One month. It had been one month since he'd laid eyes on her, and no matter how angry he was, it only pissed Natsu off more to realize that he actually missed having Lucy around. He didn't want to miss her, the one who'd betrayed him as badly as Zeref and Igneel had. Every time he caught himself doing so, he angrily ripped at the bond between them, wishing nothing more than to erase it entirely, so that he didn't have to sit there every day and be reminded that she was there, feeling just as miserable as him.

Fingering the white bone residing in his hand, Natsu scowled and did just as that, shredding at that bond. He felt her pain race up his spine, where he knew her black Marks resided, simmering against her flesh. Felt her sorrow shoot through him, her guilt and sadness and longing. It only made him feel a vicious stab of triumph. He dug in harder until he could feel the pain in his own body, until he could picture her nearly sobbing at the pain of it.

Let her sob, he thought bitterly, closing his fist around the bone. Let her be sorry. Let her mourn the loss, cry, be pained by it. Let her feel as he did when he'd realized that her little secret had been so much more than his. How she'd hidden his own fate from him. Because she had known from the beginning, and had probably intended to manipulate him like Zeref had. She'd echoed Zeref's words, after all.

Distantly, he wondered if she'd end up like Zeref, if he'd hear the sound of the blade and the following thud as her head struck the ground.

Immediately, he rejected the thought. Even as angry as he was, he didn't want her dead. She deserved to suffer for what she'd done, but he couldn't bring himself to want her dead. It was why he'd let those flames burn, but never devour Gray as he'd burst in through the door of her apartment. He remembered watching her simply sit there, accepting her fate, until Gray had scooped her up and carried her to safety. Only when she and Happy were gone had he let his flames roar louder, let them eat away every memory that had resided within that building, where he'd stayed when he'd wanted her company oh, so badly.

Natsu's grip tightened on that bone as he remembered how badly he had craved the feeling of Lucy against him. How wonderful it had been when her skin had brushed his, creating a burn that he'd never felt before. He remembered how nice it had been when she'd laughed, how it had felt to know that he'd been the one to create that joy that had warmed every inch of his body. He remembered how her eyes had filled with mirth whenever he'd been so excited to kiss her-

The bone snapped in his hand, and Natsu winced, grabbing another one and readying to pay for two. He shoved all those thoughts away, ignoring the frail, soothing touch as Lucy hesitantly tried to help, knowing what would happen. He did just as she likely expected, tearing into that touch until it recoiled, pain radiating through his body.

Natsu wandered over to the front desk, where he quickly paid for the bones and made his way back to the door. He ducked out and paused, studying the cheery streets of Magnolia with a weary feeling. He was exhausted. He couldn't sleep, nor could Lucy, and he knew it was driving them both to the brink of insanity. He couldn't bring himself to care as he ducked into the street - and almost smacked right into someone.

A spluttered sound escaped him when he realized who it was. They blinked back at him with owlish surprise. "Natsu," said Juvia with wide eyes, her gaze darting up and down his form. A frown appeared on her face. "What are you doing at a shop for black magic?" she questioned suspiciously a moment later, eyes darting to meet his.

Natsu winced, glancing over his shoulder and trying to avoid the instinct to hide his purchases behind his back. "None of your business," he retorted, and pushed past her, intent on going home to get back to work. He could feel Mavis's presence at his shoulder, as if she was willing herself to appear. He shooed her off with a mere snarl that made Juvia, who broke into a brisk walk beside him, jump.

He'd already heard Mavis's warning, and he didn't give a damn.

"It is very much my business when a guild member, and one of Makarov's trusted council members, at that, is performing black magic, Natsu," said Juvia firmly, and he groaned in frustration, wanting nothing more than to chase her off. But she'd seen all there was of him and then some, knew what he was and that he was unlikely to hurt her.

So he tried it with his words. "No wonder Gray's out again," he bit out. "If the one hanging off my arm was like you, I'd leave constantly, too."

Hurt flickered over her face, but was quickly chased away by anger. Her eyes flashed and she grabbed his arm, yanking him to a stop. "You will not," she said, baring her teeth and letting her siren blood bubble to the surface, startling him, "chase me off like that, Natsu Dragneel." The ghost-like look on her face sent chills down his spine, and he admittedly faltered.

"Sorry," he found himself muttering, annoyed with himself for saying so.

She took a deep breath, calming herself. "Juvia knows you are merely hurting, so Juvia will let that slide-"

"I'm not hurting," he snapped, rolling his eyes. He fixed her with a sharp, flinty glare. "I'm pissed off with the lady who's trying to follow me home."

"-and tell you that Gray's not out again because of Juvia," she continued as if he'd not spoken. "Gray is out because he's with Lucy." The mere mention of her name sent agony shooting down his spine, had him fighting the urge to seek her attention and ensure she was okay. He replaced it forcefully with anger, shredding again. She didn't even try and soothe him this time, merely let him ravage what was left of her soul. "They've gone to the southwestern mountains to speak with someone there about Acnologia." She paused. "Didn't you know?"

Natsu stared blankly at her. "Why would I know?" he demanded, starting forward. "Or care, for that matter? Lucy can do whatever the hell she wants. Not like she cares what's going on anyways."

Juvia fell into step with him again. "Lucy," she said quietly, and he tried to ignore her but came up unsuccessful, "is trying to understand Acnologia so she can protect this world, Natsu."

"You don't know anything about what's going on, so shut up and leave me alone."

"Gray told Juvia everything," she told him, and Natsu snapped his gaze to hers, suspicious. Gray had told her who he was? No, he realized when she continued, merely the part about why Natsu had burned Lucy's home to the ground. "And Juvia would have done the same thing in Lucy's place."

"And if you were in the same place," purred Natsu, smirking at her, "I'd have burned you right alongside her."

"No, Juvia doesn't think you would." Juvia seemed bored with his attitude, even slightly amused, as if he was a child throwing a temper tantrum. He wanted to scream at her to leave him alone, but didn't dare after the display of fury she'd given him. Something in him hunched over in fear at the concept of what Juvia could do if he upset her too much.

"So," said Juvia, patient. "What are you doing with those bones, Natsu?" He couldn't hide them quickly enough when she peered at them, leaning back. "Mm, those are old bones, are they not?"

He cleared his throat, giving up. It'd be far easier to just let her in on it than shoo her off. Besides, Juvia wasn't necessarily bad. She would keep quiet if he asked her to on something like this. He was performing illegal spells, he knew, but not out of maliciousness, and it wouldn't hurt anyone else. "Yes," he admitted. "They're...err, they're the bones of a dire wolf, actually."

She blinked. "Why a dire wolf? Could you not have just asked Jellal for one?"

He brought the whole one up to peer at it thoughtfully. They'd been expensive, especially since he'd bought a pair, with one being broken. "Not for what I needed." He showed her the massive pelvic bone he'd purchased. "This comes from a dire wolf that lived around the time Igneel took me in. Actually, it was present at Zeref's death." His voice cracked around Igneel's name. "I needed something from that time I'd be willing to sacrifice that came from one of the times in which we were closest, and I couldn't give up my scarf."

"Sacrifice," drawled Juvia with narrowed eyes. "What ceremony are you attempting to perform, Natsu?"

"I'm gonna talk with Igneel," he said bluntly, not caring what she thought. "He's dead, but I can talk to his spirit." He thought it over and admitted, "I was gonna summon Layla at first, to figure out what happened when she died. But I want to talk with Igneel instead."

He wanted advice. Wanted to know what Igneel had really thought of Layla after their attempt at Leo's trial. If he'd have forgiven Layla for her betrayal had they had more time. He remembered the sorrowful look on Igneel's face and supposed he should have already known the answer, but…

He found he wanted to speak with Igneel, just one more time. To offer the apology, the true apology he should have given him before his death.

Shock suddenly flared over her face. "Natsu," Juvia said, stunned, "you were present at the execution of the previous emperor?"

So she'd not been told of his status as prince then. Why wouldn't Gray have told her such a thing, he wondered, when it would have benefited him? Still, Natsu supposed it didn't matter regardless. "Yeah," he said as if it was nothing. As if the image of Zeref's head rolling on the ground didn't immediately fill his head. He felt ill. "Yeah, I was. It wasn't fun. I betrayed him for the dragons."

He was grateful when Juvia didn't bother to ask anything more about the matter. After a few seconds, however, she did ask something that caught him off guard. She glanced up at him and smiled gently, her blue eyes full of a warmth that made him miss Lucy again. "What else do you need?"


Lucy supposed she should have known something would happen after so long of a lack of proper sleep. One moment, she was frowning at a suspicious looking cavern at the edge of a valley they were considering a camping spot, and the next, she was on the ground, staring blankly at the blue sky, pain splintering through her where she'd struck so hard she couldn't breathe.

"Lucy!" exclaimed Erza, hurling herself from Thanatos, and Gray quickly shot down from Shiria. Jellal was a bit more calm, gripping the reins of the pair of mounts after dismounting, knowing that Salutem wouldn't go anywhere. "Are you-"

"I'm fine," rasped Lucy, her voice somewhat slurred. "Just...sorry, I think I'm tired."

Besides, she couldn't bring herself to care that her body was aching and sore. Not as somewhere in the back of her head, Natsu seemed to pause and take into consideration what he was feeling from her. She could feel him carefully, reluctantly check in as he ensured she wasn't dying or anything similar. She almost sobbed at the lack of malicious intent behind the action - the first in a month.

"Just rest there for a moment," said Jellal calmly, kindly. His cloth-hidden face had turned towards her, even as he yanked pointedly on Thanatos's reins to prevent the creature from taking a bite out of his arm. Happy, stressed, whimpered from his basket.

"I'll get you some water," said Erza firmly as Gray carefully knelt down beside her, concerned.

"I'll be fine," insisted Lucy. Nevertheless, she gave it a few moments before she finally hefted herself upright, hissing as she realized she'd cut her arm on a rock. Gray quietly rose and went to fetch some supplies to tend to it, and Lucy felt an embarrassed flush rising along her cheeks. "Sorry."

Erza shook her head as she offered a container to her friend, and Lucy gratefully took it. "Don't apologize for what cannot be helped," she said firmly. "You have done nothing wrong, Lucy."

Lucy shook her head, amused. Like hell she hadn't, she thought to herself as she sipped at the water, feeling better almost immediately. She winced when Gray began to tend to the injury. "We should camp here," he said firmly, glancing up at Erza and Jellal. "I don't know what's in this valley, but Lucy needs a good night's sleep before we can even think of continuing."

"I don't see why we should stop," grumbled Lucy, hissing when the wound stung. "I'm not going to be able to sleep anyways."

Erza scowled as she rose to her feet again, intending to help Jellal with their wild mounts, who were getting increasingly aggravating by the moment. "The next time I see Natsu," she muttered threateningly under her breath, and Lucy grimaced, wondering if Natsu understood the sympathy that suddenly spun through her was because she knew he'd garnered Erza's wrath. Gray looked a little pale himself.

"We still have so long to travel," sighed Lucy, rubbing her hands down her face. "I'd Portal us there if I could, but that'd kill me, apparently." Loke had told her as such. Fallen star or not, there was only so much energy she could expend on something like that and survive.

Gray, wrapping a bandage around the cut, which stung fiercely still, murmured, "You know, I don't get how you're not pissed off with the guy at this point." She blinked at him, confused. "Natsu. I mean, yeah, you hid something pretty big from him, and I know his ability to hold a grudge is unlike anything else in this world, but…"

"I love him," Lucy said simply, freely, not caring what the others thought as Erza stilled, as Jellal chuckled quietly, tending to Salutem. Not caring as Gray stared at her with startled eyes. "What?" she said after the silence grew, broken only by Happy's impatient yowling, the feline wanting to be free.

"Sorry, I mean, we all knew it, but damn, I didn't expect to hear it out loud," muttered Gray, and she couldn't help but smirk at the flush on his cheeks. As if he was flustered hearing her talk about such things.

"What," she found herself teasing, "you've never said it to Juvia?"

His cheeks turned a darker red and Lucy found herself grinning, delighted by this discovery. "Mind your own business," he snapped, though there was no real anger behind his words. He seemed more sheepish than anything, and even Erza chuckled as she began unsaddling Thanatos, figuring they'd just camp where they were now.

"Love is a strong force," said Jellal suddenly, and Erza stilled. Her head suddenly snapped around, and she found him standing still, his jaw tight and his body locked into place, as if he was seeing something they weren't. She abandoned Thanatos almost immediately, concerned as he staggered suddenly. "My apologies," he murmured tiredly, before turning to face them all. Lucy was frowning now, as was Gray, concerned for the Keeper of Visions. He offered a smile. "It's as if whatever happened with you and Natsu has set off a barrage of visions, and they strike me at odd times."

"What were you saying before," prompted Erza gently, "about love?"

"It's a strong force," he repeated, turning back to Salutem, stroking the stag's massive head with a hint of a smile. "Many things are done out of love, both good and bad. Lucy kept such a big thing from Natsu because she loved him, meaning well. Acnologia joined with Zeref for the same reason, more than likely. You became a Guardian because of your love for me." Erza became flustered, and he gave a rare grin, laughing at the sight.

"As I said, love is a strong force, and much is done for it. I think, Lucy, that you need worry less about the future than you think."

Lucy's attention sharpened. "What'd you see?" she demanded.

He shook his head. "I can't say. It was a mixture of things. My visions are rarely clear, and I cannot change them very often, just as I've told you previously, but I saw a flicker of the pair of you together." This time a hint of red materialized on his face, and Lucy gawked at him, wondering just what the hell he'd seen her and Natsu doing. "I'm sure things will work out, however. At least, before we have Acnologia to deal with."

Lucy found something relaxing in her. "Thank you," she said simply and reached over to get another drink of water. As she lifted the water to her lips, she finally attempted what she'd been craving to do for weeks, and hesitantly sank back. Back, and back, and back, until flickers of another place filled her vision. She caught glimpses of a bone being placed somewhere in particular, a flash of familiar blue hair, and even the swell of old, ancient magic before she was ripped from it, hurled back into her own body with a snarl ringing in her ears.

She yelped aloud, making Gray jump. "Sorry," she rasped, immediately touching her nose when she realized it had begun to bleed. "Sorry, I was trying to check on Natsu, see what he was up to." It had been a bad idea, she realized, feeling his rage flood back into her, feeling him shred at what little of her soul was left unmarred in retaliation.

More amused than anything now, Gray asked, "Well?"

She spoke slowly, thinking over what she'd seen. "I think he's doing something with Juvia. Something not so pleasant."

Something in Gray's expression froze over, a grin appearing and looking more as if he'd bared his teeth. "What kind of 'not so pleasant?'"

"Some kind of magic, involving an old bone, it looked like." She looked to Erza and Jellal for help, and realized that Erza had stilled, horrified. "What? Do you know what he might be doing?"

Calmly, dropping Happy lightly to the ground after heaving him from his basket, Jellal asked, "Did he have any red string or paint with him?" Lucy thought over and nodded slowly, trying to analyze what little she'd seen. "I believe he's trying to summon a spirit to speak with. Knowing him, it'll be someone akin to Igneel if not Igneel himself. It's illegal in Fiore, but so long as they are careful, no harm will come from it."

Lucy's face went white. "You're sure? Isn't...isn't this necromancy?"

Gently, Erza smiled at her and reassured, "No. This isn't necromancy. He's not raising the dead, he's merely borrowing a spirit from wherever they go, so that he can talk with them for a short period of time. So long as he performs the ceremony correctly and doesn't accidentally unleash something nastier, he and Juvia should be fine."

It didn't do much to reassure Gray, but Lucy nodded. She trusted Natsu, even now, she thought. If he was summoning a spirit, then it was for a good reason. It had to be. Because even the Demon King didn't play with the dead lightly.


People wanted Natsu's point of view, and here it was! ;)

Thanks to reviewers (Bookwork129, XxCelestialAssassinxX, Uchida Akira, AthomeinFairytail, madaraswife, valerioux, Sele de la Luna, TigerArrowgirl, FairyTailxFanGirl, Kaisha, Lissuin, GoldenPadfoot148, itsxoi, savwafair, Surfy, Meow Orbit, Guest #1, Guest #2, stranger1999, BeautifulSamurai, Lodemai04, theHumbleGM, Sydneste, Maikoa, CrappyReviewer, and Kisa7221!) as well as those who favorited and followed!