I do not own Fairy Tail that is Hiro Mashima's masterpiece.

May 26st 2020

"Happy Memorial Day"

Chapter 25 – Open the Gate

As the late hours of July sixth gave way to the wee hours of the seventh, Layla found herself in Lucy's room, gazing down at her daughter. She was making her last memory of Lucy and she was determined to record her every movement.

Layla knew today would likely be her last, time had caught up with her. Her existence would soon come to an end. But instead of wasting her last moment sulking about, Layla put her faith into the belief of life after death. She spent these last moments with Lucy, chronicling them carefully to her memory. Layla was determined, that once she was not of this world, she would not forget, she would find a way to guide her daughter from the stars, a guardian angel of sorts. She figured fate owed her that much.

Leaning down, she placed one final kiss on Lucy's forehead before she made her way silently out of the manor, venturing out into the grasps of the warm summer night. She went to wait in her private garden for Zeref. As she sat there gazing at the full moon, watching as the night slowly swallow the light, the completion of the eclipse growing near, she pondered, why has she been allowed to retain her memories of Star and Draco. Everyone else around her had forgotten the pair even Lucy, they were simply forgotten as soon as the lacrima disappeared.

The only remaining trace of their three-year stay was the simple brown whip Draco had gifted Lucy. Strangely enough, as soon as Star was gone, Lucy quickly ran upstairs to hide the weapon. When Layla asked her why she must hide it away? Lucy simply replied, it was a special treasure, one that she was not to let her papa see. The child went on to explain, she could only practice with it in private, because it held special magic just for her. Layla looked down at her brown-eyed girl, nodding in approval, advising that sounded like a good plan.

Layla smiled to herself, she didn't know how Star had found a way to leave a little piece of herself behind, but the proof was there, the whip coupled with Lucy's determination to keep it safe. Even if Lucy for now just thought of it simply as a game, she had something to prove she would not be alone. It eased some of Layla's apprehension, as she prepared herself for her end.

As the eclipse grew closer in completion the night sky became darker, lending a perfect back drop for the stars to shine brighter. Layla gasped, realizing this would be her last time to gaze up at her friends among the stars. Shuttering a deep breath, Layla pushed away any melancholy feelings, focusing on shortly being reunited with her Celestial friends. She was the one to free the dragons, giving this world's future a chance to finally rid itself of Acnologia; thus, giving Lucy the opportunity to find her own adventures.

'Anna, I wonder did you have these same feelings when you opened the gate all those years ago? Please give me your strength.' Layla thought to herself.

A cold began to crawl in, forcefully stripping away the warmth of the evening night. As the air shifted around the mage, it creeped in with cold fingers, an uninvited presence which encircled Layla, as it drew closer, she felt it getting harder to breathe. The wisps of the shadows grew thicker, colder, as it pushed in surrounding the mage there was nowhere to escape, then everything went black.

Suddenly, she could breathe again. She started to fall to her knees when she felt a hand catch her at the elbow, keeping her upright and steady. The darkness and cold slowly began to fade away, as it cleared, her mind worked hard to focus on the figure of a man holding her up, it was none other than Zeref.

"I apologize Layla, I should have warned you about the effects of my magic," Zeref stated softly, as not to startle the blond further.

Layla steadied herself, while taking in her surroundings, "I'm fine… where are we?"

"Ah, we are at the mouth of the cave, which leads under Mercurius Castle. I have the gate safely concealed, deep within the belly of this cavern. Now, if you please we must hurry, the eclipse is almost complete."

"Wait… My disciples are meeting me to give me their keys, to open the gate. "

Zeref grabbed Layla's hand and started to lead her down into the cavern, "do not worry, they are already waiting for us in a space separate from the gate."

"But… how…"

"I intercepted each of your letters and sent an escort to ensure your followers would arrive on time. The only one I was not able to locate was Grammi, I do hope you have that key. She has Aquarius if I'm correct."

Zeref's eyes were wild, Layla stomach started to knot. How long had he been monitoring her movements, and did he know about Star? The only way to know would be to test the dark mage, as she knew Grammi was a wild card. She had not been able to track her movement for the last six months. Grammi had always been a bit of a free spirit, willing to just see where the winds of fate would take her.

Not wanting to lie to Zeref, Layla figured a little truth can go a long way, "I have not been in contact with Grammi for some time, after consulting with Capricorn and Cancer they advised I could use my own strength to open Aquarius' lock, since I'm a direct descendant of Anna. My spirits informed me; Anna used her magic to speed up the opening and closing process the last time the gate was open."

Zeref was nearly dragging the Celestial mage along, while he listened closely to her plan. It was true Anna had added significant amounts of magic with her opening the gate, and with 400 years passing, the gate had far more magic reserves than before. What worried him was, even with the increased magic resources of today, Anna was still the strongest Celestial mage he had ever met. If he was honest, even today there would be very few that could hold up against her magical strength mixed with her level of intelligence.

He thought a moment more, he had a back-up plan, he met the young girl just a few days prior, if Layla were to fail all was not lost. He may have to wait a decade or two but what was time to him in the grand scheme of things.

"Very well, we will proceed with your plan. Don't disappoint me Layla, I do not wish to lay this burned on Lucy shoulders if you should fail." Zeref's warning was laced with a sick delight.

"It will work!" Layla announced, her tone defiant, letting Zeref know his threats were not welcome.

Zeref's smile grew as he turned to focus on moving through the cavern, "you know Layla… you might just have some of Anna's spark after all. This could be fun!"

Layla glared at the back of Zeref's head, yet internally she couldn't help being somewhat delighted being compared to Anna. After all it was Anna she had studied since her birthday when she found out she was the chosen Heartfilia, the one who would open the same gate Anna had all those years ago.

After a few moments of being dragged through the dark, Layla was finally able to see they were approaching an area that appeared well lit. The space opened into a large area, there she was greeted by her disciples, each one lovingly handing over the Celestial keys of the Zodiac. She advised her followers to wait there their keys would be returned shortly once her experiment was completed.

With a quick wave she and Zeref journeyed further into the cavern. Layla was so focused on completing her mission she almost didn't hear the dark mages question.

"May I ask… what do… your disciples believe you're doing with their keys?"

Layla had researched everything she could about Zeref; all of Anna's notes, including long discussion with her own Zodiac spirits. She knew the dark mage would do whatever he deemed necessary to keep this event a secret from the outside world. She feared for the safety of the other key holders. Over time she had worked hard to gain their trust, eventually they saw her as the trailblazer of Celestial magic. They followed her lead without question, this led the group to becoming stronger mages from her guidance. Each believed tonight she would be conducting an experiment that could only be performed on the night of the eclipse.

"I advised them of a theory the spirits are the strongest during Celestial events, such as the eclipse. I recommended since I'm the only one who has the ability to open multiple gates, that I would be the one to try and test the strength increase. It will work, Capricorn spoke of how he gained more endurance after Anna had open the gate."

"Hmmm… Heartfilia women are such… intellectual allies." Zeref seem to be carefully choosing his words while at the same time enjoying antagonizing the mage.

Layla didn't care for Zeref's tone, it made her uneasy, yet she would play along with his game, if it would keep her followers safe.

"You act surprised… you already knew this was my plan. As you previously stated, you intercepted my letters; my theory and suggested testing were clearly defined within my writing."

Zeref's grin grew, not since Anna or Mavis, had someone dared to put him in his place, it was entertaining to the dark mage. "Smart… you did all of this, so I wouldn't kill them once I got what I needed."

It was his turn to see how far he could push the Celestial mages boundaries. He waited for her comeback, instead Layla soft caramel eyes grew wide flashing wildly with fear. Zeref knew Layla believed he would kill them all once he got what he wanted. This game he was playing was no longer fun for him; for the first time since meeting Layla he felt her fear. He knew her time was limited, and part of him did not want the fear of him, to be the last thing she would remember before she took her final breath.

"I will allow all of them to live, you have faithfully kept our two families pact a secret. You know… many consider me evil for eliminating those that try to ruin my plans, but I assure you I'm not worried about what a few mages may know. Yet, even a casual conversation about an adventure, can become dangerous if overheard by the wrong person. That type of information could get back to Acnologia. You see, I know the black dragon's secret, he is watching and waiting for an event like today, to come back into the light, destroying everything in his sight. All of this has been done to protect the slayers, as they are too young, they need time to advance their magic. So, I will continue to be the monster, because there have been to many who have already given so much, I will not allow it to be in vain."

Layla was shocked by Zeref's words; part of her held pity for him. Anna's writing had always painted him a tortured soul, one that knew right from wrong, but let his own ambition at a young age lead him down a path which caused the death of his village, and his whole family. She could tell Anna, despised his actions but on some level cared for Zeref in her own way, hoping he would not be adsorbed by his darkness.

"Thank you, when we are done will your guides please return the keys to their holders for me? I want to return home immediately, once we are done."

"As you wish Layla."

Layla could not believe what lay before her; the structure was massive, she wondered how Zeref had gotten it down under the castle without anyone knowing. The Eclipse gate was the most frightening and beautifully ornate magical creation she had ever seen. The doors stood over ten stories, and wide enough for the largest of dragons to pass through. The metal frame was black, shiny, it reminded her of obsidian glass. The etching which scrolled along the archway was done in the deepest shades of emerald, in the center of the massive double doors was a great circle, made up of twelve smaller circles each bearing a different golden symbol of the Celestial Zodiac. In the center of that circle was a carving of a golden sun and below was a black moon.

The gates embodied the perfect blend of light and dark magic, and to think Zeref created this structure hundreds of years prior. Layla hated to admit she was impressed with the dark mage's knowledge; she wished she could learn more, but alas that would not be possible, another reminder she would soon no longer be part of this world.

"Layla if you would please unlock the gate."

With a nod Layla raised her hands to the air, each of the key shot out of her hand and into the lock within the designated circle of their symbol. The only key missing was that of Aquarius, Layla lowered her hands, bringing them in front of her solar plexus, using her fingertips to form a circle. With a chant Layla was able to create a key made of her magic essence mixed with her soul. This was only possible because she was the true master to Aquarius, it was part of their bond. Built on hundreds of years starting with Anna, which allowed Layla to use her lifeforce to temporarily become Aquarius's key.

Once the key was complete Layla commanded it to take its place in the remaining lock. Layla raised her arms again to the heavens commanding each of the keys to unlock the gate. The gold symbols of the Zodiac began to glow, Layla could hear each of the locks becoming disengaged. Everything was going to plan, slowly the doors began to wedge open, when she noticed Zeref suddenly studying the area around them, then she felt it. Something was coming, it was strong, and held a deadly aura, for now it seemed fairly far away, but she new time was of the essence.

"Layla… you must hurry." Zeref urged, his tone laced with worry, he could not assist in opening the gate since it was powered by Celestial magic. He placed the gate under the castle to help suppress the energy that radiated from it, but with the gate cracked open the power was intensifying rapidly.

The Celestial mage pushed all her strength into opening the gates faster, finally the gates were open enough for a human to pass through. Layla noticed two little boys about the age of 9 emerge, they looked like twins but opposites of each other, one with light hair the other with dark. 'This must be Sting and Rogue,' Layla thought to herself. She watched as the two held hands walking toward Zeref. The next to exit was a small bluenette girl around the age of 8, 'Wendy, oh my… she is just as adorable as Anna's writing had described her'. Closely behind her was a wild looking child, he seemed to be around 13 with hair black as coal, he had several small silver piercings, 'this has to be Gajeel, that leaves…' After a few moments more the final child appeared, with sun-kissed skin and wild hair the color of cherry blossoms.

"Natsu…" she spoke in a gasp.

All the children were just as Anna had described them; tears of joy started to fall from the Celestial mage. She had done it, she brought back Star's family. Layla stepped forward lovingly patting each of the children on the head, but when she came to Natsu she couldn't help but kneel down, she needed to stare into his eyes, but to her dismay there was nothing looking back, just a blank stare.

"Something is wrong…" Zeref spoke suddenly. "The dragons… where are the dragons!"

Layla pretended to look up in shock as she stared at the gate, she already knew what was wrong. Star and Draco having filled her in on everything. Which is why Star had hired Fairy Tail, she already knew what would happen. It was now Layla's turn to complete her part of that very plan, as she rose up from Natsu she clipped a small lacrima onto his scarf. Carefully tucking it under, so it was out of Zeref's sight.

Zeref walked slowly towards the children, they were silent small unmoving statues awaiting a command, it reminded him of the day he revived Natsu, the memory unnerved him. This wasn't natural, Natsu had never been silent a day in his life. As Zeref stared into the children's eyes, he could tell they were in a trance of sorts.

Upon examining them further, he realized his mistake, each of the children glowed with a secondary magic. The dragons must have been hurt more than they let be known, he could see each parent now resided deep within their child. The parent's souls within the children were keeping them calm, waiting for Zeref to comprehend the situation and to make the next move.

How could he have been so blind; in his haste he had made a critical error. There was no time to dwell, he could feel Acnologia drawing in closer. The priority was to get everyone away to safety, the children together like this radiated too much power. Clinching his fist, he knew what he had to do. Without a word he used his magic to vanquish the children to different parts of Fiore. He could not focus on a place allowing his magic to select random locations.

"Zeref! What have you done… why did you send them away!" Layla cried out she could tell by the spell he used; he had separated them. She had not expected this, they were supposed to stay together, how would she find them now. She was running out of time.

"Can't you feel it! Acnologia is approaching. Call back your Celestial spirits we must shut the gate now and leave before he arrives… we don't have much time. Layla please… for the sake of everyone within the cavern you must close the gate now."

Layla gave Zeref one last hard glare of disgust, before she turned her arms up toward the sky calling out to the Zodiac to help her close the gate. She was still connected herself and her magic was fading fast, it seemed the gate was trying to absorb her living soul. The Zodiac each responded to her call and together they closed the gate.

Each of the keys returned, to her hand, and Layla collapsed to her knees. Zeref knelt beside the mage, taking the keys and handing them to his followers.

"Take these back to the owners now! Get out of here, use the portals I have given you. Once your assignments are home safe, use the portal to meet me at the rendezvous point."

His followers did not question Zeref, taking the keys and their owners to safety. While he had promised Layla, her people would be safe, that same courtesy would not be given to his own people. The portals were only good for one jump. It was a sacrifice, to keep the events of this day safe. He would be the only one left that knew of the actions of this day, it would be another burden he would bare for the sins he had committed against the god of life and death, Ankhseram.

All that was left was to return Layla home so she could spend her last hours saying goodbye to her family. It sickened Zeref that he was responsible, yet again for another Heartfilia to die due to his choices. Pushing away his feelings he pulled the unconscious mage into his arms, he would keep his promise to Layla it was time to take her home.

She awoke with a blinding headache, it was still early, the sun had not yet broken through the blanket of night. She rose slowly when she realized she was laying in someone's lap. Startled she tried to move away but lacked the strength.

"Let me help you… you're still recovering from the effects of my magic."

That voice, she knew that voice, "Zeref?" Layla questioned cautiously.

"Ah… so you still remember me; allow me to help you up."

Zeref pulled the mage up from his lap allowing her to lean on him. Layla blushed she did not allow other men this close to her, she was a married woman, and Jude was a very jealous man. If anyone were to see this intimate setting, they would surely think the wrong thing.

Layla tried to move away from the mage, but he held her closer. She could feel the warmth of his body, and she was so cold, her life was draining quickly from her damage vessel.

"Natsu and the others will be fine…" Zeref began to explain. Layla chose to stay quiet as it seemed Zeref had much he wanted to say.

"You see, their dragons are sleeping within the children. They will help guide them and keep them safe. You know when Natsu was just a toddler, Igneel taught him how to start a fire and hunt for food. A baby dragon is deadly within a year, and the dragons trained the slayers to be the same. So, you see we have nothing to worry about."

"…" Layla was about to say something but thought better of it, staying silent as Zeref rattled on.

"I'm sorry you will die today, this is the second time I personally have had a hand in the death of a Celestial mage, from the Heartfilia lineage. I met Anna during the Dragon Festival War, from that day I desired Anna. At one point I had plans to take her, but then in front of my eyes she was claimed by one I felt was beneath her. I could have killed the suitor, claiming her, she would not have been able to stop me. When she told him yes, she radiated like the sun, her happiness was more important. So, for some reason, I… let her go."

Zeref positioned himself so he could look into Layla's eyes. Before she knew what was happening Zeref had pulled her into a chaste kiss. Layla didn't know what to do, she didn't have the strength to push him away, she was conflicted not understanding his actions.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to know what it would have felt like to kiss Anna, but you're not her. I'm… not myself… I'm dangerous to be around… my emotions are running unchecked. Natsu… I didn't get a chance to talk to him… I… just sent them all away… I…"

Zeref was trembling, Layla was still in shock herself from the kiss, but seeing the dark mage was clearly starting to lose control she knew she had to do something, or his curse would kill everyone at the estate. She raised her hand placing it softly on his shoulder.

With the calmest voice she could muster she comforted Zeref, "The past is the past, you have to look to the future. The children made it safely, and you sent them away to give them time to grow, while hiding them from Acnologia. Like you said back at the cave you would do what is necessary, so all this loss would have meaning."

The shuddering stopped and Zeref looked up to Layla's soft loving brown eyes. A slight blush appeared on his cheeks, and he composed himself. In an instant Zeref was back to his detached demeanor, it was as if he had never been on the verge of a breakdown.

"I must be going Layla, allow me to escort you to the house."

She wanted to say no, however Layla was not sure she had the strength to make it on her own. She held out her hands and Zeref pulled her to her feet, wrapping an arm around her waist for support. He helped her to just inside the door, not wanting the dark mage anywhere near her daughter she insisted she was fine.

"Very well then Layla, thank you…" In an instant Zeref was gone.

Layla found herself staring at the spot where the dark mage had just stood. It was over she had done her part; Lucy was safe. She turned to head for the stairs when a wave of exhaustion hit her. Layla crumbled to the floor, it was her maid Spetto, who found Layla and called for the doctors. However, her fate was sealed for within a few short hours, Layla was no longer a part of this world.

"Hey master, the lacrima is activated. Looks like we should find the kids in the forest about halfway to Hargeon. You want me to pick them up?"

There perched upon the bar top was an elderly man, in one hand he held a beer in the other a staff. The old man finished his beer, then stretched out his back. With tired eyes, he looked over to the crash mage, his expression neutral, as he let out a long sigh.

"No Gildarts, I need you to go on your S-class mission. Can't keep the customer waiting. I can handle a couple of brats. Besides it's not everyday you get to meet a dragon slayer. I thought Laxus and God Serena were the only ones. Now there is going to be five it's truly going to be an interesting day."

"I don't know master, Lady Layla said the one named Natsu can be a handful, by himself." Gildart said with a smirk. He honestly wanted to go pick up the kids, if nothing more than to see what all the fuss was about.

"I wouldn't expect any thing less, from the son of a Fire Dragon King. By the way, how did Layla Heartfilia become involved with these kids, again?" Makarov questioned.

"Yeah know, I don't know how it all came about. She paid a pretty penny for us to look out for these kids and gave all the money up front along with the instructions for the tracking lacrima. Say master, do you really think these kids are dragon slayers, and this Natsu kid is the son of a king?"

Makarov gave a slight frown, while shrugging to relax his tired shoulders, "who knows, but from what you told me of Lady Layla she is not the type to deceive. So, for now let's say, I believe that she believes this; I'll see for myself soon enough. Regardless, she did pay in advance and Fairy Tail always takes care of its clients."

"Whatever you say master. I'm gonna head out then." Gildarts walked away throwing up his arm as he waved his goodbyes to the guild hall. As he reached the door there stood a young, Cana Alberona, "hey kid see ya when I get back, I want you to show me that card magic you been working on. Okay?"

The little brunette looked up to the crash mage with a big smile, 'he noticed me', she cried out internally, "you got it Gildarts." She left his side and ran on into the guild hall to practice.

"Be safe and try not to destroy another town! I'm tired of writing apology letters for you!" Makarov yelled to the crash mage as he made his way out of the guild. Makarov smiled at the interaction of Gildarts with the youngest members of the guild. 'One day he is gonna be a good guild master for Fairy Tail.'

Once Gildarts was gone, Makarov took a quick look around the hall finding the guild member he was looking for, "Hey Macao, I'm headed out for a couple of days. Keep watch over the guild and don't drink all the beer! That goes for you too Wakaba."

"Yes master!" The two best friends yelled back in unison.

As Makarov made his way out of town, he thought to himself, 'Mavis, I never thought this would come to pass. I know your writings told of five dragon slayers, and the secrets of the son, of the fire dragon king. But can it be true? Why would you want something so dangerous to be placed in the care of Fairy Tail? What does this all mean?'

"Dad… Dad… DAD! Where are you!" Natsu screamed out. When he woke from his nap, he didn't recognize this part of the forest. His clothes were in shreds, covered in dirt, and what looked like blood, yet when he examined himself, he didn't see any wounds. He looked around the area but couldn't catch a whiff of Igneel anywhere.

Natsu stared at the substance on his hands, he took a sniff, and the smell drove a sharp pain to his head and made him feel sick to his stomach. He needed to cleanse himself of the offending stench now, listening closely he took off toward what sounded like a stream. He was right, instead of just washing off, he leaped in submerging himself, needing to rid himself of the smell that was causing such anguish.

Once fully bathed the offending scent was removed, Natsu's though then turned to his father's teachings. What to do if you find yourself alone having to fend for yourself. Igneel had trained him well, leaving him by himself for weeks at a time, forcing him to hunt and build shelter.

Natsu looked around gathering stones to construct a fire ring, he filled it with dead leaves and small sticks, just enough to get a fire built by hand. He could have used his own magic to start the flames but then he wouldn't be able to eat it. Right now, he needed to make sure if he didn't find food, he could at least eat the fire.

Once he had a manageable flame, Natsu went back to the stream studying the surface to spot his prey. With a spear he constructed out of a fallen branch he went on to catch several fish, bringing them back to his make-shift camp.

With a full stomach Natsu went out to explore the area, he was looking for the dragon. "Where could he went off too? He never leaves without letting me know first." Natsu stated aloud.

It was starting to get dark, knowing it would be safer for him to wait by his camp, Natsu started to head back, then he felt it again, something had been off all day. It felt as if someone had been watching him. He couldn't hear or smell anything, yet he knew something was watching him close by. Natsu gave one last look out to the night sky, and the surrounding area.

"Hey if you're out there watchin me, don't think I'm some push over cause I'm a kid. I will burn your ass if you try anything!" Natsu hollered out into the night sky before stomping off to return to his camp to sleep for the night.

In a nearby tree, Makarov let out a sigh he had been holding. 'Seems this kid has some skills. He will be an interesting addition to Fairy Tail, but where are the other children?'

With a deep sigh he hunkered down in the tree for the evening. Hoping the other children would show up eventually, but it concerned him as he watched this boy for most of the day and he didn't seem to know anything about the others.

Early the next morning Makarov set into motion his plan. He waited for the young slayer to start his morning routine, while Natsu was preparing his breakfast he made his move. He lit up his pipe and removed the cloaking spell he had been using and started walking toward the camp of the slayer.

Natsu instantly caught the scent of the burning tobacco and took off toward the smell. As he arrived, he found an old man who was the same height as him. Even though he looked frail Natsu could feel the magic radiating off this man, he was extremely powerful not someone to underestimate lightly.

The old man studied the pinkette boy, taking another puff from his pipe, he settled eyes onto Natsu's black orbs, then with a wide grin he spoke. "Good morning boy! What are you doing out here? Waiting on friends or family?"

Natsu didn't know why but this man's voice held a level of comfort, it reminded him of Igneel, powerful but always kind. It made him smile showing off his sharp canines, Makarov liked this boy instantly.

"I lost my dad, so I was camping here waiting for him to come back."

Makarov frowned slightly, "I see, no one else? How long have you been waiting?"

"Um… it's just me and my dad. I woke up from my nap yesterday, and he was gone. I'm sure he will be back soon; he never leaves long without telling me." Natsu explained.

"Well, how about I make you an offer."

"An offer… for what?"

"You seem like a bright boy. I'm the master of a magic guild; why don't you come stay with me at the guild until your dad comes back."

"I don't know…" Natsu grabbed at his scarf, as if it held all his answers. "He might get mad, if I take off."

"Understandable… say you wouldn't happen to be a mage, would you?"

"Yes SIR! I'm a fire dragon slayer!" Natsu said with pride.

"A dragon slayer." Makarov gave a small whistle.

"Well that is exceedingly rare, did you know, they call your type of magic, lost magic it's that extraordinary. How did you come to learn such a thing?" Makarov smiled as he could see his words excited the boy.

"My dad taught me everything he knows; he is a dragon! King of the Fire Dragon's Igneel, and I'm prince Natsu Dragneel." His smile dropped a bit, "but don't call me prince… I don't care for it much. Natsu is good enough for me." Natsu's eyes lit up with hope and longing, as if he were searching for something to hold onto.

Makarov could tell he was making progress with the boy, "I see… well… pleasure to meet you Natsu, I'm Makarov Dreyar the third master of The Fairy Tail Guild. My home is in Magnolia, just under a day's walk from here. If your dad's a dragon and you come with me, I'm sure he will be able to find you."

"I… don't know…" Natsu continued to hesitate, he hadn't been around other people just Igneel, yet there was something deep withing pulling at him to go with the old man.

"I really want to see your guild. It sounds awesome! But… I should wait for my dad." His shoulders began to slump, he just couldn't leave Igneel behind.

Makarov smiled at the boy, "I tell you what, lets leave a message for Igneel, that way he won't worry and will know exactly where to find you."

Natsu looked as if he was ready to go with the older mage, but something was holding him back.

"I mean you no harm boy; it's not safe in these forest for children, there are many creatures, both animal and human that would do you harm."

"I can take care of myself! I'm the son of a DRAGON!" Natsu shouted out, in defiance.

Makarov was not fazed by the boy's outburst, "I'm sure you are quite a capable mage, but you are alone out here. Tell me Natsu… as the son of a dragon, you gained enhanced senses, right?" Natsu nodded in agreement.

"Okay then… have you heard or smelled your father in the surrounding areas, since you woke up yesterday?"

Natsu's head fell as he stared at his feet, he replied barely louder than a whisper, "well… no sir… I haven't been able to pick up his scent."

Makarov nodded in understanding; he placed a hand on Natsu shoulder causing the boy to look up meeting the old man's soft gentle eyes. They reminded him of someone else, but Natsu couldn't seem to place who's eyes they reminded him of, but he knew he could trust those eyes.

Knowing he had the boy's trust Makarov spoke with a certainty, as only a parent could. "That means for some unknown reason, Igneel had to leave quickly and go far away. I'm sure he did this to keep you safe. I've heard that dragons will do everything in their power to protect those they consider precious, and what is more precious than their own child."

Natsu was considering the kind old man's words when his solar plexus started to warm. He couldn't help but rub his chest area. For some reason at that moment, his instincts told him Igneel would want him to go with this man called Makarov.

"Are you… are you sure it's okay I come with you? I don't have any money or anything to give you in exchange." Natsu said nervously as he played with his scarf.

"It's no worry my boy, we will stop in town and I will get you some clothes, and then onto the guild for something to eat, my treat."

"Really! You mean it…" Natsu hoped, it seemed this man was too good to be true.

"Natsu my boy, you are welcome to stay at Fairy Tail for as long as you like. Come on now, let's get moving. If we hurry, we can be there by late afternoon."

"Yeah… I'm all fired up!" Natsu exclaimed as he shot a stream of fire into the sky.

Makarov watched in amusement at the rambunctious boy, 'Mavis, this boy is definitely interesting., but where are the other children. Why doesn't Natsu know anything about them?'

Igneel breathed a sigh of relief, he had convinced Natsu to go with the old man. He knew this had to be a plan from his daughter Star, of all the guilds in Fiore, she would be the one to find one with the name of Fairy Tail. He smirked to himself, it was fitting since she had access to Fey magic.

It wasn't long before the spirit of Grandeeney had made her appearance advising her king all the children had found someone they could trust to help them. This eased Igneel's mind, he then ordered the sky dragon not to return until it was time for them to appear once more.

'Anna, our hatchlings are safe, because of you my love.' Igneel said giving thanks to his mate, he then settled his soul. He too needed to heal if the dragons were to be of any use in the future.

She had been back on Earth for a few days now, and for the most part she had been recovering, 'hiding,' in her room. Today was the worse day yet, since Star's soul reunited with Dawn and her body. Her first night back Aiden felt her arrival and would not leave her side in fear her soul would split again. After allowing him to sleep in her bed he calmed enough to allow her some space.

Once she was finally alone, she cried for what seemed like hours. Her consort Finn, even Draco, were giving the princess her space. Today she watched from her balcony as the eclipse took hold of the night, no matter the dimensions the stars in the heaven always stayed the same. She knew Layla had only hours left if she even survived the opening of the gate.

It was near early afternoon of the 7th when two events brought her to her knees. She felt Natsu awaken, scared and confused, it was just a moment then it was gone. Within moment she felt the next stab to her soul, Lucy was crying out. She was in such pain her loss was drowning Dawn, Draco appeared at her side watching his master wrenching in pain. He went out to get Finn, so he could help his master to the bed, she was only conscious for a moment longer, she murmured then fainted.

"What in the hell, Draco!" Finn demanded, "what's happening to her!"

Draco heard his master's words before she fainted, "she said… Layla is gone."

"How in the hell would she know that?" Finn was growing more concerned by the moment.

Draco couldn't blame Finn for being worried, to be honest he was too. He reached up to pull at his black hair, "she'd did it… I don't know how… but that brat tied a part of her soul to Natsu n Lucy."

"What! If that's true why hasn't she been talking to Natsu all this time, like she does with Igneel?"

"My Best guess… Natsu moved from a point in time to a point in time. His soul been frozen until the gate opened. With Iggy she had a piece of his soul in the necklace, it wasn't affected by the manipulation of time. The link with Lucy gotta be a result of Star's body on Earthland being linked to Lucy's so they age together."

"Fuck… Why would she do that?"

"Knowing her… she's tryin to find a way to keep an eye on her family, anyway possible and don't care about the cost."

"What in the hell are we gonna do with her." Finn was exasperated with his wife; she had just gotten back, and already she was stirring things up.

Draco gave a cautious laughed to his friend, "if ya can figure a way to keep that one out of trouble, ya a better man than me."

It was late in the night of July 7th , and Lucy was in her room crying, Spetto tried to comfort her, but nothing the maid said could make it better her mother was gone, and her world would never be the same.

Her thoughts went back to earlier that day, the doctor was called after her mother had been found at the foot of the stair's unconscious. She remembered holding on tight to her mother's hand, it was cold not like her normal warmth, she was begging her to wake up. She heard the doctor leave the room with her father; the man was saying there was nothing he could do; magic deficiency was stripping away the last of her life.

There had been a visitor that rushed in the room, falling to her knees beside her mother as she cried, she begged for her mother to wake saying it was all her fault. Lucy watched the scene from the corner of the room, Spetto came over pulling the woman away, saying Layla would never want her to feel that way. There was a few more words shared between the women, when she saw the lady pull out Aquarius key from her pocket handing it over to Spetto. She then turned quickly, eyes full of tears, as she rushed out as quickly as she had rushed in.

When Jude reappeared, she watched as her father went to kneel next to the bed, he didn't acknowledge anyone in the room, his eyes were fixed on Layla. She watched has her father whispered to her mother, then she froze in fear as she noticed her mother's chest was no longer rising or falling with each breath.

Her father let out a gut-wrenching wail, Lucy had never seen her dad cry, the sight frightened her. In that moment Lucy knew her world would never be the same; the light of the Heartfilia empire was gone.

Within a few moments Jude gathered himself, finally noticing Lucy. The sight of the child made him sick he could not bare to see Layla's eyes staring back at him.

"Spetto, take Lucy to her room, she does not need to see this." Jude's voice was cold void of any emotion.

"No… please daddy. I want to stay with mommy. PLEASE…" Lucy begged as she went to her father side wrapping her little arms around his legs for comfort, Jude looked down in disgust pulling the child away from him.

"Lucy, a young lady of your stature needs to have more composure. Go to your room now, I don't have time to deal with your sniveling."

"But daddy…"

The sound of a harsh smack rang through the room, Lucy laid sprawled on the floor, eyes filling with tears as she held the side of her face. Her father may have yelled at her in the past, but he had never laid a hand on her. Now she laid there shaking in terror not knowing what to do next.

Jude's anger was rising, as he watched the blubbering child curl into a ball on the floor. Before he could register his actions, he was moving toward Lucy, building up for the next blow, but Spetto reached Lucy first pulling the girl to her feet.

"Miss Lucy, your father wants you to go to your room. Allow me to assist you."

"Thank you Spetto… I cannot stand to be in the presence of such weakness, Lucy your nothing like your mother, you are weak and pathetic."

Lucy nodded not saying a word as she passed her father; she curled in on herself making herself as small as possible. Spetto push the child along until they reached the safety of Lucy's room. Once both where inside she locked the door quickly then ran to the bathroom to run water for the bath.

Lucy was still in tears; the side of her face was turning from pink to purple. Spetto came back with a warm washcloth to clean the young girls face. When Spetto saw the damage, Jude had inflected on Layla's child she cursed the man. The maid cleaned Lucy's face, then pulled her up into her arms, taking the child to the bathroom to properly bathe her.

After her bath, Spetto dressed her for bed. All the while never saying a word, she held Lucy tight as she allowed the girl to whimper. Once Lucy was somewhat calm, she reached into the pocket of her apron pulling out two of Layla's keys, Aquarius and Capricorn.

She handed them over to Lucy, "these are your keys now, I know Layla taught you the importance of the Zodiac and what they mean to the Heartfilia family."

Lucy couldn't speak she simply nodded. "Good… Now listen closely, I want you to hide these keys from your father, it is your responsibility to keep them safe. When I visit town next, I will look for more keys to add to your collection. This is what Layla would have wanted for you. When your father is away, I have someone who will come to train you to use the keys properly, but we must never let your father know you are studying magic."

Lucy again nodded in understanding, "I promise you miss Lucy, I will do everything I can to protect you from Jude. I need you to understand today was not your fault. Your father had NO right to hit you like that. I know he is upset Layla is no longer with us, but that does not give him the right to hurt you. You're going to have to be strong miss Lucy, do not let your father take away that adventurous heart of yours."

Spetto pulled Lucy in for a hug, and the little girl began to cry again. Spetto patted her head and rubbed her back as she held her tightly. "I want you to try and get some sleep, okay?"

She pulled back as Lucy nodded again, Spetto got a tissue and cleaned her face one last time. She leaned down to kiss her on the head and tuck her in. Spetto left the room locking the door behind her for Lucy's safety.

For the next six years Lucy would find herself locking that door for her own safety almost every night.

So I hoped everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend, in our new crazy world.

We as you can see Layla is gone, Natsu is back, Star's soul has merged back with Dawn, and poor Lucy is left with Jude.

Let me know what you think about the progress of the story, you can leave a comment or send me a PM.

Special thanks to all who have left comments, have been following, or are new to the story: Sairey13, FireShifter I always love your comments! Tanyla, and Grimlock987

Well I have to get started on the next chapter, thank you all again!

Catch you on the Flip Side ~ Lodemai ~