Lucy could feel the low, simmering rage that rested heavily on her heart as Natsu impatiently herded her away from the Sabertooth guildhall, tugging their borrowed horses behind him. She was too exhausted to try and puzzle out whether it was her anger or his. She was willing to bet that it was his though, because he'd not said a word to anyone in the entire time they'd been in the Sabertooth guildhall - a massive sprawling building that was so much newer than Fairy Tail's. Lucy had been the one to do most of the talking with Sting, who was apparently unaware of Rogue and Yukino's decision. He'd been incredibly friendly and willing to help, and had welcomed her back with a warm smile.

It had nearly made her cry.

Her fingers fumbled with the keys she'd given up to keep safe as they headed for the outskirts. At least she had Loke and Aries back. Loke hadn't made an appearance as he tended to do, but he'd certainly been just as happy to have her back as she was. The key had been searing at her fingers for hours now, just waiting.

"Here," grunted Natsu, the first word he'd said all morning. He passed her the reins of one of the horses, a great black mare that whickered at her as she shifted on heavy feathered feet. She was massive - and apparently just as much a favorite of the Sabertooth guild as Salutem was for Fairy Tail. Supposedly, the mare was one of the gentlest mounts Sabertooth had. She was entirely unlike the other horse, who reminded Lucy of Thanatos. Its ears had been pinned since Natsu had taken its reins.

"Thanks," murmured Lucy, not hesitating to scoop up Happy. She stretched up to gently place him in his basket, placed on her own horse rather than Natsu's. The feline purred down at her. With a grimace, Lucy reached up to try and hoist herself up, but came up unsuccessful. She faltered, not wanting to ask, but steeled her spine anyways. "Natsu, could you-"

She'd barely spoken before his hands were braced on her waist, heaving her up onto the massive horse - just as he'd done time and time again when she'd had Salutem. "Thanks," she mumbled, and he only nodded curtly, seeming lost in thought. She gathered the reins, watching as Natsu easily climbed up onto his own horse.

It wouldn't take them too long, Lucy believed. Maybe only a handful of days, if she remembered correctly. It had never taken them long to get to the Archives from Crocus. Her fingers tightened around the reins, uncertain anxiety filling her. That was several days of traveling, when they needed to sit down with other powerful people and figure out how to deal with Acnologia-

But then, she supposed, she had Natsu, the Demon King. END. There was no one better than Natsu to help her. And even if they were traveling, they could plan. He'd already promised to deal with the problem first if she disappeared. She knew that she could trust him on that.

So, as they began directing the horses in the direction they needed to go, Lucy turned in the saddle and said, "Natsu, say something does happen-"

"It won't," he snapped, clearly in a bad mood. Still, Lucy pushed.

"Say it does," she said with a shrug, glancing back when Happy meowed. The feline blinked reassuringly at her. "Say something happens, and I'm 'lost.' We won't try and figure out what that even means. We'll just assume that our connection is gone like it is when we go through Portals." Her voice quivered as she remembered what she'd felt during Aries's exam. She couldn't imagine never having Natsu settled in her like that again. She'd rather have his hatred then nothing at all.

Natsu glared at her, but waited, not at all pleased with the topic. Lucy remembered the last time they'd had this talk. He'd not liked it then either. "I promised I'd deal with whatever happens to Crocus before I freak out," Natsu rumbled.

"And if that's the reason something happens to Crocus?" said Lucy ever-so-quietly.

Natsu was quiet for a long, long time. Frantic frustration slammed through him, overwhelming her until it settled down. It was quickly replaced by determination. "Then I find a way to bring you back. I don't care if I have to become a damn necromancer. I'll make you come back."

A smile tugged at her lips, even as she said, "I appreciate your intentions, Natsu, but you can't become a necromancer. That's disgusting."

She could have sworn a flicker of amusement raced through him; she even thought she saw a hint of a grin flash over his face before it disappeared. "Already halfway there," he commented. "Summoned Igneel; who says I can't go all the way?"

She furrowed her brow a little, but didn't say anything about Igneel. She knew he'd done such a thing, but she didn't know if she approved or not. Then again, she supposed it wasn't really any of her business… Before she could make some kind of teasing remark, someone else spoke, cutting her off and scaring the hell out of her.

"You're going to fetch Gemini next, yes?"

"Loke," choked Lucy, her heart racing in her chest. Natsu looked unsurprised, but gave the spirit a nasty look, not pleased that he was coming out of nowhere like that. Loke walked along beside Lucy's horse, keeping up with ease. "Could you not, you know, scare the hell out of me?"

Loke flashed her a wicked grin, amused, but then grew serious. "Well?"

"No," said Natsu with no small amount of sarcasm. "We're going back to Magnolia, because Magnolia is to the west of Crocus."

"No need for such comments," said Loke, throwing him a dirty look that Natsu grouchily returned. "But good. Gemini's not pleased with the idea of lingering with those protecting its key longer than necessary, and hopes to be returned to you as soon as possible. You did well - both of you. The Spirit King wants you to know that. You protected our keys sufficiently and thought of them before yourself when confronted with a potentially nasty situation regarding Acnologia. You will do well as Keeper and Guardian."

"But we're not," Natsu said bluntly.

Loke's eyes glimmered with amusement. "Ah, but you are." Natsu's eyes flickered with confusion, and Lucy didn't miss the flicker of agitation that suddenly flared in Natsu's chest. "As I've said, my test did not have a time limit. Layla failed because she could not trust Igneel in the end, and Igneel failed because he could not accept what Layla had hid from them. Lucy accepted what you said from the moment you told her and trusted you even when you tried to rip her apart from the inside out, Natsu." Natsu flinched, hating the reminder. "And you may not have forgiven Lucy, but you've certainly accepted things as they are."

Lucy stared. "Wait, that means-"

"Yes. Natsu also passed my test." Loke's lips twitched. "As such, though you've not gone through the official appointment of the position, you are still our Keeper and Guardian. You need to keep in mind, however, that it means you have a bit more to you now," he added seriously. "Something that Acnologia will be eager to use, if he truly wishes to use the Eclipse Gate. Remember that; you are second to your titles now. Regardless of what happens, you got what you wanted; just understand that what you want isn't always what you get."

Lucy and Natsu exchanged wary looks, neither excited by the idea. "Well, then," murmured Lucy, confident. "We'll just have to make sure to avoid him then."

Natsu's bad mood didn't dissipate entirely, but did fade away for the most part as they traveled to the Archives. Lucy was grateful; she no longer knew how to help him. If he'd even let her help him. At the very least, it certainly alleviated her own aggravation, for his attitude wore on hers quite quickly.

A low, thunderous growl filled the air as they entered a familiar section of woods. Lucy jumped when it did, unprepared. Natsu, however, merely frowned, not at all impressed. "Shut up, Gajeel," he muttered under his breath, reeling in his horse when it whickered uneasily and reared a little.

The growl vanished, and moments later, Gajeel himself stalked out of the foliage. His crimson eyes darted between them warily, and though there was still a grumpy look, he didn't look like he was going to kill them. That was enough for Lucy. "You cause trouble everywhere you go," Gajeel snapped, glaring at them both.

Lucy fought the urge to wilt like a flower beneath his look. "Tell me something I don't know," she snapped back, catching him by surprise. He jolted a little, studying her closely. Lucy had had enough of people blaming them for all the chaos that came with them. She wasn't the one who'd convinced Acnologia to start wreaking havoc on everyone's lives, nor had she asked to come to the past in the first place. She was just doing her best to ensure the safety of those around her.

Gajeel, after a long moment, grunted. "C'mon, Levy'll want to see you. Hasn't shut up since that weird spirit of yours brought us the key."

Lucy felt a flicker of relief. At least Gemini was safe. "Thank you," she said sincerely, urging her mount to follow him. "For taking care of Gemini's key when I couldn't."

The iron dragon paused, throwing her a curious look over his shoulder. He wrinkled his nose. "Something's different about you. Both of you." His gaze shifted to Natsu. "Don't know what it is, but fix it. I ain't gonna sit around and listen to Levy moan about how worried she is about you for the next few years."

Natsu huffed, and Lucy cringed lightly. The pair exchanged an awkward look that Gajeel rolled his eyes at. Lucy got the feeling this was going to be an exasperatingly long day. Still, she didn't necessarily disagree. She needed to clear the air with Natsu; they needed to work as a team again. At least, they needed to be a team until the end of the year. Then things could go to hell again.

Lucy's mount willingly followed Gajeel through the trees until they came to a familiar set of doors. Natsu swung off his horse with ease, and Lucy was quick to copy him albeit a lot slower. She carefully slid down the massive creature's side, and winced at the stinging in her knees. She patted the horse's neck. "Thank you," she told it, and she could have sworn the creature winked.

Natsu waited beside Gajeel for her, Happy perched on his shoulder. The feline purred as they entered the Archives and were greeted by a lazy Pantherlily. The familiar was sprawled out on the front desk, his tail twitching as he sunned himself in a beam of sunlight that came down through a hatch that had been opened in the ceiling.

Gajeel paused to pat the familiar's head gruffly, and Pantherlily purred back before returning to his nap. Gajeel then continued past the desk, leading them to the heart of the Archives. "You gotta stay out here again," said Gajeel to Natsu, whose expression darkened with frustration. "The Archives still don't like you."

"I can tell," snapped Natsu, temper flaring again. "I haven't done anything."

Lucy bit her lip. Sympathetically, she reached out and hesitantly brushed her fingers over his arm. He stiffened, but she was relieved that he let her. "We know that; the Archives just...work differently and believe what the Fates tell it, I'm sure."

"And what have the Fates been saying?" Gajeel drawled.

Quite bluntly and in a manner that told Gajeel to kindly mind his own business, Natsu said, "That you're gonna probably get to do something fun next time you come out of here."

Interest sparked in Gajeel's eyes. "Really?" he said, surprisingly cheered by the idea. He asked no more, and Lucy's eyebrows rose as he waved for her to follow him. Normally, he was constantly cranky. This was a completely new side of Gajeel that Lucy had never seen, and she got the feeling this was the side of Gajeel that Levy was particularly fond of - a side they didn't get to see, but Levy did.

Natsu settled back to wait, scowling, and Lucy threw him an apologetic look as she followed Gajeel. She blinked when Happy came sprinting after her, but offered him her shoulder. He settled there, tail curled around her throat. Lucy was willing to bet that Natsu had sent him with her, though she'd not expected it.

When they stepped into the Archives' library, they were immediately met by a bouncing Levy, who looked much happier than the last time they'd met. Her beloved book was back on its special podium, no longer carried around in the fear that she'd lose it. Hazel eyes glimmered with warmth as Levy smiled broadly and said, "It's good to see you safe, Lucy. Your spirit told us what happened, and we were very worried."

We? Lucy pretended not to have heard that part. She'd consider it the highest achievement if Gajeel had been worried about the likes of her. "Thank you for protecting Gemini," said Lucy sincerely. "I'd have explained myself, but I didn't have the time or the ability to get to you."

Levy clicked her tongue and waved her off. "Here," she said, and Lucy took Gemini's key when it was offered. Lucy smoothed her thumb fondly over the gold, which heated in greeting. The others seared at her hip, too. They were all pleased to have Gemini back among them. "Also...Gajeel and I have a gift for you and Natsu."

Lucy stared at her, dark eyes wide. "Huh?"

"The magic of Keepers and Guardians," said Levy, her eyes flickering with amusement, "keeps us well-informed of the comings and goings of others. If one dies, we know. And if one is created...well, we know that, too. I suppose congratulations are in order for the pair of you?"

"I...I suppose so," Lucy admitted, her face flushing now as Gajeel smirked at her. She couldn't tell if he was pleased with it or not, but she was willing to guess he was more...well, pleased than anything else.

"I'm happy that you're a Keeper like me," Levy admitted. "It's a little lonely, to be honest. Jellal never comes to visit - no one ever does, really. We can't have too many visitors that aren't here for business, of course, but still. And Yukino can't come either, so… I'm happy there's someone else. Who might be more inclined to visit us out here."

Gajeel's satisfaction with the announcement made sense then. Levy had been incredibly lonely as Keeper of the Archives, and they both thought that this meant that friends would be stopping by more often. Lucy wasn't sure how long such a thing could last when she was supposedly lost at the end of the year. But…

Lucy offered a warm smile and said sincerely, "I don't know if congratulations are the right thing for it, but we'll certainly keep visiting when we can. At least, I will." She couldn't speak for Natsu. He would do as he wished after the year ended, and while she desperately wished she could say he'd stay around… Marked One or not, if they couldn't fix what had been broken between them, staying around would only hurt until they could move on, and if he didn't leave, Lucy might be willing to. If the magic that demanded their attention as Guardian and Keeper allowed it, that is.

Levy beamed, eyes lighting with excitement. "Good. Anyways, we have a gift for the pair of you. The Archives presented it to us, just as it did when we were appointed - when the others were appointed. Only the Archives is capable of creating such powerful objects, of course." She said it so matter-of-factly that Lucy had to stifle a small laugh.

She presented a small, old-looking wooden box. Lucy opened it with care, shifting the cloth that covered the objects within aside, and stared.

Arm bands. Instinctively, she touched the band that labeled her as a Fairy Tail member, and realized that she really ought to have a new one made to label her as something other than human, much like everyone else did. If only to show she was proud of what she was. Each band that Levy presented was beautiful and unique when compared to the others she'd seen. Solid gold, but flecked with obsidian and diamonds laced throughout the gold, creating a beautiful galaxy of stars. Engraved in gold was a series of symbols, each one matching the keys that were held by the celestial spirits and now her.

"A Keeper's band," said Levy by way of explanation, picking the lighter of the two up and offering it out. Lucy offered her the arm with Layla's band on it, watching curiously as Levy sealed it around her flesh, just below the first. It seemed to shimmer and shift. It was beautiful, Lucy couldn't help but think. And rather heavy, if she was being perfectly honest, with the weight of what it meant. "Layla wore this once, you know. And I think Natsu will appreciate the other; Igneel wore it."

"Thank you," said Lucy softly. She took the other one without another word, weighing the Guardian's matching band. "I'm sure he'll appreciate it." She wondered how such things worked when the Keepers and Guardians died. Were they returned to the Archives? But then...Igneel had been alive and without one last they'd seen him. It was confusing, but not something she really wanted to consider for the time being.

"You're welcome to stay the night," said Levy. Gajeel grumbled in disagreement, losing his amused smirk in favor of scowling at his Marked One. Levy ignored him entirely and beamed. "I'm cooking. I'll make sure to make something special."

Without stopping to make sure Lucy was going to agree, Levy hurried from the library, a skip in her step. Lucy stared blankly after her, not sure what to think. Gajeel grunted suddenly, however, and said, "She's never been happy as a Keeper. She only did it for me." Lucy gave him a questioning look. "For attacking the guild like I did, I could have been executed. They made me join instead. Could'a been worse, I guess. But the Council didn't think it was good enough and when the positions opened up, they assigned me as Guardian before anyone even knew they were debating who to select. Levy came with me. Idiot."

It was clear how much he loved her for that. Lucy smiled lightly, though it soon faded. "The book I read before I was brought here...it didn't say that. It claimed you chose to become a Guardian." Levy claimed as such.

As if reading her mind, Gajeel shrugged. "Levy doesn't know. I didn't ever tell her. Just told her I'd offered to make up for what I did, and she decided to come with. I Marked her for it. Just 'cause it's written one way doesn't mean anything, blondie. What's written down is never what really happens. It's always from the view of the writer."

Lucy thought back about what she'd read about Natsu and sighed. She'd love if that was the case, but...she knew Natsu well enough to believe otherwise on his part. Maybe had she been around, Gajeel's truth would have been real.

But as things were now…

She'd believe it the day she stood before the shattered Eclipse Gate, whole and untouched.

Managed and update today! Yay! Some fun little easy stuff so we can prep for drama. ;)

Thanks to reviewers (Bookwork129, Sele de la Luna, XxCelestialAssassinxX, Guest #1, Guest #2, stranger1999, Guest #3, valerioux, Winterguest, rao hyuga 18, TigerArrowgirl, Uchida Akira, Lissuin, madaraswife, itsxoi, brandyj0611, SistershoOk, guest, and BeautifulSamurai!) as well as those who favorited and followed!