I don't own Fairy Tail. Mashima Does.

I don't own the Pradesh Clan. Desna does (and thank you for them).

I own the Storyline. That's it.

Don't ask when I'm going to upload. I don't know. when the whim hits me, or I get enough extra written.

Finding The Starlight is...winding down. I'm not going to say "ending" because...there's a long road of emotional and Spiritual healing ahead, but actionwise? we've wound down to more of the emotional parts. Healing is never clean cut and takes time, pushes the mind and emotions to their limits until a person comes out...stronger, maybe.

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Three months. In those Three months many had healed, but Lucy had yet to wake up.

Natsu had been a large change, after working extendedly with Kaleb, he'd mellowed considerably. Especially after he realized what he'd done to his best friend. Could he even call her that now, after all he'd done? He wasn't really sure, but any chance he got, he was checking on her sleeping form. He'd even agreed with Cristoff on a surrogate that wasn't Lucy and they were waiting now to start their family.

There were so many little ones now, that the Fire Dragon Slayer had to be careful and aware of himself and his actions. It made Cristoff proud of his mate and with the New year coming up, he couldn't help but want to actually celebrate, despite the dire situation going on in a single guest room.

All of her friends had visited the comatose woman, telling stories of what they were doing. Yukino had broken down, crying and begging the other mage to wake up. She had exhausted herself and now with a growing child, she couldn't help her emotional state. Zen had carried her out, a look of guilt on his features towards the prone blonde.

Arman had spent the most time in the room, reading out loud. He could barely hear the whisper of the broken soul but it responded to voices. He'd failed Layla, but he would not fail Lucy. He spent hours reading, listening to the tiny sound of the broken soul as it listened to his voice. It had grown stronger over the months, but it wasn't even close to healed.

"Dad?" Cris poked his head into the door, "we're going down to the guild for the party, are you sure you don't want to come?"

The Ambassador smiled as he put the bookmark in the book and nodded, "yes, you all go and have fun." He chuckled, "find more surrogates, so I can have more grandbabies."

The lunar slayer couldn't help but roll his eyes and bit and smiled, "okay…we're a com call away if anything happens."

"Of course," He made a shooing motion and waited a few moments before he opened the book, "now…where were we? Ah…Right." The man smiled and cleared his throat, "….Lu-san waited no longer, but rose to dress herself. Her heart was burning with love for everything around her. She would tell her parents that she forgave them, tell them how she loved them still in spite of all their wickedness. To her surprise the ragged clothes were nowhere to be seen. In place of them she found on one side of the bed the most beautiful garments…"

The man smiled as he heard the small, tattered and broken soul let out a tentative little sound. Yes, the woman's love of books would be what would help heal her. He continued with the old tale, listening to the soul still seemingly unsure as it healed. He closed the book when he heard the fireworks and then smiled, "Happy New Year, Lucy."

Arman stood and then leaned over, gently kissing her forehead, "Come back when you are ready, everyone is worried, but do not rush, make sure you are steady enough to do so." With that, the man carefully lowered the nightstand light and then made one last check to tuck the woman in and opened the curtains, letting the moonlight fall onto the bed before he left, carefully and quietly closing the door behind him.

The man walked down hallways until he got to the library, carefully letting his fingers run over the spines before plucking out a few more books. He could do work easily without leaving the room and right now, things were settled…unless one counted Atla – and one never counted Atla – and even Joya was calm for the time being. He had time. Plenty of time and it was best for him to sit with the prone woman instead of his sons, all of whom felt different shades of guilt over her current state.

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Bickslow sat on the bed, blinking. It was a few weeks after New Years and he smiled as he let his magic curl over the very battered soul that rested in the blonde chest, "it's getting better.." he couldn't help but chuckle, "Fuck, Cosplayer…you're stronger than ya think…"

He moved to grab a brush from the nightstand and then slowly brush out the hair that was splayed over the pillow. He snorted softly; "we miss you, ya know?" he looked at the peaceful face, looking at the scars that ran down her neck. There was nothing that could be done, the strange marks had left pale scars along her body that Cris' magic just couldn't heal, marking that they had been there, even now. The woman had five dragons in pale lines along her skin, "Zen's broken up. He had lost himself and apparently whatever happened, he was ready to kill ya." He took a breath, "whatever happened, ya saved dad though, so thanks…I dunno what we'd do without him." He put the brush down and picked up her hand, giving it a squeeze, "get better Cosplayer…please. We need ya, all of us."

He smiled as he stood, "Dad's gonna come in soon, says he got a new book that ya might like to hear." He took a breath, "See ya soon, Cosplayer." The Seith turned and walked out, not noticing the small twitch of delicate fingers on the bed.

Arman entered the room an hour later and sat down, "Good afternoon, Lucy, feeling better?" He didn't expect a response, but he felt the soul react and smiled before he took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Good, we're all waiting…" He trailed off as the hand squeezed back, feeling a bit giddy. The woman was finally coming around and he looked at her hand for a moment, giving it another squeeze that was returned and then his eyes trailed to her face, watching as her nose scrunched a bit.

The man carefully put the book and her hand down, using his magic to direct his soft voice down to the kitchens, "Mister Elan, bring up a pot of tea, quickly and two cups." He smiled as he watched her face slowly move, the wriggle of the button nose and then shook his head as her hand slowly lifted. He watched the shaking arm as it slowly came up, flopping onto her face.

Lucy groaned as her hand hit her face. That was not what she wanted, but she was so…tired. So exhausted. Only the even and deep voice reading various books had kept her mind focused. She wasn't sure how long she'd fought her own inner demons, her own memories, trying to move past the feelings that they brought to her…and her own actions over…how long had it been? When she'd been told she could ask for anything, any one thing she'd been torn. She'd been told Aquarius' key would be reformed, so that wasn't anything to worry about, just searching. No, she'd asked if he could protect a soul from void shades. He said he might, but she would probably find the answer to that on her mission.

She sighed a bit as she laid there, mind processing still and then mumbled, "…lucky lucy, my ass." She coughed at the dryness of her throat.

Arman chuckled as he stood, moving to take the tea and shaking his head as the cook looked at the woman who was slowly sitting up, "not yet." He closed the door gently and then returned to the bedside, pouring two cups of the fragrant tea before carefully handing one to the woman.

Lucy sat there, holding the tea and then slowly brought it to her lips. Her brow furrowed at the shaking in her hands before she took a sip and set it back in her lap. It had taken so much energy to do to such a small thing and her features took on a crestfallen look.

"You will get stronger in time, you've been comatose for months, only so much can be done," Arman said softly as he sipped his own drink, watching the woman and gently feeling out for her soul. It was still weak, still in shambles, but it wasn't ready to fall apart as readily as it had been.

He gave her a soft smile as he set his tea aside and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Jade eyes watched her shaky hands bring the tea cup up and then he smiled as one of his own simply cradled the one that she had under it. He spoke softly, "it's fine to ask for help, I promise."

Jade eyes studied the woman for a long moment and he murmured, "Vander told me what you did.." He gently ran a hand through her hair and pulled her into a gentle hug, "Thank you, My dear, from the bottom of my heart, for saving my son, even at the great cost to yourself."

Lucy sat there and then sniffled before nodding. It took her a few moments before she softly started to cry, arms coming up and her fingers curled into the fabric of the man's shirt. The crying slowly got louder as she let out all the frustration and anger that she'd had for the last year and a half in her.

Arman just held the crying blonde, shifting only enough to put the tea cup on the bedside and then he gently rubbed her back, listening to her soul resonate with the sadness that was pouring out of her, "it's alright, let it out." He kept his voice soft, using his magic to dull the sounds in the room so no one would come rushing in. He'd grown attached to the young woman, despite not knowing much about her at all, hours upon hours spent, listening to her soul as he read out loud, listening to her slowly come out of a mental prison that the whole ordeal had put her through, it all made him quite fond of his old friend's daughter.