The breath rushed from her lungs.
"Oof!" she grunted, struggling to free herself. Her arm screamed in pain as Zancrow purposefully grabbed it, forcing it and her other arm to the ground. She thrashed, kicking and bucking, but Zancrow refused to move, even letting black flames spark to life to burn at her flesh.
She hissed at the sting, ignoring the smell of charred flesh as the golden key in her pocket burned her as well through her clothes. She wondered briefly if Capricorn would help her this soon after acquiring his key, even without a proper contract as Aquarius had taught her.
Before she could even try summoning Capricorn, the ground suddenly shook. Lucy froze; Zancrow froze, too. The flames died away. Natsu's rage lingered beneath her skin. The ground shook again, and a deafening scream filled their ears, shaking it again. Lucy winced, pain throbbing in her ears.
Zancrow swore and then Lucy found herself free of any weight on her back, his shouts and screams loud but distant. Lucy rolled over onto her back in time to be met with a shower of something that made her freeze in terror and disgust. She was glad she couldn't see her own face; it must have been a nightmare to look at if that was what she thought it was.
Her heart raced violently in her chest and she trembled as she stared up at the creature before her. She heard a thud somewhere nearby and forced herself not to look as the massive metallic head lifted high above her head and bellowed in triumph before tipping down to look at her. Lucy thought there was a malicious grin on its maw as it tilted it to the side like a curious bird, taking a better view with a single glowing red eye. She stared back, not moving an inch out of terror.
Her back hurt, she realized somewhere in the back of her mind. For the first time in a while, her back ached and hurt as her scars throbbed. She ignored them and instead scrambled nervously to her feet as the dragon lowered its head, teeth bared. Lucy screwed her eyes shut, prepared to be eaten as its parted those jaws and showed her the back of its throat.
"Who are you, human, to smell of stars and magic?"
The voice was deafening and shook the world beneath her feet. Lucy shook, her body trembling as she pried her eyes open to stare at the dragon. It had closed its mouth and stared darkly at her, hot breath washing over her with each one it took. Her mouth opened and closed for a moment as she gaped like a fish.
"Speak!" snarled the dragon before her. "And you better have a good reason, human girl," he added in a low growl, "because you bear the jewelry of a favored human well-known to the dragons of this nest."
Still trembling, Lucy forced herself to swallow her fear. Layla had been Igneel's Marked One. This would be his nest, if she was thinking right. His home – where he resided. And if Gajeel had recognized her…
"I – I'm Lucy," she stammered. She shifted, not missing how those nasty eyes followed her every movement. The dragon's jaws clicked warningly, and she knew he recognized her first name, so she added, "Lucy Heartfilia."
The dragon's roar made her flinch, her face pale. Natsu's reaction reared in the back of her head like an angry viper and she found herself clenching her jaw to avoid shouting back.
"I am," she insisted, forcing herself to push on before the dragon could speak. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia, and I'm…I'm Layla Heartfilia's daughter." The dragon bristled at the name that left her mouth.
"Layla's hatchling was killed in an attack on the Heartfilia family in Mercurius Castle eighteen years ago," seethed the dragon, lumbering a step closer and shoving his head aggressively in her direction. Lucy stumbled when that sharp nose slammed into her gut, drawing a gasp from her. She rubbed her stomach ruefully, wincing. "You are a thief, and a liar, and you will be killed for daring to assume –"
The dragon suddenly paused, and Lucy froze when he lowered his nose to her again. Hot breath washed over her as he sniffed, smelling her, and she kept entirely still. Suddenly, it reared back, wary. "You smell of Igneel's son."
Lucy felt a flicker of hope and hastily said, "Yes! Yes. He's my friend and – well, it's a l-long story, but –" She hastily cut off. Now wasn't the time to tell a random, strange dragon about the Marks that had been carved into her back. She'd not say a word about that unless someone else brought it up. "And Wendy! Wendy's my friend. I've met the others, too," she continued, listening names hastily to try and prove herself to be a friend of dragons. "I've met Sting and Rogue and Yukino, Rogue's Marked One, and then there was Gajeel and Levy –"
The dragon perked up. "You are a friend of Gajeel's and Levy's?" he rumbled.
"Yes! Look," she said, offering the Fairy Tail band for him to look at, "I'm a member of the Fairy Tail guild, the one that Gajeel was a member of." Her voice was still trembling, she noticed nervously. "And I'm truly Lucy Heartfilia. It's a long story, but I am."
The dragon narrowed his red eyes at her, debating how to respond. Finally, he said, "I will take you to Grandeeney. She will know what to do with you."
"I really just want to go home, to be honest," Lucy said weakly, but decided she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. For the dragon was turning away, indicating with a grunt that Lucy should follow.
She sighed and stepped after him, hoping the dragon rumored to be Wendy's mother would listen before attacking.
Keeping up with a dragon that was bigger than a one hundred story building was incredibly difficult. For each step he took, Lucy was nearly sprinting, having to take small breaks. Her arm was numb by the time the dragon finally stopped near the base of the massive tree, snaking his head around to investigate where she was.
When Lucy broke the tree line, she was exhausted and sweaty and could barely see where she was walking. It was nearly pitch-black outside. She touched the piece of Natsu in her head, and found him quietly paying attention to everything and anything she felt, even as she felt her stomach churn to match his own.
Lucy wondered briefly what the hell Natsu was doing to make himself so ill.
She faltered as she took in where she was. It was lit by a soft glow, and Lucy realized that the glow was created by ancient written spells that had been carved into stone that littered the ground. A large entrance to a pitch-black cavern in the ground towered before her, and the tree rose above it, dwarfing her.
She jumped when the dragon beside her lowered his head and made a low crooning sound into the dark. Lucy glanced at him, startled to hear such a sound from a dragon whose eye was bigger than she was.
He pulled back, and Lucy thought back to how small Sting had seemed when confronting the Dullahan.
It was only a few minutes before something large and heavy began to emerge. Lucy blinked at the sight of the wide, flat head that came from the black, followed by a near-glowing white body that held a mixture of feathers and scales. Lucy was caught off-guard by how similar to Wendy she looked – just a couple sizes bigger, though the dragon was still smaller than the metallic one.
"What is it, Metalicana?" said the new dragon in a trilling voice. Grandeeney, Lucy thought. This had to be Grandeeney. "Did you deal with the…" She trailed off, her delicate nostrils flaring. Suddenly, sharp blue eyes were studying her. Lucy stiffened, swallowing thickly.
Grandeeney's eyes narrowed as she puffed out a cloud of sharp wind. Lucy thought it bit at her skin a bit. "What is this?" she demanded, feathers and scales rising in aggression. "Should Igneel see this – "
"She claims to be Layla's hatchling," was all the first dragon – Metalicana – said with a shrug of his shoulders. "She also claims to be a friend of our children, and smells of Igneel's little pet."
Grandeeney blinked once and then focused entirely on Lucy, who shifted nervously beneath her gaze. She reached forward and gently sniffed at the human, and then shifted back to look down at her. "Of course she'd smell of Natsu, he Marked Lucy Heartfilia," murmured Grandeeney, entirely puzzled. "But Lucy was killed in the same attack as Layla."
Lucy didn't miss that; it was the second time the day of Layla's death had been mentioned. She realized that the dragons' memories weren't messed with, not like Natsu's, and she wondered what had created such a difference in memories.
Metalicana shrugged again. "Thought you'd know what to do with her. You wanna send her down to Igneel?"
Grandeeney's eyes widened briefly. "No. Not now."
Metalicana looked a little disappointed, but said, "I don't believe her. That she's Lucy Heartfilia. You do what you want. I'm hungry." He shoved past Grandeeney, who growled at him as he squirmed into the cavern, disappearing into its depths.
Lucy licked her lips nervously. "My name is Lucy," she insisted to the dragoness before her. "I swear to you that I'm not trying to deceive you." Grandeeney merely watched her, thinking, but inclined her head to show that she was listening. "I'm friends with Wendy! If you…if you scryed her or something similar, she could confirm it."
"You are a friend of my daughter's? Metalicana didn't mention this…" Grandeeney debated what to do for a few moments, unsure. The dragoness rested her head on the ground. "Tell me of how you came to be on Tenrou Island, young one, and perhaps I will be convinced of your innocence. If you are truly Layla's daughter, then start there. Should you convince me, I will speak with Igneel and seek permission to allow my daughter to fetch you and take you home."
Lucy took a deep breath, relieved, and began to speak.
Lucy had never been as relieved as she was when she finished explaining from the moment she'd come to the past to the current time and Grandeeney purred, "I see. I will believe your story, young one." A soft breath washed over Lucy as Grandeeney sniffed. "You smell of blood and pain…you were injured by those who owned the ship we were on?"
"Yes," said Lucy, and then corrected, "Well, not really. I got hurt when the ship fell."
"Allow me," said Grandeeney. She touched her nose to Lucy's stomach and within moments, all of her aches and pains were gone. She was still gross and sticky, but when she looked, her numb arm held only a lengthy scar that was faded, as if she'd had it for years. "It is a pleasure to learn that Layla's child has survived. Igneel will be pleased. You possess Natsu's Marks? It will be the proof you need. Not even a skilled shape-shifter can replicate such powerful magic."
Lucy ran her hand through her tangled blonde hair, trying to undo the tangles. "Thank you," she said softly. "For the healing and for believing me." She swallowed thickly, debating. She'd even go so far as to explain she was from the future, though she'd left out anything to do with the celestial spirits and recovering Natsu's memories. Grandeeney claiming to believe such a matter…at least she had some form of defense should the Fire Dragon King not like her.
"We will wait for Igneel to be in a better mood. He tends to get cranky at this time of day, and will likely be even more so with Metalicana having to hunt down that ship," hummed Grandeeney, her blue eyes blinking kindly. "Tell me. How is my hatchling?"
"Wendy?" Lucy said, startled. "She was doing great the last time I saw her." Lucy's lips twitched as she remembered watching Wendy guide Salutem proudly into the Portal just before she and Natsu had gone north. "She traveled with Natsu and I for a few months, through the desert in western Fiore. We couldn't have done it without her."
Grandeeney purred her praise, even though her child couldn't have heard. "I am pleased to hear that she is doing so well…and Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy are in this guild of yours, yes?"
"Gajeel was, but was appointed Guardian of the Archives, although I suppose he's still considered a member," said Lucy hesitantly, confused. "Do…do you not know this already?"
Grandeeney shook her head. "We receive very little information here on Tenrou," she said softly, looking sad about it. The last we heard was Gajeel's Marking of the Fairy Queen Levy McGarden and nothing since." The gentle dragoness sighed. "I am pleased to hear that our children are doing well." She looked rather fond as she spoke, as though she could see Wendy herself. "The next generation is a promising one, even though there are very few of our kind left…we hope that they will find themselves a way to pass on the ways of dragons even when none of us are left."
Lucy thought of the way the dragons of the guilds had acted and smiled. "I'm sure they will," she said just as softly before squaring her shoulders. "So when can I speak with Igneel about going home?" She hesitated and then asked, "Natsu told me about what happened when he left…will that affect anything?"
"It might. I'm not certain of it, but it could." Grandeeney inclined her head in Lucy's direction, shifting her wings nervously. "It will be your appearance – who you are as a person – that will affect him most of all. Igneel has grieved for a long, long time. You must understand…losing a Marked One…it is not an easy thing for a dragon."
Her voice filled with grief and Lucy narrowed her eyes a little, curious. Grandeeney must have had a Marked One, too, she realized after a moment, catching sight of a few emerald-colored scales at the base of her throat. Lucy chose to say nothing about it. Instead, she blinked when Grandeeney continued.
"You look very much like your mother," she said, and Lucy blinked. "The spitting image of her, with a hint of your father." She nearly purred. "I hope that her mannerisms were inherited as well…she was a very gentle person and always did what she thought right, even when her husband thought otherwise. Of course, she had quite the fire." Grandeeney chuckled. "She could fight with Igneel even when he was in the form he wields now."
Lucy blinked, caught off guard. "You guys have human forms, too?" She winced, not really too interested in being compared to Layla. She was her mother, yes, but she'd not known her a day. She would credit Spetto with everything regarding how she'd turned out.
"Once," admitted the dragoness, "but not any longer. Our power has grown too much. Igneel could barely manage it twenty years ago." She purred softly. "Once, we could take the form as easily as our children. But no longer. Now rest." She indicated the area around them. "You are safe here. In the morning, I'll escort you to Igneel, and perhaps you'll get something to eat."
Lucy flushed when her stomach growled at the reminder. "Thank you, Grandeeney," she said sincerely, and the dragoness merely chuckled and rested her head upon her feet, prepared to rest then and there.
"How's Lucy, Natsu?"
Natsu glanced up from where he was grouchily sitting at the very top perch on the ship. Happy was curled in his lap, and when he looked over, he found that Gray of all people had crawled up to sit in the crow's nest beside him. His dark eyes were serious rather than mocking. Natsu, as he tended to do, kept quiet rather than starting a bickering war.
If Gray didn't feel up to the banter, than neither did he.
It was simple.
Natsu returned his gaze out to the roiling waters. They were a bit rougher, and he knew Wendy and Chelia were tired from trying to push their ship along before the storm truly hit. There wasn't much time, and everyone worried it would hit before they made it. But the pair had still found the time to make him not feel so sick, guilty about having to turn around when he'd so badly wanted to go forward.
"Fine," he muttered finally. He studied the rolling waves. "She's alive. Sleeping." He took a deep breath. "She was terrified earlier, but she's okay now."
"Do you think she came across –"
"Yeah. She found the dragons," said Natsu, cutting him off with a scowl. "She's probably with Grandeeney or Weisslogia if she's alive. Metalicana…he would have killed her on sight, regardless of what she looks like. I don't know about Skiadrum. Or what Igneel would do right now."
Igneel's response was what worried him the most. Grandeeney could easily keep Metalicana off of her. Skiadrum and the others, too, if they decided to get nosy or aggressive. But Igneel was the Fire Dragon King, and if he ordered Lucy's execution, then they had to obey.
"We'll find a way to get her out," Gray said firmly. "Without a ship. Could Wendy really get permission to Portal out there?"
"Maybe to go, since you can't Portal there." Natsu was grumpy and not giving good enough answers, he knew, but he really didn't care. He just wanted to get all of these problems over and done with, with Lucy retrieved and tied to the bar in the guildhall so she couldn't disappear like this again. He scowled. "Technically, we're traitors. We left the nest. Wendy's kind of the favorite of her generation though. She gets less aggression. Gajeel, too. Gajeel might be able to convince Metalicana and Igneel to let him come, but he's the Guardian of Archives. He can't just leave the Archives like that. The magic would kill him for it."
Gray fell quiet, nodding slowly, and simply sat there for a few moments. Natsu remembered how many times they'd bickered and argued. How he'd claimed to strongly dislike this specific member of his family. But at the moment…
He couldn't say he disliked Gray Fullbuster at all.
Dragons! You were all wondering when they would show up and here they are. ;) Metalicana's a favorite of mine to write, as many of you are very aware.
Thanks to reviewers (Meow Orbit, stranger1999, Forbidden-Hanyou, nkukurichan, FairyTailxFanGirl, LePenwen, itsxoi, BakaFangirl, Lodemai04, Lovetoreadff, Bananarock509, and Lissuin!) as well as those who favorited and followed!