Ahhhhh, what a great time to be alive~! DRAGON CRY IS OUT, WOOT WOOT! I haven't had the opportunity to see it yet because I live in America, but OMGGG, it comes to theaters June 6th and I think my heart might absolutely explode from happiness!

And not only that, but, Y'ALL...Nalu Week is upon us! AHHHHHHHH! Holy crap! I can't believe it's been a year already since the last NaLu Week! Wow wow wow! Anyways, so I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm going to be trying to bust out some quick chapters before I dive into the commitment of NaLu week! I plan on participating in one way or another for each prompt! So my chapters might be a litttleee shorter once that time comes, but I'll definitely still be releasing chapters for sure! Never fret!

Ooooh, also, I'm making an art piece for the Final Anniversary Fairy Tail project T^T wow...saying 'final anniversary' literally just broke my heart...I guess soon we're all going to be relying on fanfictions a lot more, huh? T^T ten chapters left of the manga?! WTF...you guys, I'm so sadddddddd...ughhhh. But hey, we'll get through it together, won't we? D:

Anywho, okay, enough jabbering! Enjoy the chapter...or don't, it's kind of a rough one D:

I have some more things to say at the end, so make sure to read to the bottom!:D

Allons-y~

Not even a second after her announcement, Spetto was ripped out of the doorway, tossed to the side as if she had no more value than a rag doll. Lucy bristled with anger. However, before she could move in to help the poor woman to her feet, the doorway was once again filled, this time with a different body, blocking her way inside.

Lucy didn't pay the body any mind at first, defiantly averting her gaze from the tall figure to make sure Spetto made it to a standing position on her own. Once the woman was up, their eyes connected only briefly before Spetto shook her head sadly and scurried away into the dark halls of the estate.

Lucy took a deep breath. It was now or never. Slowly, her eyes traveled up the body of the man before her, a body that seemed much too thin to be considered healthy, until they landed on his face.

He wore a suit that surely cost more than all of Lucy's possessions combined, though that was the only thing about this man that seemed put together. His slicked-back blonde hair was sticking out in some places, giving him a disheveled, somewhat crazed look. But his eyes were what stuck out the most. They were set in a glare, fixated on her with a look that she supposed was meant to be threatening, but inside them…it was as though they were twinkling. Lucy couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she immediately dismissed the idea that it was tears causing his eyes to sparkle. There was no way her father was actuallycrying over seeing Lucy for the first time in over a decade. No, not when he was looking at her with such contempt. Not possible.

She held his gaze evenly. He's here. She addressed the others, hoping that her mind's voice didn't sound too shaky. If it did, no one commented on it.My father's here.

It was Natsu's voice that responded, filling her head with the warmth that he normally carried with him everywhere. Just take it slow. You're doing great, Lucy. We're right behind you.

Calmed by Natsu's voice, Lucy took a small step forward. "Hi." She began awkwardly. She cleared her throat before continuing. "I, um, I'm Lucy. And I hear you've been looking for me."

Her father's eyes widened fractionally, a look of fear coming and going in an instant. Then his face smoothed out, once more becoming void of all emotion aside from mild distaste.

He moved for the first time since laying eyes on her, gesturing inside the house stiffly. "Come. I've been expecting you to arrive. You've kept your mother and I waiting too long."

At that, he turned tail and disappeared into the dark house, not even checking to make sure she'd follow.

Lucy's jaw dropped. That was it? That was the way her father, whom she'd been led to believe was dead, greeted her after a lifetime of being apart? That was her lovely father daughter reunion?

She had to admit, she didn't expect much, especially not after all the terrible things she'd heard about this man. But she definitely expected something a little…more.

She had half a mind to turn around and leave, not wishing to give that vile human being even a moment more of her time. But she wasn't there for herself, or to have a touching reunion with her old man. She was there for a very different reason, and a few of his words were the only thing that drove her forward. 'You've kept your mother and I waiting too long…'

So Lucy huffed angrily and begrudgingly followed Jude into the building, with a scowl directed straight into his back.

You guys were right. He's a dick. Lucy growled telepathically.Let's just hope he's a dumbass too. So far he doesn't seem suspicious.

Whoa. Never thought we'd see the day Lucy would use such language. Gray teased in an attempt to lighten her mood. Fairy Tail must be rubbin' off on you more than we thought.

Just remember what we're here for, Lu. Levy sent sadly. This will all be over soon.

Natsu was surprisingly silent, though Lucy could feel a burning anger emanating through the connection that she assumed belonged to him. He probably figured that staying silent was better at the moment than saying something that could potentially rile Lucy up and cause her to lose her composure.

Jude led her down winding, dimly lit hallways. She couldn't help but notice how cold the building felt, and not just temperature wise. The hallways were barren, empty of any and all decorations. There wasn't even a single picture frame to be found, despite the walls being filled with nails jutting out here and there, indicating that anything that had been hanging up in the past had long since been removed. It just felt…lifeless.

And the house wasn't the only thing that was lifeless. Aside from the rudely barked order he directed toward a few servants as they passed, Jude was completely silent as he robotically marched through the house. He remained quiet as he led her around corners, through halls, and down stairs until they arrived at what Lucy assumed was the basement floor. She, on the other hand, wasnot silent. Not really, anyway. She telepathically repeated each and every turn they made back to Team Rescue, assuring that they knew where she was at all times,and assuring she was never alone.

We're going down into the lower floor now. The three servants I mentioned earlier are the only people that I've seen so far, including Spetto, and he asked them to prepare a meal. Except I guess saying that he 'asked' is the understatement of a century…Lucy glowered into Jude's back as she recalled the way he'd nearly screamed the command. Anyway, so they should be in the kitchen. I'm not sure how many others are wandering around though. My father surely doesn't seem the type to enjoy company. And this place is like a freaking dunge-

"Who have you been keeping in touch with?" Jude asked, interrupting Lucy's silent conversation.

Her blood ran cold as she came to an abrupt stop. "W-what?" She shook her head. "N-no one, I-"

"Do not stutter, it is unbecoming."

Lucy's mouth snapped shut instantly. Her teeth ground together painfully in order to prevent herself from going off on this arrogant man she'd only just met. What an ass!

Jude continued without a care in the world. "Since you've been here. Who have you been in touch with?"

Lucy didn't respond right away, finally earning herself an actual glance from her dear father. It was a sideways glance, but hey, who cares about the details? Besides, right now she was in trouble…Jude knew she was talking to someone. They'd been found out. What should she do? What should she say? Or maybe they hadn't actually been caught at all…maybe Jude was just trying to scare her into confessing something. Either way, she'd never sell out her friends. Neglecting to say anything was her best option right now. She just hoped that her expression displayed indifference as opposed to fear.

He looked at her for only a moment before letting out a noise of frustration. "Well?" He pushed. "You've been here a while, have you not? Surely you couldn't have survived on your own."

Lucy's eyes widened fractionally, ignoring the obvious jab at her survival skills. So that's what he was really asking…panic surged through her racing heart as she deliberated her response.

He wants to know where I've been staying. I don't know what to say… Lucy admitted to the others. What if it's a setup? What if he's trying to figure out who knows that I'm here or something? He could be setting up a trap for the guild and-

Tell him. Natsu's voice finally filled her mind with a low growl.Tell him, Lucy. I want him to know exactly who your family is. Fairy Tail can handle anything he sends our way.

Lucy stopped herself from nodding, but she couldn't help the way her lips pulled up in a little smirk. Of course Natsu would say that…and of course it would fill Lucy with the courage necessary to answer her dad.

But apparently not quickly enough. Jude turned fully around, his almost-nonexistent patience finally running dry. "Look, child, when I ask you a question I expect to be-"

"Actually, I'm not a child." Lucy interrupted with a hard look. She was gaining more confidence by the second by repeating Natsu's words in her mind. "If you remembered my birthday, you'd know I turned eighteen over a month ago. But that's irrelevant to your question, isn't it,father?" Lucy let his irritated, semi-shocked expression sink in for only a moment before continuing. "But since you expect an answer, a guild took me in when I first arrived here. They've been wonderful to me ever since. I'm very thankful." She spoke as formally as possible, but only so that she could imitate the tone of a prissy, prestigious, and obedient girl. She even threw in a little curtsy just to spite him. Yes, she'd definitely found her courage, alright. "Does that answer suit you better?"

She heard Natsu's hearty laughter clear as day, as if he were standing right beside her facing the man known as her father only through blood, and it fueled her further along. So when Jude didn't miss a beat by asking 'what guild?' through clenched teeth, her answer was nearly automatic.

Lucy raised her hand with a proud smile, showing off her pink emblem and her unbecoming scar. "Fairy Tail." She answered with bravado. "The best wizarding guild in all of Fiore. And I'm lucky enough to be a part of it." Her smile softened with adoration. "They're like family to me."

Her adoring smile didn't last. Jude took one look at the mark on her hand and scoffed, which brought anger to a boil within Lucy once more. "Fairy Tail?" He spat with repulsion. "That rag tag group of misfits? They can hardly be considered your friends, let alone your family." Jude ran a hand through his unkempt hair. "This is why I had so many people searching for you. I knew if you were left alone, you'd be incapable of making rational decisions, just like your mother. Now I have to find someone to remove that godawful mark from your skin. You've already ruined it enough with whatever mutilation made that scar, and now that mark too?"

Lucy froze.

There were so many things, so manyterribly inappropriate things, that she wanted to say. So many terribly inhumane things she wantedto do. But not one thing seemed able to escape her. She was completely frozen.

How could anyone say all of that? How could anyone think so little of Fairy Tail? Or think so little of feelings in general. How could he speak so little of her mother? And then threaten to remove her guild mark! And doesn't he know that she only had a scar in the first place because of the people he hired to find her? This man was a wretched man, so much so that it shocked Lucy into absolute stillness…for the moment.

"Close your mouth, don't gape at me like that." He barked. "Now, come. I'll have someone bring the right equipment later to remove that stain."

An unintelligible stream of curse words rang through the mental connection, from two very different voices, overlapping one another in their fury. Their thoughts and emotions were running so wild that Lucy and Natsu didn't even seem to realize that they were relaying their cursing through the connection, let alone thatboth of them were doing so.

Jude turned tail once more and continued moving down the hall.

Lucy stayed put. Good thing, too. If she had moved even an inch, she probably would have blindly attacked her father from behind, and Natsu taught her better than that during their training. Never attack an opponent from behind. So she stayed still. But at least she'd finally found the word she wanted to say.

"No." She stated dangerously.

Jude stopped. His head didn't move to turn back her way. He just…stopped. "Excuse me, what?"

"I didn't stutter, father. No." Lucy stood her ground even as he turned her way and walked back until he was standing directly in front of her. She glared up at him all-the-same. "I'm not going anywhere with you, and I'm sure as hell not leaving my guild or removing my guild mark. I came here for my mom." Lucy bit her tongue right before saying Erza's name and blowing their entire cover. "Don't be disillusioned."

A hand lifted quickly, and Lucy braced for a hard smack. She prided herself in never wavering her hold on his eyes, despite the hand coming towards her. But a slap surprisingly never came. Jude simply stared at Lucy with wide eyes, his hand raised in the air as if he wanted to reach out and touch her face. She thought she saw his eyes begin to sparkle once more, but he looked away before she had the chance to find out.

"Fine." He spoke lowly, his expression darkening. "I'll take you to your mother." He turned around as if he were about to take off again. Before he took a step, however, he whispered. "You're just like her…"

For a moment, a small, fraction of a moment, Lucy thought he sounded sad. But then she remembered all of the nasty things he'd literally just said to her face, and she removed any such thoughts of sadness from her mind. She didn't have a chance to ponder too deeply about it anyway before he began walking at a pace that would lose Lucy in minutes if she didn't keep up.

Lucy? You good? That guy really was a dick..

Lushi…I hope all his fish are rotten for the rest of his life.

Hey, Lu…are you okay?

Oi, shrimp, quit crowdin' her mind.

You guys…I think it's getting a little loud in here.

Voice after voice invaded her mind, talking over one another in their desperation to check on her, pressing on until she felt a headache beginning to form. She knew her friends meant well, but when all of this noise entered her mind at once, it got a little overwhelming. It's not like she could cover her ears or do anything to get away from it. Until finally…

SHUT UP! Natsu shouted, causing everyone to flinch. Lucy was grateful that her father hadn't been looking at her while it happened, that would have definitely seemed suspicious.Damn, you guys're loud.

You're one to talk, idiot. Gray grumbled.

Excuse me, I just wanted to make sure Lu was alright! Levy shot back at the same time that Gray insulted Natsu.

Shrimp, yer doin' it again…

OW! Why'd you hit me out of everyone, flame head?!

'Cause you were annoyin' me the most! Natsu shot back.Luce is fine. She's doin' great so far and she's fine. Got it? Leave her alone and let her focus on the mission.

Lucy smiled softly. Natsu had her back, even when he wasn't with her. He knew she wouldn't want to talk about the things that just transpired with her father, not yet anyway. He knew she'd want space to cool down, and gather her thoughts before having them bombarded by everyone else's… She'd have to be sure to thank him later when this was all over.

I'm fine, guys. I promise. She assured the others before noticing that her father was slowing down his pace.

A few feet later, he'd stopped in front of two giant, ornately designed, wooden doors. There were an obscene amount of locks in place, and Jude swiftly began undoing each one. It wasn't until the last lock clicked open that Lucy truly realized what she was going to find behind these doors. In her angry state, she'd almost entirely forgotten where he was taking her…she'd almost forgotten who he was taking her to see.

Jude swung the door inward and Lucy took one peep inside. It was all over from there. It was like a bucket of cold water was dumped over Lucy's head, waking her up from a nightmare in the sharpest way possible.

She didn't have time to gape at the largest in-home library she'd ever seen. She didn't have time to marvel at the vast, seemingly limitless, amount of books. She didn't have time to consider how her feelings had went from night to day in a instant after looking from one parent to the other.

She didn't have time for anything, really. Not beforeliterally launching herself deep into the library at a speed that would surely make Natsu proud.

"Mom!" Lucy crashed into her mother's body with little to no grace as they toppled to the ground.

"Lucy?!" Layla's voice was incredulous as her daughter patted her from top to bottom, assessing her for injuries, and unashamedly assuring herself that her mom was real. Really real, like, in the flesh, real. And aside from a thick, heavy chain fastened around her ankle to keep her in place, Layla seemed completely unharmed.

It only took a heartbeat before Layla started doing the same to Lucy.

Lucy realized belatedly that tears were streaming down both their faces as they gripped onto one another for dear life. Her mom seemed to be floundering for words, but could only stare at Lucy with wonder and many mixed, unspoken emotions.

Lucy thanked every star in the universe that her mom was alive. That she was here. That after so, so long, they were finally reunited once more. It was like a slide show began playing in her mind, reliving every moment they'd ever laughed together, or cried together, or experienced anything beautiful together. Lucy had a lot of things to question, and a lot of things to say…but this woman was her mother. And despite the faults of her past, Lucy could never look at Layla any differently than that.

A door slammed behind Lucy, instantly popping the bubble of relief she'd formed around her and her mom.

It seemed to bring Layla back to the present in the same instant. Her eyes grew wide. "Lucy…h-how?" Fear seeped into her expression as the sound of locks clicking reached their ears.

Lucy turned around to see that her father had already retreated, swiftly fastening the locks back into place as he went. Good riddance. She didn't want him spoiling her reunion with her mother anyway.

But his absence only meant that she had to move fast. Even though she wanted nothing more than to stay with her mom, and to never leave her side again, she knew there was more to be done.

"Luce, w-why are you…here?" Layla's breathing quickened. "Oh, God, you're here. Do…do you…do you know where-?" Layla couldn't finish the question.

Her words were immediately cut off when Lucy pulled a necklace of keys out of her shirt. Layla's eyes glued themselves to the small objects, and breath seemed to escape her altogether.

It wasn't until Lucy lifted her one golden key and called upon the spirit it belonged to that Layla finally found her voice.

"Leo…" She breathed barely in a whisper as the smoke disappeared, revealing the orange-haired spirit.

Loke exchanged a serious look with Lucy before turning to Layla. He reached for her hand, which she allowed to be taken in her shock, and placed a quick peck right on top. "Layla." He gave her a small, half grin as he released her hand. "It's been a while."

Layla was pale as a sheet, resembling a ghost while her expression was of someone who'd just seen one.

"Loke. I have to go." Lucy said in a rush. She rose to her feet and stepped away from her mother.

"What?" Layla's head snapped to the side. She went to reach for Lucy, to pull her daughter back into the safety of her arms, but she was just out of arm's length.

Lucy smiled once at her mom, and she hoped it conveyed everything she wanted to say but didn't have time for right now. Then her face grew serious and her eyes reconnected with Loke's.

"Stay with her, please. Keep her safe. If someone realizes I'm gone and they come for her, you know what to do."

"What?!" Layla repeated, only louder. She started pulling on her chain in the hopes that she could break it with her strength alone. "Lucy, you are not going anywhere. No."

"Of course, princess." Loke grinned, but it didn't reach his eyes. Lucy knew he probably hated having to ignore Layla. And after everything they've been through, this probably wasn't exactly how he'd imagined their reunion to be either. "And the others? They know what you're doing right now?"

Lucy tapped her temple as she said, "I'm filling them in as we speak."

I found her. I found my mom. She reported

Lu, that's so great! I'm so happy for-

Loke is staying with her. They're in a library. Lucy interrupting, moving on to tell the rest of her plan before her friends could get too excited for her. She knew that a little bit of anger would be coming soon…

And of course, Natsu was the one that responded, catching on to what she was saying immediately.

What's that s'posed to mean? You're staying there too until we get in there.

Lucy was already pulling the King's Key off her necklace and replacing it with Loke's as she responded. I know that was the plan, but it'd just save time if I kept looking while you guys sneak in. I found my mom, but I haven't seen Erza yet, or found any of the zodiac keys. No one's been suspicious of me, so as long as I don't bump into my father I could just play dumb if I get caught wandering around. Say I got lost or something. Besides, Tartaros isn't here. It's just been workers so far. This place is huge, staying in the library to wait for you guys would just waste time.

But Lu, Levy began hesitantly. Part of the reason you were going in alone was to see if you could get any information out of your father about Zeref or Tartaros. And we were supposed to sneak in while he was distracted talking with you.

Lucy had been prepared for someone to say that, answering immediately with her response. Trust me, Lev. That man isn't going to be telling me anything. He can't even look me in the eye. There's no way he's going to sit and have a civil conversation with me. Waiting around hoping for something that won't happen is just wasting our time.

Lucy. Natsu growled her name, but she was already holding the key out in front of her.

"Lucy, stop!" Her mom begged, pulling on her chain with even more vigor than before. She could now see the King's Key in Lucy's hands, and she knew exactly what it could do…

"I have a friend that's in danger here, mom." Lucy's eyes connected with Layla's momentarily before she turned her back altogether. "I won't leave them behind. I don't see how anyone could do that…"

Layla was struck speechless, eyes wide from the verbal smack across the face, giving Lucy the opportunity to say one last thing to Loke. "Try and do something about that chain if you can, Loke. It'd be better if she could run just in case the need arises."

Then, without so much as waiting for a response, Lucy teleported herself out of the library and into the hallway with the help of the King's Key.

Once she was on the other side of the library's door, she leaned against it, taking a moment to calm her racing heart and catch her breath.

Good news. She announced. I just used the King's Key to get out of the library and I only feel a little tired. Like I just need a cup of coffee, nothing too crazy. Looks like the second origin definitely paid off. Thanks for that, Jellal.

No need for thanks. He responded wearily.

Having regained her composure, Lucy pushed off the door and began her way back down the hall. Any ideas where to look for Erza, Lev?

It took Levy a moment before responding. I would have assumed the basement…creepy dungeon style, ya know? But you said you're already there…so I guess for now, just check every room you can?

Deal. Lucy replied. She'd already made it to the end of the hallway she was in, so she decided she'd better start from there.

Lucy began opening doors as she went, flipping on light switches to peek inside before returning them to their usual state. She found it strange that Natsu wasn't giving her anymore push-back for going off on her own. Not that she was complaining about that or anything…he just wasn't usually the silent type. She wished that she could see what was happening on their side, but knew she was more useful here.

She tried to focus on the task at hand, pushing her thoughts of Natsu and the others to the back of her mind as she checked offices, spare bedrooms, storage closets, bathrooms, and so on. She once again found herself disgusted with the sheer enormity of the estate she was in, wondering why on Earthland someone needed such a large house to themselves. And she was only on one floor.

She reached the other end of the hallway with no luck. She decided to give her report to the others just as she was opening the very last door and peeking inside. Looks like I'm going to have to go up, Erza's not in any of these roo－wait...

Lucy squinted into the coat closet, pushing the gaudy clothing to the side to get a better look into the back. Sure enough, safely tucked away behind all of the jackets was a small, wooden door.

Despite the horrible seriousness of the situation, Lucy's heart quickened with excitement. This was kind of cool, right? All things considered...she just found a secret doorway! Lucy allowed herself to feel adventurous and giddy for just a moment before focusing once more.

I found something. It might not be anything other than more storage, but there's a doorway hidden in the back of a coat closet. I'm going to-

A deafening screech of an alarm cut into Lucy's words, ringing over and over again, loudly echoing throughout the entire estate.

Lucy's eyes shot open wide and a hand flew to her heart as if it might help calm her down. What happened? Is everyone okay?!

We're fine. Levy answered. Gajeel, Lily, Jellal, and I are still outside, and Warren is back at the rendezvous spot…but everyone else went in…Natsu wouldn't wait, he was worried, and the others-

This wasn't us. Gray replied back. We didn't set off anything.

That means someone knows we're here. Juvia finished Gray's unspoken thought.

Or someone realized I'm missing. Lucy pushed open the secret door.Which means we have even less time now. I'm going down.

Luce, wait! I'm coming down to the basement. Natsu begged, finally speaking up now that his plan was ratted out. If I could find the stupid place. He growled. Who needs a freakin' house this big?!

Natsu, where are you guys? Levy asked calmly. If you tell me where you are I can guide you down to Lucy. I memorized the blueprints of the house, remember?

I don't know who to thank for that big brain of yours, Levy, but you're a lifesaver. Natsu responded before Gray began describing their whereabouts to Levy.

Lucy, however, was already making her way into the hidden room. Waiting for Natsu was costing her time. And besides, Levy was leading them to her at that very moment. There was no harm in her going on ahead…The secret door led her into a damp, stone stairwell, like something out of a cliche horror movie, but Lucy purposefully ignored that comparison.

She trotted down the steps as quickly and carefully as she could without toppling face first. Once she reached the bottom it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. There was only a small amount of light leaking in from the top of the stairs, and Lucy unfortunately didn't have the superb eyesight that Natsu had.

When her eyes finally adjusted, she was able to make out faint silhouettes in the darkness. There only seemed to be a small table with one lone chair, and, off in the far corner, a form that could only be someone's body.

I'm in the hidden room. There's someone here…

Lucy edged closer, feeling a bit safer knowing that the others were on their way. "H-hello?"

When the person didn't respond, Lucy inched further in. There was something strange about the way the person was standing. It was like they were holding their hands above their head.

Curse this dark lighting...She wished she could be a dragon slayer right about now…but nevertheless, she pushed herself forward. So far the person seemed harmless enough.

After taking one more step forward Lucy could finally make out a distinct characteristic of the person in front of her. Red hair. Long, beautiful red head, despite how matted and disheveled it was at the moment.

"Oh, God, Erza!" Lucy rushed forward, throwing caution to the wind now that she knew it was her friend in front of her.

Guys, I-I found her, I found Erza!

When Lucy was standing right before the redhead, she finally figured out why her position seemed so strange. She was unconscious, her head lulled forward, and the only thing keeping her upright was the chains trapping her hands high above her head.

This is bad…I don't know what they've been doing to her, but we have to get her down. Natsu, hurry.

Lucy's eyes watered as she peered up at her comrade. "Oh, Erza, I'm so sorry." Her voice cracked as she reached forward to place a gentle hand on Erza's arm.

However, the moment Lucy's fingertips barely grazed the soft skin of her arm, Erza violently thrashed out of reach, a scream of agony tearing through her vocal chords.

Lucy stumbled back in surprise, resulting in herself tripping over her own feet and falling to the ground. "E-Erza?!" She watched helplessly as her friend thrashed about as if she were experiencing pain beyond Lucy's imagination.

Natsu…Erza, she…something's wrong…Lucy tried to gather her thoughts to form some sort of logical sentence to report to the others. But it was in that moment that she realized something even worse.

How long had it been since she heard Levy giving the others directions?

How long had it been since Natsu had responded to her?

How long had she not been alone…?

"Well, well…What do we have here?" An amused voice came from directly behind Lucy, the very breath of the stranger sending hot waves of air against her neck, as well as terrified chills down her spine. "Is this a new toy, perhaps?"

Ah, ah, ahh...sooooo, first impression of Jude isn't exactly the best, huh? T^T

What did you guys think? Any predictions? Lucy reunited with her mom! Even though it wasn't for very long:( Lucy had a mission, and a sense of urgency to complete it so they couldn't relish in the comfort of being reunited just yet!

Lucy also found Erza there at the end:) butttt, not exactly in the great condition that her mom was in...any ideas who was in the room with Lucy? Or what's wrong with Erza?

Let's hear the theories!

And now, onto the replies~

ThayetJade: Ahhhhh, no, dear, YOU say the sweetest things:D That's why I was so appreciative! ^_^ Tehehe, ahhh, blushing?! That means I definitely said something right!:D I hope you're having a wonderful day/night! And thank you for saying that :3

peacerockgirl123: Oh, wow! I hope your finals went well! They're over and done with now, which meannsssss, time to relaxxxx and enjoy yourself and take a much needed break from your studies! And holy cow, wow, I'm so happy I could help relieve some stress even a little bit! That makes me beyond happy to hear! Hehe, yessss, the fluff is real! Gah, I just adore those two little dorks! Writing them makes me so happy! And OH GIRL... *raises both hands* THE EXCITEMENT FOR DRAGON CRY IS TOO REAL! *raises my cats paws in the air too* I just want to see it soooo bad! June 6th can't come quickly enough! Have you had a chance to watch it yet?!

misssbehavin: Holy crap, wow! I'm so happy to hear that, it makes my head spin! Ahhh, really?! To hear that someone is enjoying the plot just as much as the NaLu bits makes me beyond happy! I really want this story to stick with readers and gah, wow, I just...ahhh! You made me speechless! And to know that you're also reading it to keep your English refreshed, just, ahh, holy moly! Btw, your English is always on point in your reviews! *thumbs up* Thank you so much! You are absolutely the sweetest person ever, and I value you so much! Thank you for making my night ^_^ I will make sure to keep it up and hopefully keep the story up to par! I don't want to disappoint! T^T Ahhh, you make me blush, KKKKK, andddd I may love you too? Yes? Of course! And lastly...did I mention that I love cliff hangers? O_O Ahhhh, I'm so sorry! I look forward to hearing from you again! ^-^

calypso tchaka: EEPP! Ahh, what can I say?! There are no words to describe how happy your reviews make me! Holy cow! You're so awesome, and you even reviewed multiple chapters while you read the story, it was awesome! T^T hahaha, I love your theme! The Squee-theme! Haha, I wanna join in and do it with you! SQUEEEEEE~! Hahaha, the Mira squee boat! XD Ahaha, you're funny! Your reviews make me laugh and for that I genuinely thank you! Oh, people definitely know something is going on when people read fanfiction! Haha, I'm always grinning like an idiot at my phone when I read it and others have to look at me like I'm crazy! Ahh, you're so sweet for thanking me throughout your reviews, but it is I who should be thanking you! Hearing reviews like yours make this whole writing experience worthwhile! To hear that someone out there is getting a kick out of something that was written by me...that feeling is indescribable! So thank you, thank you, thank you! I hope you continue to enjoy this story and that I won't disappoint~! I look forward to hearing from you! Warm regards to you as well~ Also, in your latest review you mentioned you were feeling sick! I know that was a while ago, but I hope you're feeling much better now and healthy as a horse! ^_^

SulliMike23: Confrontation: engaged! Ahhh, not exactly the best meeting they could have had...but alas, there willllll be more. mwahahaha.

Guest: Awh, thank you so much, sweetie! I really appreciate that! And back at ya, I'm glad that youuuu are reading my writing;D

bowlalie: HAH! XD I wondered if anyone would catch that! You're the first person, I think:p lol...aha...ha...way to go, Lucy, for having the best means of escape EVER. I mean, come on, if I could run away to Fairy Tail right now I would never look back!:D

Darlene ^-^: Hiiiii, honey~!Ahhh, gosh, you're just so sweet! I promise I'll keep being this way if you promise to keep being as lovely and nice as you are toooo! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! The tension between our love birds is too real right now! And they're both ready to confess to each other when they get back, UGH, finally! I just wish we could get a confession out of the real Natsu and Lucy in the manga! Speaking of the manga...Oh gosh, I'm so sadddd! T^T *cries on your shoulder* ten chapters isn't enough to fulfill my soul! Gah. I'm so in denial about it ending...I wish I had come into this fandom a long time ago! Anyways, moving on before I cry T^T Thank you for saying that I'm strong. That actually really means a lot to me because I don't feel like it very often. You're so kind, and so uplifting, and it's absolutely wonderful to have a friend like you in my life! Ahh, Darlene, thank you, as always, for putting the biggest smile ever on my face! You're the best (^_^) *hugs you tight* I hope you have a wonderful day/night, dear!

carnatiously: Awh, I'm so sorry for making you bummed! I think I was burning myself out by doing HUGE chapters that were like 25 pages long, and then it would take me awhile to find the motivation to write another because I felt like it had to be that long again! But this one was a lot shorter and it felt really good to bust out, so I think I'll be able to update more often if I keep doing them like this! Was the length of this chapter okay? Let me know what you think!:D And oh wow, you found my art on tumblr! T^T that makes me so happy! And I'm glad it brought you here for the update ;)

Edo-Salandria: Ahhh, thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it! Our NaLu babies needed a little alone time before things got serious:) Here you are! I hope it wasn't too long of a wait! Thank you for readingggg~!

sarara1.8: Oh wow! Binge-reading it, really?! T^T Ahhh, that makes me so happy to hear, you have no idea! Wow, thank you!:D I'm so happy that you found this story and I hope that you continue to enjoy ^-^ I look forward to hearing from you again!:D

Thank you guys so much for all the wonderful reviews! And thank you for the new follows and favorites! You guys rock! I can't even begin to show my appreciation!

And now that the replies are out of the way I have something I need to announce/ask you guys! (BTW, thank you to those of you that actually made it here down at the bottom!)

So, this story is ending soon.

Or rather, it might be. We're almost at a point where I feel like it might be good to end. We're already at around 187,000 words, give or take, and that's already longer than the average length of an actual novel. BUT BUT BUT, MY story is no where near done. I still have a lot to go before DTRH is complete.

So my question is, would you guys rather me continue and make this story one giant one? Or end this one and make a sequel? What do you think would be best? This is my first fanfic, so I'm kinda new to all this still, and I'd really appreciate any and all advice! Thanks a ton in advance! And as always, thank you for the support! If it weren't for you guys this story definitely wouldn't have made it this far.

Have a wonderful day/night! I look forward to hearing from you all!

XOXO

-Mac