Natsu was driving me crazy.

He didn't know he was doing it, but he sure as hell was.

Occasionally, I'd be eating, and he'd swipe food right off my plate then eat right next to me.

And the only thing that would stop me was the fact that he looked cute with that mischievous grin on his face.

Plus, I was hopelessly in love with him.

If it had been Gray or Loke though, I would have cheerfully smashed their faces in for stealing what was mine.

And then there were times when he would prance around the guild construction site wearing nothing more than his pants and sandals, his muscles rippling beneath his glistening skin.

Of course, it had gotten to the point where he didn't sweat—cause no, sweating was not for someone as perfect as him—he freaking glistened.

Or when he would make a reckless comment that made my face heat up.

For example, the other day, after Aquarius gave me a thorough hiding for losing the keys, I went to the guild and started talking to Levi and Mirajane, complaining about my sore ass, when of course, Gray came up and offered to cool it down with ice, while Natsu commented loudly what my face would look like if he burned. My. Ass.

In that moment, I whipped around, my Celestial Gauntlet formed wordless and my fist reeled back in the air to smack him into oblivion when I actually saw his face. And it was as if the curve of his jaw, the cheeky arch of his eyebrows and his pointed teeth—the same pointed, dragon teeth that I had!—melted away all of my anger.

And I practically wilted there, closing my eyes and muttering through gritted teeth, "Not nice, Natsu." Then I lowered my arm and the stones fell limply around me, some bumping up against my black boots.

That day, I avoided him like the plague, and simply raised up stone walls wherever Master Makarov told me he needed them.

Natsu was driving me nuts.

And it wasn't that I was in denial.

I freaking new what I felt, I just didn't want him to know.

I was just, on some level, sickened with how unbelievably pathetic I was acting.

I mean, before I met Natsu and I was wandering all of Fiore by myself, I would kick ass and ask questions later. Guys weren't even on my mind for anything other then milking money and free punching bags.

But now, I was looking at Natsu and thinking about him with words like "cute," "adorable," and for Mavis' sake, "glistening"?

I never really considered myself to have ever been all that girly. I mean, I guess if Stelliana had never come into my life, then maybe I would have become a more polite, goody-two-shoes who liked all this girl crap and dating and magazines and fame.

Okay, so maybe I really liked the notoriety that came with Fairy Tail and the automatic fame status my name got once I got membership.

But hey, being human is like that.

So, on the day that Erza and I took a day off, she dragged me to an armor shop called Heart Kreuz.

And when I say dragged, I mean she asked me if I had the day off too, and before I even got to nod my head, she was grabbing me by the arm and dragging me around Magnolia.

But hell, I wasn't about to challenge her. I mean, we never got to do our fight, but from just knowing Erza, and protecting the guild together, I liked to think that we were on somewhat equal footing, even though she was two years older than me. And face it; no one really ever wanted to start any kind of fight with the Titania of Fairy Tail, except maybe Natsu.

When I walked in, I was really surprised though.

I expected the walls to be lined with weapons from floor to ceiling, but as it turned out, the front of the shop was a simple clothing shop.

Which made sense, considering that Heart Kreuz, from what little I knew about current fashion, was a popular retail store that many girls in Fiore raved about.

It was only when Erza led me to a back door that I finally got the whole "floor to ceiling weapons" treatment.

Even the ceiling was a giant weapon with netting made of chains on the ceiling with tons of daggers and scythes hanging down just waiting to decapitate someone.

"Erza-sama! Welcome!" called a little, crinkly voice from the back. When I turned on my heel, I was met with a tiny little man with huge round glasses about the size of Master with a top hat that practically reached the ceiling.

"Oh, hello there, Claudius-san," Erza said pleasantly, letting go of the huge monstrosity of a blade she had been caressing moments ago. "Do you have my order ready?"

"Of course!" Claudius said, giving a grandfatherly, toothless smile. Then he spotted me, standing like a frightened deer in the middle of a crap load of pointy objects. "And who is this young lady?"

"Lucy of Fairy Tail, sir," I said, nodding at him.

"Oh my," he said, putting a hand up to his chest. "You can't mean the Lucy? The Stone Maiden of Fairy Tail is in my shop? Erza-sama, you do me a great honor by bringing in all of your famous compatriots."

"It's nothing at all," Erza said, with no type of tact whatsoever, having pushed her red hair behind her ear and smiling. "I just brought her along for company, Claudius-san."

And while Erza was going over the pleasantries, I was giddy on the inside and freaking out over the fact that I finally got myself a title!

I mean, Natsu had "Salamander," Erza had "Titania" and Mavis only knows what other titles everyone in the guild had, but mine was Stone Maiden!

It sounded badass.

Then again, it wasn't really accurate. I mean, I wasn't just limited to stone, even though I had a preference for it, being the Celestial Dragon Slayer made it so I was something of a jack of all Celestial trades, not just stone.

But still, the fact remained: Stone Maiden just sounded badass!

I was marveling the awesomeness of my title while staring at a lethal looking trench knife when Erza walked up to me with her package in her hands and told me that we could leave.

We were walking into the retail part of the store when she started talking to me.

"You're very powerful, Lucy," she said slowly, with a smile. "And I'm proud of you. So is Master. Have you spoken to him about the S-Class Exams yet? Or do you plan on taking a mission to prove your power?"

Outside, some kids were kicking a ball around and running around merrily, kicking up delicious dust like no other.

I could only turn to her, my eyes wide. "Um, wow Erza. That means a lot coming from you"—she flipped her hand here and flashed her teeth disarmingly—"but what do you mean the S-Class Exams?"

"You have the option," she explained, gesturing with her hand. "To either take a mission with another S-Class individual and have your power evaluated like that, or take an exam, to determine whether or not you qualify to both carry the mantel of being one of Fairy Tail's best and to take on more dangerous missions."

I mulled it over in my head, crossing my arms over my midriff, "And you said I need to talk to Master about it?"

She nodded her head and when one of the kids sent the ball astray, she casually kicked it and ended up making it soar high above the rooftops, making the kids cry.

Of course, the Titania didn't really realize this and only kept moving along with me.

I nodded, "Alright, I'll ask Master his opinion on this! Man, that's going to be awesome!"

And in my head it sounded better.

Fairy Tail's Stone Maiden: an S-Class Mage!

Which is exactly how I found myself in front of Master, sitting in a wooden chair while he sat in his booster seat in his office.

We had gone over the pleasantries quickly, before I cracked down and started my case.

"So, um, Erza told me that I have the option of becoming an S-Class Mage?"

The Master paused, his hand was midway to reaching for a batch of cookies that Mirajane had brought in for us. "Yes, you can. It's curious that Erza mentioned it to you. I was planning on asking you about it myself."

It seemed that the day was full of surprises.

"See," he said, grabbing a chocolate chip cookie and munching on it quickly. "Given your performance with Erza during Phantom Lord's attack, both shielding the guild and assisting Natsu against Gajeel, prove to me that you have the power to become an S-Class Mage."

My eyes brightened up and I sat up in my seat a bit straighter.

"But," Oh why was there always a 'but'? "Being an S-Class mage is not only about the power. You must also show responsibility and the ability to make good decisions in a pressing situation. You must be aware that being such a high class mage also means that you will be taking lower-level mages out on mission, and as the captain of these missions, you will have both full responsibility if the mission fails and will have to carry the immense guilt if any of them get hurt because of one of your orders."

My soul wilted a bit at the guilt trip and I bit my lip.

"It takes significant power of both body, mind and soul to be an S-Class Mage. Are you sure you can handle it, Lucy Heartfilia?"

"Lucy of Fairy Tail, sir," I corrected quickly.

"Huh?" he said, pushed off of his lectern by my correction.

"I'm Lucy of Fairy Tail, sir. Not Lucy Heartfilia. The moment I decided to join Fairy Tail, I cut all ties from my family. I don't think of myself as a Heartfilia anymore...I belong to Fairy Tail now, and hopefully I'll be in Fairy Tail until the day I die."

There was a faint blubbering sound, and when I looked down, the master was crying his eyes out and had whipped out a handkerchief and started wailing loudly like the day that we won against Phantom Lord and the Magic Council had come bearing down on us.

Then he whipped out my Fairy Tail Identification card, grabbed a peacock quill, dabbed it in ink, and wrote in letters that spewed magic: "S-Class Mage."

My jaw dropped: it was that easy? I didn't even need to do a test?

The master honked his nose loudly into the handkerchief then said: "It is clear, from your undeniable loyalty to Fairy Tail, from your ability to cast magic powerful enough to help Erza stop a Magical Convergent Cannon, from your ability to assist your Nakama in even the most dire situations that you deserve to be an S-Class Mage. Erza recommended you to me after the Galuna Island Mission, and though Natsu should not have dragged you into it, her report is clear in your recommendation."

"In addition to that, assisting Erza, Gray and Natsu in defeating Lullaby…Lucy, in just a few months, you have proved your worth, your intelligence, you ability to adapt…You deserve to be an S-Class Mage!"

With that he got up and pulled me outside of his office, and I was grinning like a fool.

He pulled me up in front of the whole guild, and I could hear how silent everyone went, dropping his or her construction tools then Master announced it.

"Everyone! We have a new S-Class Mage! Lucy of Fairy Tail!"

It was only when I heard the roaring cheers that I finally came back to awareness and pumped my fist into the air, cheering!

Of course, it wouldn't be Fairy Tail without the huge celebrations and breaking out of beer barrels. The first person my eyes sought out was Erza, and when I found her, I jumped off the stack of wood Master had been standing on with me, and started thanking her as much as possible, bowing my head and everything.

She could only smile and tell me, "You deserved it, Lucy."

Right as I was going to keep on talking to her though, a pink and blue blur tackled me to the floor. "LUCY!"

I grinned at them, but then my grin melted off when I saw the determined look on Natsu's face.

"Lucy, fight me!"

And I think my heart shattered into a million pieces then.

Ever since that day that Master promoted me to an S-Class Mage, I had been getting never-ending duel requests from Natsu, and I always told him no.

It came down to the point that one day, while I was at our house, washing the dishes, that he ambushed me and asked again.

Of course, I said 'no,' like always, but right after, he began assaulting me with questions about how I had done it.

And I snapped on him.

"Natsu, calm the hell down. Maybe if you actually worked on training and not harassing the Master to promote you to an S-Class position, then maybe he will one day! I mean, all you do is annoy the crap out of the other mages! Have you ever stopped to think that I am considerably weaker than you? So why the hell would Master promote me and not you? Just think about that, and when you find the answer, then maybe you'll finally get promoted!"

And with that, I stormed out of the house with my knapsack, trudging through all the crinkly dead leaves, as twilight broke dusty and pink.

Of all the people in the world, I had expected Natsu to be proud of me.

And everything that I told him was the truth.

I had even asked Master why he chose me and not Natsu, and the answer was plain and simple.

Natsu didn't know when to stop a fight. He would keep going until he was either run into the ground or until he won. And since no one else except another Dragon Slayer could keep up with his stamina, any team he would lead as an S-Class Mage would probably get thoroughly beaten up, especially since Natsu had a flair for the more dangerous missions.

It really sucked though.

I wanted at first to celebrate my being an S-Class Mage by taking Natsu out on an S-Class mission with me, and then I had planned on telling him exactly what he needed to work on so he could be promoted with me, but his continuous outbursts practically yelled at me why Erza, nor the elusive Gildarts and Mystogan, or Laxus had ever recommended him for promotion.

I made a beeline toward Fairy Hills.

I loved Natsu…

But he was so childish!

I did love him…right?

I loved his childish smile.

I loved his power.

I loved his ability to pump up an entire room.

I loved how sweet he could be.

But I hated how bullheaded he could be sometimes.

In no time at all, I had reached Fairy Hills, and had even managed to stumble up to Erza's room.

When she opened the door, her eyes widened, and I wiped the tears away from my face.

"Um, hello, Erza, uh, can I stay here for awhile?"

"Yes, Lucy, of course," she ushered me in. I stumbled a bit and bit my lip, not even noticing that her dorm was easily five times the size of the other rooms I had seen on my way up. "What happened Lucy? Is there someone I need to go annihilate for you?"

I shook my head, "No. I just…I just don't think it's a good idea for me to stay with Natsu for a while. I really hate to impose but can I please just…live here for a bit? I have nowhere else to go, and I really trust you the most right now, Erza."

I didn't talk to Natsu after that. In fact, I avoided him whenever I could. So much, that I bet he never even saw me getting missions or anything.

I took to summoning Plue more often. The particular part of town that I had been walking back from was a little strip filled with hot springs and restaurants, and delicious smells. I was munching on a stone and talking to Plue about how the client from our latest mission was a total pervert when I spotted Loke looking a bit sickly and wiping sweat off his brow.

I waved at him and called out his name, jogging up to him.

"Hey, Loke!" I said, smiling and kind of glad he didn't run away from me for once. "I wanted to thank you for returning my keys to me after the incident with Phantom Lord!"

He looked at me through the lenses of his sunglasses, running his hand through his orange hair, his rings glinting with the light of the moon.

"It's no problem," he mumbled, looking like he was going to pass out. "Why don't I buy you lunch? I never congratulated you for being promoted."

I nodded, "That sounds good, where to?"

Where we ended up at was a small barbecue place that you entered by ducking your head under the flaps, and ordered your food while sitting on a stool at the bar. The chef in front of us was a middle-aged guy with a receding hairline and eyebrows so arched that they made him look permanently surprised. I ordered a small plate of roasted vegetables and tofu, while Loke got himself ramen with three slices of pork.

We ate amicably, making small talk. He told me a few funny stories about the girls he had gone on dates with and I laughed every single time.

"You know, you're not such a bad guy, Loke," I said, patting my full stomach.

"Who said I ever was?" he said, smirking. "The ladies love me!"

I giggled, the sobered up, "I've been meaning to ask you for a while, but... What exactly is the deal with you and Stellar Spirit mages? ...If you don't want to tell me, that's okay... But you know, I'm not like other spirit mages, for obvious reasons."

The smirk fell off his face so fast I very near got whiplash. "Yeah... I know that. I'm sorry... really... If I've been bothering you, I apologize. You should just forget about me," he mumbled woefully.

"What's with that? You sound like you're breaking up with a girlfriend or something!" I griped frowning, crossing my arms underneath my breasts.

Then I sighed when he didn't respond.

"Well, whatever. I was just wondering... Thanks again for returning my keys to me. You're really nice, you know? Besides, you can say what you like, but we're still Nakama in the end, you know?" I said, smiling at him pleasantly. Then I got up to leave. "Well, then, I'll just be—"

But then Loke was standing up and had me wrapped up in his arms, his forehead resting on my shoulder while I stared at a point in the wall intensely, my eyes bulging.

"What the—?"

"Lucy..." he mumbled, causing little shivers where his breath fanned across my skin.

"Y—yes?"

"I... don't have long left to live," he said so quietly I might have missed it.

I could only mutter the ever coherent, "Huh?"

"There's only...a little more life left in me…" he said dramatically.

I could only stare transfixed at the spot in the wall.

Then I noticed his little giggling laughter.

"What the hell is the meaning of this?" I roared, shoving him in the chest.

He could only start hooting and cackling.

"You fell for it, huh?" he said as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

All I felt was a familiar sense of betrayal, and the sound of blood pumping in my ears.
"That was a trick to seduce women. A trick that elicits tears... So? Surprised?" he said, grinning at me.

But I promptly wiped that stupid asshole grin off of his face when I clipped him in the jaw with a punch that sent his head reeling backwards. "I HATE THOSE TYPES OF PRANKS! Come on, Plue, we're leaving!"

And I grabbed the little dog spirit and ran out of there back to Fairy Hills.

The next day, I found myself staying cooped up in Erza's dorm, having denied her request to go on a mission with her, and summoned my spirit Crux to find me information between Loke and whatever Celestial Wizard had messed him up and Plue to keep me company.

I asked him my questions and when I got my answers, I was stunned.

So stunned, that I dismissed Crux, bundled Plue up in my arms, then started walking out of Fairy Hills.

It was a little while longer that I spotted Gray running up to me, shirtless.

"Lucy! Come help us look for Loke! He quit Fairy Tail!"

"WHAT?" I yelled.