HELLO MY LOVELY READERS! Thank you for waiting for the next chapter! Unfortunately I had some computer troubles but will now hopefully be back to uploading every Sunday like before! I hope you enjoy this next installment and keep tuned for the adventure to continue…..

Chapter 15

It's Lucy.

Time stopped.

He forgot how to breathe.

The air became heavy, pushing against him.

The world seemed to fall away underneath him. He couldn't hear anything, smell anything, see anything. Lucy.

"Natsu! Come on, pull yourself together!" Erza yelled shaking his shoulders. Her bruising grip unnoticed in his dazed state. He turned his face towards her but his eyes wouldn't focus. He didn't see the tears in her eyes as she called out to him, trying to get him to focus, to pull him out.

But there, over her shoulder, she was there. Floating down the stairs as she held onto his arm, the Prince's arm. She was here.

"No! It can't be. What – what do we do?" Wendy asked, her hand covering her mouth in shock, her eyes shaking. She hadn't looked this vulnerable in years. Charle held onto her hand in her human form, trying to console Wendy but at a loss as what to do.

Cheering filled the hall as the newly arrived couple made their way to the centre of the room.

"What do we do Erza?" Gray asked, his voice barely a whisper, not taking his eyes off the centre of the room.

"I – "

Music began to play causing the clapping from onlookers to fade. The tempo of a waltz grating against the rising panic threatening to drown the onlooking mages.

Natsu gently lifted Erza's hands from his shoulders, not taking his eyes off the celestial mage at the centre of the room. He began to move forward as if in a trance. His feet taking him towards her, making his way to the front of the crowd.

Walking through the people as if they were no more than slivers of grass, Natsu saw her. Saw her for the first time in five years. Her long golden hair was in a high bun, pulled back from her face exposing her eyes.

Her eyes. He hadn't realised how much he had missed looking at them. But, they were different, something was different.

Daemon spun Lucy around the room, moving as one, and with each step they seemed to move further away from Natsu.

She was smiling, but it wasn't the smile he was so used to seeing. Just like her eyes, it had changed too. They didn't shine with the excitement of life, the spark of happiness. With each turn Natsu could see the pain in her eyes.

As Daemon dipped Lucy back he heard a slight whimper, but he wasn't sure where it came from.

"I won't let you go," Daemon said bringing her back up. She looked up at him and smiled, her eyes lighting up and the pain that had flashed before melted as she looked at her partner.

Natsu couldn't take it anymore. He had to get out.

Turning around he shoved his way through the people, ignoring the comments they made under their breath and how they looked at him. He ignored it all, pushing everything out until only the crunch of gravel filled his ears, as a cold wind ripped through his hair.

Closing his eyes he tried to block out what he had seen. But he couldn't. She was right there, right in front of him and he couldn't go to her. And the worst thing was, it seemed like she didn't need him.

And then it dawned on him. She was the fiancée. The one forced into the marriage. They had agreed to force Lucy into this union. That was their job.

No longer having the strength to stand he fell to his knees. His hands clutched at the grass tearing it out as his vision began to blur. Tears that he could no longer hold back steamed down his face.

"Natsu!" Happy called out landing by his hand. "Is it true?" he asked, his eyes wide and shaking as tears poured down his face.

Not knowing what to do, Natsu sat there in silence, letting the sobs take over his body.

Once the celebration had ended the mages gathered in Erza's room.

Natsu had stayed outside with Happy, only entering again when Gray had come out to drag him in. Now, standing in the corner of the room, he looked at the floor without seeing anything.

"I need to see her," Wendy said, breaking the silence standing up from her seat on the bed.

"We know you want to see her, but you can't. Belinda said that we can't go to her quarters and if you do then you will give away who you are," Minerva said, her arms crossed leaning against the door frame.

"No, you don't understand I need to see her."

"Aye! Me too!" Happy said flying over to Wendy. Staring at their friends with determination in their eyes, they wouldn't back down. They needed to see Lucy.

Looking at the other members of Fairy Tail who hadn't moved Wendy shook her head. "If you don't want to see her fine. Then we'll go see her ourselves. Some things are worth the risk." Wendy and Happy waited a moment before making their way to the door.

"You're not the only ones that need to see Bunny Girl. And I can help you get there without being detected," Gajeel said stepping out from the shadows.

Natsu looked up. Was there really a way to see her? But – did he deserve to see her, after everything that he'd done? Looking down he turned away from his friends.

Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up he saw Erza, her eyes bright in hope but there was fear also. "You weren't the only one that hurt her Natsu. We all carry the burden of what happened five years ago."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Wendy stiffen as she looked down, Charle moving closer to Happy as he turned his back on Natsu.

Gray took a step closer as Warren nodded in encouragement. She wasn't wrong, but she wasn't right. It was his fault. All of it.

"I think – I think it's time we saw Lucy again. What do you say flame breath?" Gray said making his way over to him.

Looking over Erza's shoulder Natsu's hair fell away from his face revealing his determination.

"I'm all fired up."