The guild knew to stay a certain distance away from their guests. Natsu had warned them several times.
They chatted with Makarov for a while before they left to find Natsu, praying they weren't going to disrupt anything they shouldn't be seeing.
The guild finally simmered back down.
They had been in disbelief when Zeref explained how the Infernos tribe got their reputation for being merciless monsters. It had been both undeserved, but well earned.
An Infernos member had been out hunting while his mate had stayed in their home. When he'd came back, he found that his mate had been viciously beaten, raped, and murdered by the country's palace guard. He'd shown zero mercy as he completely shredded the thirty armed guards.
He had been so overcome with grief as he held his mate that he lost control of his magic. His body started sucking up all the Ethernano and ambient energy surrounding them freezing everything within a thousand miles in mere seconds. People and animals alike froze in place where they had been doing various activities, dying instantly. Without warning he exploded; everything that had been frozen was engulfed in flames.
The country was wiped out within ten minutes.
After the pair had left, the guild reached an even more firm agreement: Protect Lucy!
They had no interest in the two leaving the guild. They belonged there. It wouldn't be the same without them but that didn't mean they couldn't be extra cautious.
Natsu greeted Zeref and Mavis at the door having caught their scents as they left the town. "We heard. Is she going to be alright?" Mavis asked gently.
"Yeah, she's just a little beaten up, right now," he stated with a light but still annoyed growl, glaring in the direction of the mission.
"She's stronger than anyone ever gave her credit for, even you! She'll be fine soon," Zeref assured his brother.
"Yeah," Natsu agreed, relaxing slightly, "and I give her a ton of credit!"
Lucy woke slowly. Looking around, she realized she was at home safe and could hear Natsu talking in the living room.
She'd figured she should be more upset than she was but why should she be afraid? Natsu had been nearby.
That fact alone had kept her sane. Anyone else would still be a complete wreck.
Natsu was her safe zone. Nothing could harm her when she was with him.
In the moment, she'd been fearful, but the instant she'd felt Natsu's arms around her Lucy had relaxed.
Slowly she got up and went to the bathroom. After that mission, she felt gross.
Natsu had left her favorite bath items close to the large tub so she could relax. She loved that he'd thought of her comfort.
The hot water, oils, and bubbles refreshed her, soothing the aches and bruises. Luckily, he'd stopped them before they could do worse, though she didn't know how.
Once she was out and dressed, she left the master suite to join Natsu in the living room with whomever he was talking to.
"Lucy!" came an excited shriek as she was gathered into a fierce hug.
"First master Mavis!" she looked at Natsu and then to Zeref in surprise.
Natsu snickered at the two girls. Zeref smiled fondly at the petite blonde.
Mavis started talking to her a mile a minute when suddenly her curse tried to strike. Lucy was scared for a moment but then her eyes nearly bugged out of her head when Natsu was able to force the wave down almost as quickly as it had started.
Mavis decided she should probably talk to Lucy at a distance.
They talked for a long while. Lucy had gotten over her anxiety about Zeref when Natsu had told her about their past and growing up together when she'd joined the guild.
Zeref apologized for the Past, but it was done and hopefully they would all continue to be better for it.
They ate a quick supper. Happy came back briefly to say he was going to stay with Wendy while they had quests.
Natsu apologized for scaring them all but Happy just smiled at him and told him they understood. They didn't blame him.
Zeref snickered after he left, telling Natsu they'd all agreed to help protect Lucy even before he explained the Infernos reputation.
Natsu felt terrible but also relieved. He had terrified them, but they didn't want him gone. He'd have to make it up to them somehow.
The next day, Natsu and Zeref lead their ladies to Kardia's cemetery. They stopped at their parent's grave and introduced their favorite blondes.
It was in excellent condition for its age. The boys had done well in its upkeep. They knew at some point they would have to move on to a simple shrine or token but for now they had a place to go.
Lucy knew Natsu had always been sentimental but had been surprised when she found that Zeref was as well. They'd both kept certain items from their parents and others they'd cared about through the years.
After a few weeks, Zeref and Mavis returned to Alvarez. The brothers had enjoyed their time together and the girls became close.
Natsu had been surprised by how quickly Lucy had bounced back from her attack. He'd been worried at first.
Lucy, however, happily went about her days afterwards assuring him she wasn't bothered. She knew he would save her as he always had.
**** Greetings again! This one was just a short chapter, I believe the shortest in this story. I wanted to bring Zeref and Mavis back into the fold.
We're almost there! Just three more! I may get another up today. I've been slowly working on all of them. Just depends! Anyways! Y'all have fun and be careful!