Crimzon: I just have one thing to say to all of you . . . I FREAKING LOVE YOU GUYS! And yes, the whole killing ur dragons to fully awaken your magic potential comes from the manga but I didn't get the idea from it. I actually thought of it before reading the chapter and I was like, 'aww come on!' but it was like one of those obvious things people think of cuz of the name Dragon Slayer so ya, but cuz I wanan keep it different from the manga, ima change up the whole original consept, but you all wont know that till later cuz im evil that way. And no, it is not set after the 7 years thing. Also, Akarui Nightshade I'm sorry, I didn't mean for anyone to cry.

Happy: Yes you did.

Crimzon: Shut-up Happy! Anyways, review, enjoy, read . . . but not in that order haha AND I OWN NOTHING!

The Price to Remember

~Nora's POV~

~Flashback~

"Remember, the Earth around you, though fragile it may be, is still considered one of the strongest elements. It is only as strong as it's user and should the user feel any doubt, regret or shame then they would be ripped apart as easily as ripping apart a single leaf."

"Very encouraging, Gardenia." I murumured. We were training in the fields outside the castle. It was a wide and open field surrounded by circular rows of trees. Gardenia was the dragon assigned to train me and she is one of the most strict dragons around. She's been trying to teach me how some kind of technique envolving the roots in the earth . . . but with each try, the spell merely backfires on me.

"But, should you feel faith, dignity, and honor then you'll be stronger than a mountain." I looked up at Gardenia. Her scales shined like emeralds and her wings resembled leaves. Her eyes were a striking gold and her voice was so strong that it could make other dragons tremble in fear. Her statement took me aback for a moment and then all I could think was, 'what honor'? I have none! "Something is troubling you, Nora."

"I can't do this. I'm just not cut out for this, Gardenia." I knelt down to the ground and clenched the grass in my hands.

"You feel guilt, am I correct?" she asked.

"I left him behind, all alone . . . HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO LEAVE MY LIFE BEHIND JUST TO BECOME A WEAPON OF WAR!" I yelled, letting all the anger and frustration pour out of me. It was then that I felt her giant claw under my chin, forcing me to look up at her.

"It must be difficult. To be taken away from your home and loved ones and suddenly, you're expected to do something that can be too much for you to handle. You were thrown into a life you did not want," she said solemnly. At that moment, I realized that she too felt the same as I did. She was also taken away from her homeland and forced to come here, just like I was. I looked back down at the grass and loosend my grip. I pushed the tears back and stood back up. If I can get through this, then I'll be able to go back home.

"I'm sorry, Gardenia. I'm alright now, I'm ready to try again," I stated as I looked up at my friend. She gave me a toothy grin and nudged me forward to attempt the spell again.

"Aim for that boulder there, pierce it at the very center and split it apart. I want a clean cut."

"Right." I stared at the boulder just fifty or so feet from me. I placed my hands together and stood with my back straight, focusing my magic into my hands. I felt a familiar warmth envelop my hands and suddenly, it felt like all of my pain and sorrow was sent away. All I could think about now was the task at hand. I dashed forward, letting instinct take over. I felt the magic seep out of my fist and surround it, making it look like green flames. As I approached the boulder, I brought back my arm and repeated the words Gardenia told me earlier.

"Iron Fist of the Earth Dragon!" my fist collided with the boulder. It took a few seconds before the boulder shook and split right down the middle. "Yes! Finally!" I cheered, feeling like I acomplished something today. I heard Gardenia's steps as she got closer to inspect the boulder.

"Well done, and it only took you ten tries," she mocked.

"I don't know if I should take that as an insult."

~End Flashback~

I opened my eyes when I felt the sun shine down on my face. I was lying on the roof of Lucy's home, staring up at the clouds as they slowly crossed the daytime sky. After that moment I had back at the guild, I needed somewhere quiet to calm down, but I also needed to make sure no one tried to attack Lucy. I figured the roof of the apartment building was the best place. I only had a few minutes of peace after waking up from my nap when all of a sudden, I hear a blood curdling scream. I knew immediately that it was Lucy who was screaming. I jumped to my feet and slid down to the very edge of the roof, reading to bust in through the window. That's when I heard Natsu yelling, asking her what was wrong and then she screamed again. I leaned off the edge with only one hand hanging on the edge. I was looking through the window and there I see Natsu holding a crying Lucy. Judging by where she was and the screams from earlier, it didn't take me long to put two and two together.

"I guess the hallucinations have started early." I sighed and climbed back to my spot on the roof. "I'll give them a moment alone. It's better that she spends her time with her friends, even more so with Natsu." I stood there in the slience, trying to let the gentle breeze carry away all of my problems. Moments passed and just when I think that I finally felt relaxed, I feel someone standing behind me. I turn around only for an arm to wrap around my waist and a hand to cover my mouth.

"Transportation," he mumbled as a white magic circle appeared around our feet and transported us to a grassy hill by an old oak tree somewhere outside Magnolia. The whole time, I was trying to squirm out of his grip and only until we arrived at the tree did he let go. I back up from him and readied myself for a fight, but he merely stood there. "I don't want to fight you, I just want to talk."

"What the hell do you want, Emrick?" I questioned, not letting my guard down.

"Why are you helping them," he asked. My eyes widened for a moment and then I composed myself. "It's for Elliot, right?" he asked again. Again, I didn't answer. "I thought as much. You do realize that theres a good chance he's dead now, right?"

"Shut-up!" I snapped.

"What makes you think that if you succeed with this mission of yours, that he'll be safe and sound? They're just using you!"

"Shut the hell up!" I yelled again as I raised my arm into the arm and with that, a root shot out from the ground and was sent straight at Emrick, only for him to move to one side a mere inch.

"I brought you here so we could have a talk, but it's obvious to me that you don't care about what I have to say." He sighed. "The last thing I want to do is fight you, Nora . . . but if you get in my way, then I'll have no choice. It's your call, Nora. Do you wish to continue this farce or give up and come back to us?"

"Like hell I would. I'm here to protect Lucy, that's final."

"How blind can you be? The moment she regains Luciana's memories, all of Fiore will fall like Trinity before it!"

"That is not my concern." The look on his face showed that he was taken aback by my response, but he quickly composed himself.

"How far you've fallen, Nora. Well, I can see now that whatever I tell you now is pointless. I guess I'll take my leave." As he turned to walk away, I was about to start sprinting back to Lucy's house before he could try anything. "Relax yourself, Nora. We're not planning on attacking a second time today." He said, looking over his shoulder at me. With his back facing me, he muttered a spell and another transportation circle appeared around his feet. Before he disappeared, he muttered one last thing to me.

"I wonder what Gardenia would have said to you in a situation like this? I wonder how disappointed she'd be?" I clenched my teeth and punched the ground, causing a root to shoot up from the ground Emrick was standing on, but I was a second too late. He was already gone and I was left alone to succumb to my tears.

~General POV~

"Ne, Erza, what do you think about that Nora girl?" asked Gray as they walked down the hall to Lucy's apartment.

"I honestly don't know. She seems to be truthful when she says she's here to protect Lucy, but there's something about her that seems off." She said. "What do you think?"

"Same here. It looks like she's hiding something, but one things certain, there's someone out there trying to kill Lucy and Nora stopped him today. Maybe we can trust her?" Before Erza could respond, they heard Lucy scream. They gave each other a worried look then started running to her apartment door. When her hand reached the handle, the door wouldn't budge. It was locked. They started banging on the door when they heard another scream and then Natsu yelling.

"Let me in, Lucy!" they heard Natsu yell.

"No!" she yelled back. Erza and Gray stood there at the door, listening to banging sounds and Natsu yelling.

"Please let me in . . . I promise I wont see anything." Was the last thing they heard him say when it got all quiet. Letting their imaginations get the better of them, their faces grew red with embarrasment.

"Um . . . you don't think . . ." Gray was having difficulty getting the words out.

"Maybe we should leave?" muttered Erza. That's when they heard Lucy's cries. They couldn't understand what she was saying and feeling worried, they broke down the door and ran into the room only for them to hear Lucy yell, "Im scared!" with their hands over their eyes, they both yelled in unison.

"Please stop, whatever it is the two of you are doing!" they heard the sudden quiet and took their hands from their eyes and saw the two on the bathroom floor. Natsu had his scarf around his eyes, holding a crying Lucy in a towel. Lucy looked up, tears in her eyes and came to her senses.

"Ehh! Get out! Get out! GET OUT!" She yelled, pushing Natsu away and shutting the door. Happy looked up at Erza and Gray with only one question in mind.

"What did you guys think they were doing?" he asked through a few sobs.

"Uh . . . nothing," they both said again.

"Lucy . . ." murmured Natsu as he fixed his scarf and walked back into the main room and sat down in one of the chairs.

"Natsu?" mumbled Erza as she sat down at the edge of Lucy's bed. Gray went and layed back on the couch.

"What happened with Lucy, just now?" asked Gray.

"I don't know. She was in the bathroom when I started hearing her screaming and when I asked her what happened, she just started crying. It's only been a day and already, it's getting bad," he said through his teeth as he clenched his hands.

"Don't worry, Natsu. Levy and Gajeel are looking for a way to stop what's happening to Lucy. I'm sure they'll find something." Reassured Erza. Natsu looked up at the mage and smiled faintly, only for it to be replaced with worry.

~With Lucy~

Lucy's face was still red from earlier, but her current thoughts werent from what happened. She was thinking about what she saw in the mirror. She was trying to stop herself from shaking and once she did, she grabbed the pair of sweats and T-shirt and quickly put those on and went into the next room. She saw her four friends in the room, waiting in silence and once she got to them, Natsu stood up.

"Hey, you ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, sorry to worry you guys."

"What was it that scared you, Lucy?" asked Happy as he flew up to her so she could hold him. Lucy twitched at the sudden memory and let out an exhuasted sigh.

"Why don't you sit down, Lucy," said Erza. Lucy nodded and she walked over to her bed and sat down.

"I don't really know what it was I saw, it didn't seem human. I saw something in the mirror's reflection and it actually tried to reach out for me," said Lucy as she tried to keep her voice steady. "I don't realy know, but maybe I was hallucinating?" she wondered. The others stayed quiet, knowing what she could could have meant. Lucy noticed the sudden silence in the room.

"Is something wrong, guys?" she asked.

"No, nothing at all, Lucy. It's just been a long day," said Erza.

Crimzon: Well, I think I'll leave it there for now. Haha, I hope you all like another flashback scene and the funny one towards the end. I tried to word it a certain way the previous chapter just for that moment, but it didn't come out the way I wanted . . . Oh well, it kinda worked out. Well, I'll make the next chapter way long cuz a lot of shit it gona go down . . . I think. Ya don't take my word for it cuz I'm not sure yet. Well review people!