Author's Note: Hello everyone! If you've been reading the story from start to finish, thank you so much for sticking with me for this long. I'll have an extra long A.N at the end of the chapter, so be sure to read that because it addresses a complaint that I fine really annoying. Enjoy!

Chapter 10: My Only Sunshine

Natsu might as well have blinked when he entered the first doorway, as he found himself once again at the after party to the GMG exactly one year ago. Examining the room, it looked so familiar it was making his head spin from déjà vu. Feeling his neck for the familiar mating mark that radiated heat, he found nothing but his tanned skin.

So, it really did work, he thought.

Looking around the room in a daze, he spotted all the members of his guild, who he simply stared at when they waved at him.

"Natsu!" he heard a voice from behind him call, and he spun around to see his friend Lucy walking up to him with a smile on her face.

"Lucy!" Natsu shouted, rushing her and grabbing her hand and bringing it up to his eyes. Sure enough, her familiar pink Fairy Tail guild mark was still etched into her hand, and he sighed in relief.

"Thank God…" he said.

"Natsu, what's gotten into you? Have you been drinking hot sauce and vodka again? You know that makes you hallucinate." Lucy said, wagging her finger at him.

"Where's Yukino?!" he shouted, hastily scanning the room for his… well, he guessed she wasn't his wife anymore.

"She's over by Sting, it looks like she's coming over here now." Lucy said, pointing at the silver-haired Celestial Mage who slowly approached the pair.

"H-hello, Natsu-sama." she said quietly.

"Hey, Yu-cha- I mean, Yukino." he said, his ears drooping as he looked at the floor.

"If it's not too much trouble, I was going to ask if I could…" she said, and he finished her sentence.

"… join Fairy Tail?" he said, and she nodded.

Looking across the room at Sting, who wore an angry look on his face, Natsu sighed and put a hand on Yukino's shoulder.

"Look, Yukino…" he started, remembering how cruel and evil Sting had become when she joined his guild after the GMG, "I appreciate that you want to join our guild, really, I do. However, I think that after everything Saber has been through, they need you now more than ever. It wouldn't make sense if I told you why, but I know that Sting cares for you a lot more than he tells you, so if I were you, I would reconsider his offer." Natsu said.

"How did you know he offered me a spot in Saber again?" Yukino asked him.

"I'm from the future." he said nonchalantly, causing both Lucy and Yukino to laugh heartily.

"Yeah, sure you are. But are you sure this is a good idea, Natsu-sama?" she asked him.

"I'm positive. Now, go back to him, I'm sure he'll be delighted to know you've changed your mind." Natsu said, as she nodded with a smile and returned to her friend. Sting looked shocked at what he was hearing, and she must have mentioned him, because Sting looked up and across the room to him and flashed him a big smile that Natsu hadn't seen in what felt like a very long time.

"Are you sure that was right thing to do, Natsu? It looked like she really wanted to join Fairy Tail." Lucy said.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Lucy?" Natsu said, turning to face her.

"Hmm?" she asked.

"Will you dance with me?" he asked, bowing and extending his hand.

"Wh-What?! Really?" she asked, her face turning red.

"There's nothing more I'd rather do in the world at this moment." he said poetically, his hand still outstretched.

"Well, if you insist…" she said, reluctantly taking his hand as he hurriedly dragged her to the dance floor. Dancing to the slow song the orchestra was playing, Natsu looked deeply into her eyes, looking for something to assure him that this wasn't a dream or some fantasy. Running a finger through her silky smooth blonde hair, she shuddered slightly at his touch.

"What's gotten into you tonight, Natsu…" she whispered, hiding her face in his chest so he wouldn't see her blushing.

"Luce, if I told you something crazy, no matter how ridiculous it was, would you believe me if I was dead serious?" he asked her.

"I… I think so." she replied.

"Well, the truth is… it's hard to put into words. The best way I could describe it is that I've been living in a sort of "alternate future" for the past year after tonight. In that future, Yukino does join our guild, and we get married and have a child. I become the guild master, I find a sister that I never knew that I had, and I…" he said, his voice trailing off.

"What is it, Natsu?" she said, sounding worried.

"I die." he said bluntly.

"You… you what?" she said, in disbelief at what she was hearing from her friend's mouth.

"Yeah, I die. When I died, I went to some sort of purgatory, where I met my real father. He gave me three choices, to return to the past, return to the present with Yukino or to move on to the next life. You can probably imagine which one I chose." Natsu said, looking at her with a soft look in his eyes.

"B-But… what about the present? Why come back to the past?" she asked.

"Hmm. You know, Luce, a wise man once told me that love is not such a straightforward thing, that it's always changing and taking new form. A fire that burned brightly one day might be nothing but embers and coals the next. Even if your future might seem bright in the present, you can't predict the next rainfall that might threaten to extinguish your tiny little flame. What I'm trying to say is… I came back for you." he said, flashing his almost invisible smile.

Lucy didn't say anything but just stared at him, her mouth hanging open and trying to take in his words. Natsu continued,

"It took marrying Yukino and all that I've been through the past year to realise fully what I had left behind. Do I still love her? I do, but like I said earlier, even when your fire has burned all it was meant to, the coals still remain. It was after all I had done together with you that I realised that I couldn't go back to that future. Do you know what you said to me that made me do what I did, Lucy?" he asked, to which she shook her head.

"I've always loved you." he said, uttering the four words that took her breath away.

"I… said that?" she whispered.

"Indeed. What do you make of that, Lucy?" he asked her.

"I… I don't know what…" she said, her voice trailing off as she stared at the floor.

"It's okay if you don't feel the same way you did at that moment, Luce. If you don't mind, I'd like to say something to you as well before I leave." Natsu said.

"Leave?... Where are you going?" she asked, tears stinging her eyes.

"That depends. Will you hear me out?" he said.

"Y-yes." she muttered.

"I… love you too." he said, kissing her on her forehead. Turning around to leave, he walked out of the large wooden doors at the entrance to the hall and out into the cool, crisp night time.

Glad I got that off my chest, he thought as he walked down the streets of Crocus. I think I'll just disappear for a while.

"Naaaatsuuuu!" he heard, a voice faintly calling his name from the castle.

"Please, come back! I can't live without you! Don't… don't leave me behind." Lucy called, falling to her knees and sobbing into her hands.

Stopping mid-stride, he turned around and headed back for the castle. All kinds of thoughts flooded his mind as he approached the blonde woman, stopping a few feet away from her with his hands still in his pockets.

"Do you… really mean all that?" he asked.

"I d-do. I… I love you, Natsu. I always have, and always will." she said, her voice unfaltering.

"Well, I guess I can't leave you behind after all," he said with a grin, "I promise to stay, if you play one last game with me!"

"Th-this isn't the time for games, Natsu! I just confessed my love for you!" she shouted, tears still streaming down her face.

"It's a game only two people that love each other can play." he said boyishly.

"Ugh, fine." she said, throwing her hands up. Natsu walked over and picked her up off the ground, taking her hand and leading her back into the castle. All eyes were on them, and everyone waited to see what the pair would do next. Taking her to the middle of the room, all guilds looked at them with watchful eyes as Natsu and Lucy stood a few feet apart. Natsu, holding his hands behind his back, asked her,

"Lucy, what have I got… in my pocket?"

"Wait, what? What kind of game is this?!" she asked angrily.

"You said you would play." he pouted, and she crossed her arms and sighed.

"I don't know… hot sauce? Food? Your wallet? Your hands?!" she asked, thinking she had guessed it when he held up both his hands to show that it wasn't that.

"Any other ideas?" he asked, and she shook her head.

The memory of his previous life flashing before his eyes, he remembered his final words to his wife, and felt around in his pocket for the familiar object that he had taken such care in making.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" he said with a snicker as he walked over to her and removed the golden ring he had given Yukino, taking her hand and sliding it onto her finger. He stood back for a moment, letting all of what had just happened sink in to her. Eyeing the ring, she examined the beautiful golden ring with the mouth of a dragon holding a red jewel, she noticed a new inscription burned all around the ring's outer circle that read: "Protect the Future."

"Oh my God, Natsu… Is this really…" she said, her voice trailing off as she put her other hand over her mouth.

"I returned to the past to protect your future, Lucy. Marry me?" he asked her.

"Natsu… Yes, yes yes!" she shouted, jumping into his arms as the room erupted in cheers and applause. Wrapping her legs around him, they shared a passionate kiss, Lucy running her fingers through his pink locks as their tongues wrestled for dominance. The crowd hooted and hollered at the two, as Yukino smiled on at him.

Natsu-sama… she thought, I remember the future too. I'm sorry for what I did to you. I'll miss you, and all of our friends too.

Natsu closed his eyes, savouring the soft feeling of his fiancée's lips as his name was called repeatedly from the back of his head, and he felt the world around him melting before him.

"Abel, Abel, Abel!"

"Huh… what… where?" he said, opening his eyes slowly as his sister Alexia shook him furiously.

"EVERYONE! HE'S WAKING UP!" she screamed, her voice was hoarse and her eyes looked puffy as if she'd been crying. All his friends flooded into the room, concerned looks on their faces as he tried to make sense of what was going on.

"A-Alexia?" he choked out, as his sister held his hand in a death grip.

"I'm here, Onii-chan, I'm right here." she said, tears of joy streaming down her face.

"But… I didn't choose the second door… I- where's Lucy?" he asked, scanning the room. From the back of the crowd, Lucy made her way to his bedside, her eyes red and puffy like his sister as she shook like a leaf.

"Lucy…" he began, looking down at her hand, "where's your… ring?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" she asked.

"I… I proposed to you, just a minute ago. We were going to… get married. Did that… was that just a dream? I met my father, and…" he said, but his voice was scratchy and weak and his head was still spinning.

"You saw Dad?" his sister asked.

"Yeah, yeah I did. Then, I went back in time to the first GMG… and then Lucy and I…" he said, his voice failing him as he burst into tears.

"Why, God, why… is this some kind of punishment…" he whispered to himself.

"Natsu, what are you talking about…" Lucy said, starting to cry too.

"Lucy, I… I… love you…" he said, his consciousness fading as his head hit the pillow.

Some Time Later…

"… he's got severe head trauma, along with the bad internal bleeding and broken ribs, it really is a miracle that he survived, you know." he heard a familiar old woman voice say.

"I- I know. Thank you for looking after my husband, Porlyusica-san." Yukino said.

"It's no trouble at all. I'll leave you two by yourselves." Porlyusica said, and Natsu heard a door open and shut.

He had not the strength to even open his eyes, so he simply laid there and used his other senses to take in his surroundings. Feeling her hand on his chest, she traced his abs with her finger as she sobbed softly.

"Yukino…" he muttered.

"Natsu-sama! I'm so glad that you're…" she said, her voice failing her as he really wasn't that alright.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked.

"Probably a lot better than you." she said.

"I've gotten through worse." he said solemnly.

"Natsu-sama, I'm going to… talk for a while, and I would appreciate if you just lay there and listened." Yukino said sadly, and he nodded.

"Mavis-san is right. What I did to you is horrible, and unforgivable. I practically killed my husband in a fit of rage, and that's going to haunt me for the rest of my time with you. By some miracle, you survived, and I'm so glad that I didn't tear your guild apart. Remember that book that we read, about dragon mating? It said that when two dragons mate, they share their life force, joining them as one. After hurting you so badly, I should have died too, but you came back to us somehow. The same can't be said for my life force, however." Yukino said, taking his hand and gripping it in her own. She was right, she felt weak and frail and he could tell that her heart was beating much slower than should be normal.

"I don't have much longer to live, Natsu-sama. When I nearly killed you, that severed our connection as mates, can't you feel it?" she said, and she was right once again. The normal sync of their heartbeat and breathing was off key, and he couldn't feel her presence like he used to be able to.

"You… can't die…" he choked out, tears pouring down his face as he gritted his teeth.

"It's okay, dear. The year I got to spend with you was worth a lifetime, and I won't forget your kindness to me. I'll never fade from your memories, or right here." Yukino whispered, putting her finger on his chest where his heart beat.

"No…" he started, but she silenced him with her finger.

"We'll see each other again, one day. You know that as well as I. I love you, Natsu." she said. Planting her last kiss on his cheek, he opened his eyes enough to see her glowing faintly as she burst into a cloud of dust that shimmered like stars across the night sky.

"W-Wait, don't go…" Natsu mumbled as he stretched his arm out and waved it through the shiny cloud of dust that lingered in the air as he felt something fall into his lap. His eyes trained on his lap, he saw the same ring that he had given to Lucy, with the engraving and everything. It was his last piece of his wife, before she disappeared into thin air.

"Yukino…" he said, putting his head down and the pillow and crying himself to sleep.

The Next Morning

Lucy rubbed her eyes as she descended the stairs to eat breakfast among her friends. She was surprised to see that Natsu was back at the inn, bandaged heavily but sitting down at a table with Gray and Erza.

"Natsu, you're all better!" she called, running to his side.

"Lucy, please give him some space." Erza said before she could hug him.

"Wh-why? What's the matter?" she asked.

"He hasn't said a word all morning, and nobody has seen Yukino since yesterday." Gray said.

Upon hearing her name, Natsu silently began to cry, tears streaming down his face while he made not a sound.

"Natsu…" Lucy said, concerned for her friend.

"Gone. She's… gone." they heard Natsu mutter.

"Like, she left? Did she…?" Gray asked, and Natsu shook his head.

"Not dead, just… gone. Poof." he said, making an exploding motion with his hands.

"She disappeared?" Lucy asked, and Natsu nodded.

"She said she didn't have much time left, and told me she loved me and just… poof. Gone." Natsu said, his voice quivering.

"Natsu, I'm so sorry." Lucy said, stepping forwards and pulling him into a tight embrace, stroking his head and sitting on his lap.

"Even if she might be gone, she'll always be with you right here. Those that we love live on in our hearts for the rest of our lives." Lucy said, poking his chest.

"Lucy is right, Natsu. We can drop out of the Games and return to Magnolia to give her a proper funeral." Erza said solemnly.

"No, we won't. She wouldn't want that, besides, I don't think I can say goodbye to her any more than once. Erza, you're the new Master, effective immediately. Should you choose to, you can hold her funeral back in Magnolia. I need to leave, and I won't be returning." Natsu said with a glazed look in his eyes.

"No, you are not running away!" Erza shouted, grabbing him by his shoulders.

"Try and stop me…" he mumbled.

"Natsu, seriously, don't say things like that! Nobody in the guild is going to let you walk away from your position as our Master! If you try anything, I'll beat some sense into you!" Gray said, grabbing him by his shirt.

"Go on then. Hit me." Natsu said lifelessly, turning his cheek to face Gray and tapping it with one finger.

"Natsu, please… don't go." Lucy said, looking up at him with her watery brown eyes that snapped him out of his trance for a moment.

"Lucy, I… I can't stay here." he said sadly.

"B-But what about w-what y-you said w-when you were in the h-hospital? You said you l-love me!" she exclaimed, cupping his cheek in her hand as she cried.

"It's because I love you that… I can't be near you." he replied.

"I-I know that you m-must be in pain, N-Natsu, but that's what f-friends are for. We help eachother w-when we're in need, and we o-overcome our problems t-together!" Lucy said between sobs.

"I'm sorry. I can't look my friends in the face anymore, not after all I've done." he said, removing her hand from his cheek.

"You've done nothing wrong!" Erza shouted, slamming her fist on the table.

"YOU KNOW NOTHING!" he roared, shaking the inn and making everyone's hair stand on end.

"IT'S MY FAULT THAT I LET MY ANGER GET THE BETTER OF ME! I FORCED HER TO BEAT ME, WHICH SEVERED OUR BOND AND KILLED HER! HOW CAN I LOOK MY FRIENDS, MY FAMILY IN THE EYE EVER AGAIN, KNOWING THAT I KILLED MY OWN WIFE AND CHILD?!" he screamed, radiating his dirty black and red aura from before.

The whole guild trembled in fear at his outburst, fearing for their own safety and backing into a corner, while Erza, Lucy and Gray stood mere feet away from him. Lucy, who didn't say anything, walked up to him and slapped him hard across the face, sobbing after doing so.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY SUCH HORRIBLE THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF! YOU LOVED HER, YOU WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING TO HURT HER OR YOUR CHILD! TO SAY THAT YOU WERE THE ONE THAT KILLED HER IS A DISGRACE TO HER MEMORY! SHE KILLED HERSELF!" Lucy screamed back, the last three words of her outburst echoing over and over again in Natsu's head.

She killed herself. She killed herself. She killed herself.

They reverberated in his ears in a constant loop as he fell to his knees and clutched his ears with his hands, trying to drown out the harmful effects of his own thoughts.

"No... I killed her..." he said, twitching on the ground.

Dropping to her own knees and putting both hands on his shoulders as he looked up to gaze into her eyes, she said,

"You know that's not true just as much as I do. What happened to her was an unfortunate accident, Natsu. She can't blame you for what happened." she cooed to him.

"She would never... I don't know why... She's gone, Lucy. She's gone." he said, his voice trembling as he rocked back and forth on the ground. Lucy sat down next to him, wrapping the man she loved in her arms, as he shook like a leaf while she held him close to her.

"I know, Natsu. You've been dealt the worst hand possible, and it makes me so sad. You mustn't despair, though, I think you know that's not what she would have wanted for you." she said.

"I can't go on living like this, Lucy... it feels like my heart has been shattered." Natsu murmured.

"It's going to be okay, Natsu. I'll help you look for the pieces, alright?" she said, looking him in the eye, as he nodded slightly in return.

"Lucy... why?" he said, looking directly at her.

"Why, what?" she asked.

"Why are you... saying these things? Why aren't you running away from me?" he asked her.

"Because you're my dragon, Natsu, and the dragon never hurts the princess." she said with a giggle. Natsu then did something that surprised even himself at the moment: he laughed, heartily and naturally.

"Yeah, I suppose not." he said, the last bits of his aura disappearing around him. Lucy stood up and offered him her hand, as he took it and she hoisted him to his feet.

"Do you want to go home with us, Natsu? We don't need to stay for the rest of the Games." Lucy said.

"I... no. We're staying until the end." Natsu said.

"What will you do afterwards?" Gray asked him.

"I'll..." he started, looking around at his guild, and lastly at Lucy, "I guess it doesn't make much sense to leave everyone behind, not after all we've been through. Are you all really still OK with calling me Master?" he asked, addressing his whole guild.

From the middle of the crowd, Mavis pushed her way out from the mass of people and worked her way over to Natsu, as he got down on one knee to look her in the eye.

"Natsu, you've been through countless tragedies in your short time here, as many of your friends have as well. Even if death is as natural as life is, the toll that those we love passing takes on us never gets any easier. Take a look at all your friends, and try to look at the bigger picture." she said, moving to the side and letting him see all of his friends and guildmates, not appearing scared of him anymore but just sad.

"Individually, we are all broken pieces of separate puzzles, but when we're all together as a family, we can make something even more beautiful. Thus is the bond of friendship, the bond of our guild, stronger than any blood relation. I'd be willing to bet there isn't a single member that wishes you to leave your guild, and if anyone thinks otherwise, come forward now." Mavis said, turning to address the crowd, but none of them stepped forward.

"You're a very kind man, Natsu. Some might view that as a weakness, because it makes you more susceptible to your emotions getting the better of your judgement, but I see that as a strength, not the latter. Being compassionate allows you to better understand the feelings of others, and it's the reason why our guild has such a strong sense of camaraderie and the feeling of a great big family. Your wife's passing is truly sad, but blaming yourself for her own actions isn't right, nor is it what she would want. Everyone here wants you to continue leading them, to bounce back from this tragedy even stronger than before. To leave them in the dust would be truly selfish, Natsu." she continued, putting her tiny hand on his shoulder.

"I know you're right, Mavis, it's just..." he replied, turning to look away from her and at the ground.

"Natsu," Gray began, and Natsu turned to look at his friend, "I know how you feel, really. When I lost Ur, I blamed myself for forcing her to use Iced Shell to protect me. I felt like I was the reason that she was gone, and subsequently, the reason that Lyon hated me and wasted many years of his life trying to avenge her. Even as I was prepared to throw down my own life, more than once, it was you that always stopped me, insisting that my life wasn't something I could part with so easily. It's times like these when we need to band together and remain strong, because this is when we're the most vulnerable to shattering like glass and our emotions and thoughts are easily swayed. I can't say I understand what it's like to lose a wife and child, but you're the strongest person that I know. If everyone else in our guild can overcome their sadness, so can you."

"Gray..." Natsu said, his voice trailing off.

"Onii-chan..." Alexia called to him, emerging from the crowd and approaching him, also getting on her knees to look him in the eye, "Gray isn't the only one who has felt horrible about losing those dear to him. When Dad died, I thought that our family would never be the same, but on that day that our kingdom was destroyed, I kept thinking 'As long as I have my brother and my cousins, it's going to be alright.' But I guess I never told you how we got separated in the first place, huh?" she said, and Natsu shook his head.

"Well, after the five of us had escaped into the forest, we made it into a clearing before four dragons landed before us, forming a circle around us in the clearing and trapping us in the centre."

*Flashback*

"Come on everyone, hurry!" Alexia called, motioning her brother and cousins to follow her into the grassy clearing. As they ran through the grassy plain, they heard the beating of wings and a large, scaly red dragon landed directly in front of the group, flanked by three others. One of them was a snowy white dragon, covered in bird-like feathers, another an ocean blue colour and the last one looked as though it was made completely of metal.

"What have we here? Survivors?" the red dragon said, his voice shaking the ground.

"They must be the last of their kingdom." the blue dragon replied.

"What are we waiting for? Let's finish what we started." the shiny metal dragon said, taking a step towards the group before the white dragon shouted,

"No, Metalicana! They're only children, have a heart!"

"They're humans, they'll grow up and try to kill us all anyways!" the dragon named Metalicana shot back.

"Grandine is right, Metalicana, to kill these children now would only be a waste of life." the red dragon said.

"You're too soft, Igneel! We just destroyed their entire kingdom, what future do they have?!" Metalicana shouted.

"To stereotype all humans as evil is foolish, Metalicana." the blue dragon said.

"Aquaria is right, the children will go unscathed." Grandine said.

"But what will we do with them? They're only children, they've no chance of surviving on their own." Aquaria said.

"Humans! Your kingdom burns, and you are most likely the only survivors of this war. What will you do now?" Igneel bellowed, bringing his long scaly head down to meet Alexia's gaze directly.

"That's not your concern, monster!" Alexia shouted back at him.

"Monster? That hurts my feelings, girl, I am no monster. I am Igneel, King of the Fire Dragons!" he roared, flapping his wings and letting out a breath of fire into the sky.

"I say we raise them as our own." Grandine said, earning her three looks of shock from her dragon friends.

"Nonsense! How could we raise humans as our own? Humans are violent, impulsive and chaotic!" Metalicana roared.

"What exactly did we just get finished doing? We destroyed an entire kingdom. That sounds violent, impulsive and chaotic if you ask me." Aquaria said, as Igneel chuckled at his comment.

"You wouldn't be able to force a human under my care!" Metalicana shouted, as Igneel shot him an angry look and whipped him across the face with his tail, sending his head crashing into the ground and shaking the earth.

"YOU DO AS I TELL YOU!" Igneel roared.

"Is it agreed then?" Grandine asked, as the other two dragons nodded. "Shall I wipe their memories then? We wouldn't want them to grow up with a hatred of dragons."

"Yes, but it seems there are five children and only four of us. One must die." Igneel said.

"Leave the pink-haired boy and take the rest." Aquaria said as they closed the gap between them.

"Wait!" Natsu/Abel shouted, stepping to the head of the group, "Leave my sister alone. Take me instead."

"No, Onii-chan!" Alexia shouted, but he held up his hand to signal her to stop.

"It'll be okay, Alexia. You'll come find me later, right?" he asked her.

"Y-Yes, of course. Be safe, all of you." she said, turning and pulling her family into a group hug before having to quickly release them.

"Pink hair... you're of the Royal Family then, boy?" Igneel asked Natsu/Abel, and he nodded in response.

"So you're already accustomed with Dragon Slayer magic. That makes my life much easier. I'll take the boy, Metalicana, you take the black-haired one. Aquaria, the blue-haired boy and Grandine, the blue-haired girl. Wipe their memories of their past life, but leave the pink-haired girl as she is." Igneel commanded.

"Why me?!" she shouted at Igneel.

"Hmm. This boy is your brother, no?" Igneel said, and she nodded. "Family is the most important thing to any living being, not only dragons. To leave you without a memory of your only brother would be truly cruel. You'll be reunited one day." he said, and with that, the four dragons scooped the children up and onto their backs and flew off into the sky, the four children unconscious from having their memories modified as they flew up and over the mountainside.

*End of Flashback*

"I thought I might never see you again, Onii-chan. I had no idea if you were even alive, including our cousins. I felt like dying, I was all alone in the world, not a single family member to comfort me or make me feel better. If I can do it, then you definitely can, Onii-chan." Alexia said, finishing her story.

"Wow... I don't know what to say." Natsu said.

"Even on the cloudiest of days, there's always the calm after the storm. Even after our kingdom fell, the Rose family continued to live on. Even when it rains, you know what a Rose needs to bloom, Onii-chan?" she asked him.

"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sunshine, of course! What's your sunshine, Onii-chan?" she asked him.

"S-Sunshine?" he said, his voice faltering as he remembered the night he supposedly proposed to Lucy, and the feeling of her hair in his fingers as they danced. Like a waterfall of sunshine, he remembered himself thinking.

He slowly turned his head to face Lucy, who looked at him with equal interest as they simply gazed into eachother's eyes. She blushed a little and held her hands behind her back, pretending not to be interested in him, even though she shot quick glances at him to see if he was still staring.

She's... beautiful. Even if Natsu hadn't admitted it to anyone or even himself before, he couldn't help but feel hopelessly infatuated by the sight of the blonde woman standing in front of him. Her hair, even if she hadn't brushed it this morning, fell down her back like a waterfall as it swayed slightly when she moved. Her body was even more curvaceous and thick than Yukino's, and it often subconsciously garnered his attention when she walked. It was like Natsu was finally defogging his eyes, and could see his friend clearly in the light he had never been able to see her in before.

Even as his eyes went soft and his heart beat loudly in his chest, a sense of anger arose inside of him along with his infatuation. How have I been so stupid as to not notice her like this before? he thought. Why isn't this girl mine? She has to be mine. Nobody else can have her, she belonged to me the day we met in Hargeon.

"Lucy, you love me right?" he asked, catching her off guard as she went red in the face for a moment, but ultimately nodded.

"Would you mind if I... took you as my own? I... can't bear to part ways with you, Lucy. Nobody else can have you but me." Natsu said, looking her fiercely in the eye as he edged closer to her.

"What- what are you saying..." she said nervously.

Natsu stopped moving and slammed his fist down on a wooden table, breaking it under the force of his hand as it splintered loudly. His skin was being replaced on and off by his red scales, and Lucy noticed his horns beginning to poke out of his head. Natsu tried to restrain himself, entering an incomplete form of his Primal Dragon Force as he tried to back himself into a corner so he wouldn't come any closer.

"I need an answer, now! I don't know if I can control myself! I love you, Lucy, and I want to claim you as my own, but I don't want to force it on you... just, don't come any closer..." he said, his claws leaving long scratch marks on the wall.

He wants to... mate with me? Lucy thought to herself. He loves me that much...

"Do you really love me that much, Natsu?" she asked as she took a step towards him.

"Y-Yes, so much that it hurts..." he said, clutching his chest.

Her eyes watering, she ran forward and pulled him close to her as she kissed him fiercely, and Natsu was taken by surprise but welcomed her soft lips. Just as he had kissed her on the night he "proposed" to her, he ran his clawed hand through her silky smooth blonde hair as she wrapped her legs around his back, running her fingers through his own hair. Natsu completely gave into temptation and pulled away from her slightly and his scales fluctuated with a red aura as he bit into her neck, drawing blood and causing her to yelp in pain. He licked at her fresh wound, healing it with his saliva as she breathed heavily in his arms as the guild looked on in complete awe.

"What the hell did I just watch..." Gajeel said, sweat dropping.

"It's just like a romance novel." Levy squealed as she clutched Pantherlily so tightly he was unable to breath.

"I thought he could only do that once?" Wendy asked.

"I'm sure there's some special exception. It is Natsu, after all." Lisanna said with a sigh.

Taking his new mate in his arms as she began to drift off to unconsciousness, he wrapped his beloved scarf around her neck and carried her upstairs to lay her down in bed. Kissing her on the forehead and returning downstairs, the guild just looked at him with the same dumbfounded expression as he yawned and sat down in a chair, leaning against the wall and saying to himself,

"Man, that takes a lot out of you. Mating is hard work."

"NATSU!" the guild roared, caused him to fall backwards and hit the floor with a thud.

"What?!" he asked in response.

"HOW CAN YOU DO THAT SO CASUALLY AND THEN SIT DOWN AND ACT LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED?!" Erza screamed at him.

"Mating is as natural as breathing to a dragon, and I'm tired! Sorry!" he said in an irritated tone.

"So... should we celebrate?" Cana asked, unsure of herself.

"I don't know. Should we be celebrating, Natsu?" Gray asked him.

"Sure. Oh, and if any of you touch Lucy while she's sleeping, I'll rip your throat out. Enjoy the partying!" he said, getting up off the floor and stepping out of the inn and walking out into the street, leaving a nervous vibe in the air.

What a great day to be alive! Natsu thought happily as he strode through the street with a grin on his face. Taking a short walk around Crocus, he returned to the inn to find that the party had already commenced, and people were jumping off tables and brawling as they usually did back in Magnolia. Going upstairs to check on Lucy, he entered her room and found his sister Alexia sitting at her bedside, watching her snore quietly.

"I didn't know Lucy snored." she said with a giggle.

"Yeah, only when she's really tired, though. Thanks for watching her." Natsu said, taking a seat on her bed next to his sister.

"Don't mention it. Isn't it about time for the next day of the Games to start?" she asked him.

"You're right, I completely forgot! But, I can't leave Lucy alone..." he said, looking down at her.

"It's okay, Onii-chan, I'll look after Lucy! You go on ahead, the guild needs you there beside them the most." Alexia said with a smile.

"Really? You'd do that for me?" Natsu said in disbelief.

"You sound surprised that I'd do you a favour. Besides, Lucy is my friend too." she replied.

"Thanks, Alexia! We'll win this thing for sure!" he shouted, flashing his trademark grin that he hadn't used in a while.

"I know we will. Now, get going!" she said, shoving him to the door as he waved goodbye. Assembling his guild, they piled out the door and set out for the arena, their faces full of determination.

Yukino... I'll win this for you, I promise.