupted him making him sigh sadly.

"Of course I'm sorry dear," he said looking down ashamed as Natsu looked between of them a look of confusion on his face.

"It's fine Makarov, but my guild name is Mystic Sirdis for a reason. We don't really like talking about our pasts for those who remember them," she said

There was a far off look in her eyes as she thought it would have been easier if she really didn't have any memories of her time spent as a Fairy Tail mage. She would have had Memora erase her memories of that time if it wasn't for the dangers that would follow of not knowing about Gallow. Then there would be chances that she'd be found out as Lucy any way without her memories. It was much easier just to pretend she knew nothing about it.

She had a feeling Natsu was going to ask what they'd been talking about if at that moment the Strauss siblings hadn't walked in. Elfman looked as buff as always and with a look of shock she realized the bundle in his arms was a child. Was it his, did Lisanna get married (at least she knew it wasn't Natsu), or did Mira finally have a child. Mira went to the bar and started setting up well Lisanna made a beeline for them dragging Elfman along with her.

"Hi Master Roscheal it was so busy yesterday I didn't have a chance to introduce myself I'm Lisanna Strauss, and this is my older brother Elfman and his daughter Dina. They weren't here when you arrived yesterday because he had to take Dina for her check up," Lisanna rambled. "Oh Elf-nii this is Master Arina Roscheal of Mystic Sirdis."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Lisanna, Dina, and, Elfman," she said with a small smile as she stared at the little girl in the blanket she was to covered up too see any features about her.

"Being a Master is being a man," Elfman said and she sighed in relief to see he hadn't changed much at all.

"Thank you I think," she said making sure she looked confused as the others laughed at her reaction to meeting Elfman.

"Where's Akio today Mater Roscheal?" Mira asked pleasantly with that familiar matchmakers grin on her face as she looked between Arina and Natsu probably thinking they'd been here together for a while without taking in account that the Master had been here as well.

"She was tired for the trip, so I left her in our room. Kiko will bring her in later," she replied sending a message through her eyes I'm not interested in him so back off smirking as Mira visibly cowered a little.

"You know dreams for a mage always mean something hic especially if it's a memory hic," Cana said sitting up from a table in the bar shocking everyone since they hadn't noticed her until now as she took a drink from her barrel.

The Strauss siblings and Natsu both looked shocked at her comment. Showing Arina it hadn't only been them who had a weird dream last night. She was glad she could school her features from everyone since no one would realize that she had a dream as well. Cana just smirked at her as if she was reading her mind and threw a card her way that made Arina go white. Cana had just thrown the lovers card in her direction as if she knew she had a dream about the man she loved last night.

"That Von is a hunk," she said with a wink making her sigh in relief as she heard Cana's comment. She didn't know she was just playing around with Arina about her second in command.

"Wait you and Von are together?" Mira asked gasping as if she hadn't realized that might be a possibility.

"No I think your friend is a little drunk," she replied with a smile and watched as Natsu's face tightened and then he looked confused. "Natsu are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he said and then walked out of the guild.

"Poor Natsu he must be missing her again," Mira said with a sigh as they all watched the pinket walk off, probably thinking about his mate. He had to have met her after she left though because otherwise they would have never gotten together.

"It doesn't help that her birthday is coming up either," Cana added sounding surprising sober for a moment.

The whole guild went quiet, although there weren't many people there as they thought of Natsu's mate. She had to have been really important to everyone in the guild since their eyes all seemed sad. The silence was broken minutes later as more people walked into the guild some only there for a moment to gather a mission and leave, others sitting down and chatting in a corner.

"Ari-chan," Levy called making her wonder when the bluenette had given her a nickname.

"Hello Levy-san," she said formally.

"I'd like you to meet my friend Gajeel, Gajeel this is Master Arina Roscheal of Mystic Sirdis," Levy introduced them although she hesitated a little on the word friend.

"It's nice to meet you Gajeel-kun," she said since she wasn't supposed to know his last name.

"You smell like bunny girl, although a little different," he said sniffing the air being as blunt as always.

"I smell like a bunny?" she asked as if she had no clue who bunny girl was.

"No he means you smell like Lu-chan," Levy explained and then went quiet.

Oh my god she thought looking at him. Gajeel can't know who I am already can he? It took all of her acting skills to remain an indifferent expression although she was panicking inside at the fact that he might have figured her out. Just act natural and everything will be fine she told herself harshly.

"I guess I just have a very common scent," she said with a laugh as she looked in Gajeel's eyes.

"No bunny girl's was very unique, but I guess sometimes we'll find someone who has a similar scent to hers. Yours is natural as well meaning you can't be bunny girl in disguise since it's very rare for someone's scent to change naturally," he said with a huff and walked off to Pantherlily.

Levy shrugged apologetically and ran off after her dragon slayer making Arina smile slightly at the thought. She was glad that he didn't know about Akio just yet because that would most likely make him certain she was Lucy. Or maybe he knew about her, but her scent was way different then her old one even mingled with Akio's. With that she just sat down and observed the guild smiling slightly as she drifted off.

You're Lucy aren't you Arina?" Natsu asked shocking her as he starred her in the eyes.

"No what gives you that ridiculous idea Salamander?" she asked with a fake laugh.

"Your scent may have changed, but you still act exactly the same Luce. Why did you leave me?" he asked his eyes full of sadness.

"I had no choice Natsu. I can't stay if I do Igneel will be in danger," she said gasping as she realized she'd admitted something she shouldn't have.

"Please don't leave me Luce?" he begged as she grew smaller and smaller.

"I have to leave I can't stay with you no matter how much I love you," she called to him crying as he disappeared.

Natsu starred at Arina noticing she was asleep as he walked back into the guild. He knew he owed her and Master an apology for running off like that. As he walked closer to her he could smell tears and realized she was shaking. No one else seemed to notice she was having a nightmare he was going to wake her up when she spoke.

"I have to leave I can't stay with you no matter how much I love you," her voice was filled with so much sorrow as she said that that it almost made Natsu cry.

"Master Roscheal wake up," he said gently shaking her.

Her eyes opened slowly and she seemed to still be out of it. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked at him and more tears fell down her face. She kept muttering can't stay over and over again as she looked at him. She seemed full of so much sorrow as she slowly came back into reality and then her eyes hardened.

"What did you hear?" she demanded her voice so cold it chilled him to the bone.

"Nothing," he said lying knowing that what she had been dreaming was personal and most likely about Akio's father.

"Good," she said her voice full of relief as she walked off and left him alone.

The moment she was out of the guild all eyes turned to Natsu. They had been quiet, but it seemed the whole guild had overheard their conversation and were wondering what it was about. Natsu just shook his head conveying he had no clue either what he had done that shocked her so bad. It was most likely the dream he thought as he joined the guys in a fight. Soon all thoughts of Arina left his mind as he attacked the Ice Princess with glee as he was winning.

Cana looked at him shaking her head in disappointment. How is it out of everyone in the guild she was the only one who could see it. No matter how much she had changed or how much she denied it to Master earlier when Cana eavesdropped yesterday she knew Arina wasn't with Von. Truthfully she knew that Arina was the one and only Lucy Heartfilia. The dreams that both her and Natsu had today confirmed her thoughts since she had slipped them both a magic pill that made their dreams connect. If she hadn't overheard Natsu and Masters argument about Natsu's dream she would have never known if the pill worked.

Now all she had to do was sit back and enjoy as people slowly figured out the truth. She was shocked Gajeel hadn't, but had a feeling once he knew about Akio it would explain to him why her scent was different. It's going to be so fun as everyone else realizes who she is that is if someone else hadn't realized all ready. Everyone in the guild can't be that stupid can they, well Master isn't but he was tricked good, she thought laughing. She was so immersed in her thoughts she didn't notice another person had a devilish glint in their eyes as they thought along the same lines as her.