Natsu sat on the large bed in Princess Hisui's quarters. He was watching the green-haired woman pace across the room, from the doors to the windows. Behind him say Wendy, who was almost finished healing the demonic man.

"Are you going to be pacing like that for much longer?" Mira asked loudly as she picked at her nails. "If I were you, I'd be focusing on remaining calm so you don't transmit your nerves to other people."

"I'm just trying to figure out the best course of action…"

"I suggest talking to King Toma." Scarlet proposed as she sat at the table in the corner, sipping some tea. "Work it out between the two of you."

"That would be the obvious course of action." Muttered Mira as she gazed out at the fully repaired city. "At least you don't have to think about repairing the City. Seems like Crime Sorcière has seen to that themselves."

"Oh?" Hisui stopped her pacing and walked over to the windows. "I'll need to thank them personally."

"Good luck with that, they've probably already ditched Crocus." Natsu chuckled softly as he felt Wendy's magic leave his body. "What's the story, Doc?"

"You're all good now, but if you get yourself in that kind of condition again…" Wendy growled at the older dragon slayer as she got off the bed and faced him. "Once I heal you, I'll put you back in that condition myself and let you suffer!"

"Noted." Natsu held his hands up in surrender as he grinned at the busty blunette. "I'll do my best not to come back half dead."

"You better make sure you do." Wendy dusted her hands off on her light blue blouse as she turned to her redheaded teammate. "Erza, we should head back to our team. The less time we spend here the better it is for the guild."

"Good idea." Scarlet gracefully downed the last of her tea and placed the cup aside. "Thank you for the tea, Princess Hisui. It was delicious, you have fantastic taste." The beautiful Knight rose to her feet and reactivated her portal. "Come back soon, Natsu. We all miss you."

"I think I'll only be two more days or so." Natsu replied as he flashed her a bright smile. "Either I make it look like I'm leaving with the Guild, or that I'm heading back out into the shady side of the country once again." The man rose to his feet as his body was enveloped in a magical glow. It slowly faded away, revealing a pristine outfit consisting of long coat made from dark cloth that shimmered gently in the light, matching trousers. He had donned immaculate black leather boots and belt, and had a crimson dress shirt tucked in neatly with the top few buttons undone. "Hisui, I believe a party is in order. A celebration for both the Grand Magic Games, and defeating the dragons."

"Oh?" Hisui glanced over at the man as she snapped out of her thoughts. She quickly realised that it was just down to herself, Erza, Natsu, and his Mira. "I believe Father was talking about sorting it out before we brought you up here. We had already planned for a celebration to be held here at Mercurius."

"Good. That will help bring up morale and allow everyone to wind down after all the hell had happened here." Mira said as she walked over to the man she loved, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as she grabbed his arm gently. "I missed the feel of your warm skin. I wish I could stay longer, but I really need to get home and look after the guild. Break up any fights, you know?" She reached under his sleeve and activated the PIT, dragging the holographic screen up in front of her and selecting the Bookmarked address for the Guild Hall in their home universe. "See you soon, hot-stuff."

Natsu chuckled softly as he placed a hand on the model's cheek and returned her kiss, capturing her lips in a heated battle. He reached for the hologram and activated the portal without tearing his eyes from the woman. A minute passed in moments but all good things have to end eventually, so Natsu pulled back and smiled lovingly at Mira. "See you soon, beautiful."

"You just made me want to stay." Mira giggled playfully as she placed her hands onto his chest and lightly shoved him down onto the bed. "I wish we could do more, but that can wait." The model grinned devilishly and sashayed away from him, glancing back with a wink and a small wave as she reached the portal. "Bye~."

The man watched the woman vanish into the portal which closed not long after she passed through. Natsu got to his feet once more and looked around the room, his gaze slowly becoming frantic. "Hey Erza, where is Durandal?" He could feel his heavy revolver in the holster behind his lower back but his sword was nowhere to be found.

"It wasn't on you when Aries caught you." The Knight replied as she placed her IVD back into her requip space and turned to the pinkette. "I guess it came off during that last attack you did."

Natsu sighed as he held out his hand, his palm facing the window. "Come to me, Durandal."

"You may want to open that window… Princess Hisui." Erza muttered as a drop of sweat appeared on her forehead. "And soon at that."

"Huh?" Hisui glanced between the two mages before it registered in her head what was going on. "Ah crap!" The Princess blushed and slapped a hand over her mouth as she ran to the window and wrenched it open. "My apologies… That was completely undignified of me."

Moments later the jet black blade flashed through the window and came to a stop in Natsu's grip. He blinked quickly as he looked at the bare metal. "Where is your sheath…?" Leaning closer, he sniffed the blade, detecting faint traces of wood ash. "Fuck me… Don't tell me I accidentally incinerated it… MOTHERFUCKER!"

A flock of birds instantly took flight in shock from their perch on Hisui's balcony, their wings flapping loudly as they hightailed it out of the area. The Jade Princess shut the window and turned to the two Fairies in her room. "I suggest we head back and find out where everyone is."

Natsu sighed deeply as he gazed at his sword, lamenting that he had to have a new sheath made for Durandal. It had to be specially designed due to the sword's peculiar dimensions, and it had to be strong enough to withstand his style of combat as well as his arcane abilities. "Hmm… what material should it be?" His eyes shot open as his lips quickly split into a grin, the Eclipse Gate popping into view at the forefront of his mind. "Heh, that'd do the job nicely. I wonder if I can replicate that absorption too…"

"Out we go." Erza ordered as she started pushing the man out the door and back down the hallway. "We've taken up enough of the Princess' time and hospitality."

"Alright, alright…" Natsu sent the sword away in a glow of light and started heading down the hall under his own steam, stepping to the side of the redhead. "We did good work today, Erza. We saved Fiore, and took out Acnologia which I believe could provide a better future for you all."

"Could?" Erza spared the man a quick glance before leading the way down a set of stairs. "Meaning?"

"The motivations of certain individuals have most likely died out thanks to killing off that big bastard. Though, I can be wrong. So yeah, could." Natsu glanced out one of the windows that lined the stairs. It had been opened a little to let fresh air into the castle. "Screw walking down all these damn stairs. Let's take the fast way." Natsu grabbed Erza's wrist and pushed the window open. He dived out without giving the redhead any further warning as he pulled her along with him.

"Damn It, Natsu~!" The Knight shouted as she fell through the sky. Before she could switch into an armour that could fly, she was pulled into Natsu's arms and held like a newlywed. Her face rapidly turned as red as her hair as she cutely screamed. "Kyaaa!"

Natsu grinned like a playful devil as he plummeted feet-first to the pavement. The wind rapidly whipping through both his and Erza's hair. "Look out below!" He shouted gleefully as he smashed into the pavement, landing in a squat before walking out of the small creator he had created.

"DAMN IT, NATSU!" Erza wormed her way out of his grip and stormed away from him, her face a brilliant shade of red.

"Oh wow! Ya went an' healed up quicker than I thought ya would."

Natsu turned to look at the owner of the voice, it was the little farm girl from Mermaid Heel. "Oh, hey there Beth. Can I help you with something?"

"I just wanted to hand ya my thanks. We were starting to get swamped by them monsters when ya flew over." Beth waved for him to follow as she started to walk back to where her guild had gathered. "Shianne wanted to thank you too."

The man yawned into a hand as he followed the farm girl. He could hear that the civilians were starting to populate the city again, returning to their restored residences. "Hmm… I should probably shoot them a message, tell them that Hisui wants to thank them." Natsu muttered quietly as he formed a messenger dragon from his fire.

"Oh wow, so that thing was from ya!" Beth shouted in awe as she watched the miniature dragon fly away from the man. "I thought it was ya voice comin' through it."

"Yeah, I hope Kagura and Millianna didn't get into any trouble?"

"No. Shianne was a little worried about where they had disappeared to, but when that message arrived an' told everyone that they were with ya'll, things got better."

"Alright. Hey, Beth. Go on ahead, I need to talk to some acquaintances of mine over my communications lacrima about making a new sheath for Durandal. I kinda turned my last one into ashes in that attack." Natsu told the young woman as he reached into his coat. "Don't worry, I'll be able to track you down easily."

Beth smiled back at the man and hurried back to her guildmates, leaving the man alone in the castle grounds. Natsu glanced around before pushing his left sleeves back and opening a communications tunnel back to his universe. He covered the PIT again and brought his mobile communications lacrima from his requip space. The salmon-haired man quickly called Gajeel and brought the mobile to his ear.

"Do you know what time it is?" Gajeel grumbled in his ear, yet the sounds of a burning forge crackled in the background.

"Couldn't tell you, I've been away for so long after all." Natsu smirked to himself as his eyes roamed around, his senses tuned to any eavesdroppers. "I've got a bit of a problem."

"Scratch up your armour, Salamander?"

"Haven't had the chance to. No, this is about my sheath." Natsu scratched lightly at his cheek, sounding more than a little embarrassed. "I went overboard, Acnologia turned up and I went all in."

"Gihi. And you burnt it to a crisp, did ya?"

"Vaporised the dragon, turned my sheath into ashes."

"Sounds about right. Alright, what have you got for me to work with, or should I gather my own supplies?"

"How does the metal from the Eclipse Gate sound? Maginium."

"Sounds tasty, and very useful." The man started to clear off one of his work benches, making a racket through the call. "Send what you have through to me, your sword too."

"Alright, whatever is left over can go into storage, you can have some for yourself too." Natsu kept the mobile to his ear with Macro as he opened a portal to Gajeel's workshop under the Guild Hall. He requipped both Durandal and the metal and dropped it into the portal. "There you go."

"Freed should be somewhere around here, I'll have him place some mounting runes on it. Give me about an hour or so."

"Alright. I'm keeping the line open so just let me know when it is ready."

"Hurry up and get back, your damn women are going batshit crazy."

Natsu laughed at the grumbling dragon slayer as he took the mobile away from his ear. "I'm afraid there isn't much I can do on that front. But, I'll be back in a couple of days so just bear with them for now." He hung up on his friend and placed the device in a pocket on the inside of the coat. Natsu sniffed the air and started to follow Beth's scent.

"Natsu! Over here!" The farm girl called out from the Mecurius Gatehouse. She had decided to wait for the man so she could lead him to her guild.

"You know, you didn't have to wait for me, I'd be able to easily track you well beyond this city."

"Really?" Beth looked up at the man in awe as he came to a stop in front of her. "What if we went back to the guild?"

"And miss the party that the Royal Family will be throwing? Not likely. But, I know what you mean, I'd just head to Gracia and see if Kagura and Millianna would let me in." Natsu slipped his hands into his coat pockets as he started to cross the large stone bridge, the Mermaid following closely. "Though I understand if I'm denied entry, I am a man after all."

"I'm sure ya'd be fine comin' to our Inn. If anything, Shianne would like to thank ya for helping Kagura and Millianna." Beth reassured the man with the casual wave of a hand. "I never knew Fairy Tail 'ad someone like ya in their Guild."

"Well, I do roam around in the shadows more than the light. That job goes to Natsumi's team." Natsu chuckled softly as he looked over the edge of the bridge, smiling softly at the sparkling water below. "I wouldn't count on hearing much about me after these games either, I'm fairly talented with Transformation Magic you see."

"Really?" The little Brunette gazed up at the scarred man. She tripped on a loose stone and started to fall but came to a stop mid-fall thanks to Natsu grabbing a hold of the back of her overalls. "Thanks. So, Transformation Magic, eh?"

"Yeah, I can change my appearance at will, and I've been able to change my clothes and voice too. I haven't quite mastered changing to a species like bird, cat, or dog, though I don't consider that much of a detriment, I have no need for it."

"So if you used Transformation Magic to make armour?" Beth asked curiously as they walked through the streets of Crocus, she was slightly ahead of the pinkette.

"It wouldn't do much for protection. I could turn into Erza with her Adamantine Armour but I won't have the protection that the armour provides." Natsu explained slowly, his eyes roaming the crowd around them. "Hence why I'd rather requip armour than make it look like armour. Though I could be mistaken in what I've just said, I don't exactly use Transformation Magic in that way."

"Wow! So ya able to turn into anyone?"

"Sorta, I'm not the best when it comes to explaining Transformation Magic… Mirajane Strauss would be a better person to talk to. I'm sure she'd be able to back up or correct what I've said." Natsu looked up at the sky as it started to pour down with a torrent of rain. "Shit, looks like someone upset Juvia…" He sighed quietly and slipped his coat off, holding it out for the young mage. "Here, hold this over you. You'll stay warm and dry with it."

"Oh, thanks." Beth smiled up at the man as she shielded herself from the rain with the coat. She saw a glint of metal from behind his lower back and leant in for a better view. "What's this?"

"Oh, it's just a revolver I picked up in my travels." Natsu murmured as he pulled the gun from its holster and swung the cylinder out. He took out the empty brass and started replacing them with fresh cartridges, each one appearing in his free hand. "I forgot I hadn't replaced the ammo."

"Oh gosh… those are some big bullets…"

"Yeah, it's designed for taking out large monsters, dangerous ones at that." The man spun the cylinder then snapped it back into place with a flick of the wrist. He slipped it back into the holster behind his back and glanced up the road from them, a bikini clad cat-girl was skipping towards them while waving enthusiastically. "Looks like Millianna was looking for you."

'Hot Damn! She's bouncy!'

'Maybe I need to visit the Mermaids when I get home…' Natsu admitted as he found it near impossible to tear his eyes free from Millianna's bountiful bouncing breasts. "Looks like this little kitty isn't averse to being wet, huh?"

"I love the rain!" The woman cheered as she bounded over to the two mages and pounced upon Natsu, she wrapped her arms and legs around him and slowed no intention of letting go any time soon. "I just love being soaking wet."

The man rolled his eyes and gently moved her around to his back so he could see where he was walking instead of having an eyeful of brown hair. "How much further until we get there?"

"Just around this corner." Beth replied as she pointed just up the road from them. "The Inn is just a few buildings down."

"I was actually coming back from a café not far from the Inn. Whoever it was who repaired the town had also somehow restored all of the café's stock too!" Millianna cheered happily as she hugged the man tighter. "You would know who it was, right, Natsu?"

"I do. She's a time mage who works with the man we talked about. Her Arc of Time magic allows her to fast forward and rewind time for an object."

"In here, Natsu." Beth said as she pushed open the door to the Inn and led the way inside. The Inn going silent as the occupants all turned their heads to the door. There were many shocked faces around the bar and lounge section of the Inn, they were looking between Beth who was holding a coat shielding her from the rain, and Millianna who was clinging to a familiar man.

"Who the hell is this?" Yelled one of the Mermaids, making her irritation known. She shot to her feet and sneered at Natsu, pointing a finger at him. "We don't allow men in here."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was under the impression that this is an Inn, not your Guild Hall." Natsu rolled his eyes and let Millianna down from his back. "And in any case, maybe you should pull your head from the sand, and get a good look at who you're talking to."

"Oh, Natsu. Thank you for your assistance last night, we started to come across some heavy resistance when you flew over us." Kagura said, she bore a small smile as she rose from a couch and bowed politely. "That Blood Enchantment you used on Archenemy help a lot too."

"Hey there, Kagura." Natsu returned her smile and bowed his head to her. "Speaking of which, I'm guessing it has faded away?"

"Yes. While you were recovering, in fact."

"Thank you for lending me your coat, Natsu." Beth said happily as she handed the damp coat back to the man. The coat glowed and vanished as the farm girl hurried over to the bar and ordered herself some orange juice.

"No problem, Beth."

"Natsu, we finally met face to face." Spoke a mature voice, causing attention to be drawn to the source. It was the Guild's leader, Shianne. She was sat at the bar with her long amaranth red hair draped lazily around her left shoulder as she slowly ran a brush through it. "Thank you for looking after my two girls, and helping my guild survive the terrifying night we just had."

"No problem. I figured it was probably for the best as we were getting targeted in and out of the Games. Didn't want them to get targeted for being at our Inn."

"Well, whatever you were all up to, it had a positive effect on Kagura and Millianna." Shianne rose from her stool with a small smile as her eyes roamed the demonic man's lean muscular body. "It seemed like a massive weight was taken off of their shoulders."

"That downpour was very sudden. Were you three out in it long?" Kagura asked as she moved over to Natsu and Millianna. "You two look absolutely drenched…"

"I gave my coat to Beth so she'd stay dry. I think someone upset Juvia, it felt like her rain." Natsu's body temperature started to rise as he radiated heat to dry his body and clothes. He heard a quiet purr from next to him and suddenly found his right arm sandwiched by a pair of soft breasts.

"Natsu, nya, you're so warm! It's soaking into me~."

"Jeez Millianna, talk about a cat in heat…" Natsu murmured with a slight chuckle as he half-heartedly tried to push her away. He didn't really put any effort into it as he was enjoying the feeling of her soft, supple flesh against him. "You know you'll have to let me go eventually."

"Oh? Why can't I keep you?" She purred as she pressed herself closer to the man, slipping under his arm and wrapping it around her. "This warmth is addicting."

"I've got a job to do. Once I'm done here in Crocus I'll be disappearing back into the shadows of the underworld. You won't be able to find me even if you tried your hardest…"

"Don't be dramatic~." Millianna batted the man's chest and led him over to the couch that Kagura had been on. She pushed him down onto it and sat down on his lap. "Well, if that is true, then you should at least enjoy our hospitality. Right, Shianne?"

"Yes, please stay awhile, Natsu." The mature woman replied as she sat down next to Natsu. "It is a little chilly this morning."

"Natsu, I know you're a bit preoccupied now… But what do you say we have a quick duel? Since we never got to fight in the Games." Kagura suggested as she picked Archenemy up from the table in front of the man.

"Sounds good to me, but we should probably take this outside." Natsu chuckled at the pouting cat-girl on his lap, watching her head flick between the two warriors. "I won't be using Durandal though. I dropped it off with someone I trust to make a new sheath."

"Oh, but you can do what you did in Pandemonium and make a sword, right?" Kagura asked, not needing an answer as she saw him in action. "How about you just use one of them?"

Natsu shrugged and held out his hand, a ball of blackish-purple fire appearing in his palm. He snapped his hand shut around the fireball and compressed it, causing the fire to shoot from his hand and solidify into a blackish-purple sword that resembled Durandal. "Hop up, Millianna."

"Aww, but I'm so warm and comfortable…" The woman turned to look at the man, her lips pursed in a cute pout.

"He is very nice to be next to, isn't he, Millianna?" Shianne giggled quietly. She reached over Natsu's arm and gently pushed the cat-girl off of his lap. "Go on, let Kagura have some fun first."

"Thank you, Mistress." Kagura gave her Guild Master a quick bow and turned on her heel and started walking out of the Inn and into the rainy street.

"Well, looks like it's party time." Natsu rose to his feet and rested the sword across his shoulders. He glanced around the room and the women, a lot of them looked conceited. This wasn't new to him as it was the same look he garnered when he visited the Mermaids in his universe. But, at least some of them looked interested in the duel. "If anyone wants to come watch, you are more than welcome to. It's not like we are out to kill each other."

He made his way outside, the rain hadn't eased in the slightest, if he had to guess it had become even heavier in the short time he was inside the Inn. Just a little down the street from him stood Kagura, the rain turning her pristine clothes a dull and somewhat see-through white. Natsu's own clothing had started to cling to his body, revealing his muscles in great definition. He knew that it would be distracting for some of the women.

"Natsu!" Millianna cheered from the sidelines, her hands framing her playful smirk. "Take your shirt off!"

Ok, maybe it'll be more than a little distracting… But, the man complied with the Cat-girl's request. He quickly flared his magic to dry the shirt before it glowed with magic and vanished from his torso, leaving the water to hit his tanned skin and run down it.

"Woohoo!" The Feline obsessed mage shouted as she jumped excitedly into the air.

"Now that the fan service is out of the way…" Natsu muttered loudly as he turned his focus on the swordswoman stood ten metres down the street from him. "Shall we get down to business?"

Kagura nodded slowly as she drew Archenemy from its sheath, the runes that had been placed on it during the night had vanished after all the power had been used. "It's a pity we won't be able to clash swords, my Archenemy verses your Durandal. I was looking forward to that."

"I could check in on it, won't take me long. And if it's not needed anymore then I can summon it to me." Natsu offered as his mobile appeared in his free hand. He noticed a few strange looks being directed at the device which caused him to chuckle to himself. "Ah, right. None of you would have seen something like this… It's a custom designed Communications Lacrima, easier to carry about and conceal compared to a standard one."

"Please do, I'd like to fight you while you wield Durandal. When people like us cross swords we bare our souls to each other. And in that moment, we truly know our opponent."

"Noted." Natsu smiled as he hit recall on his mobile and brought it to his ear.

"What? I'm busy here."

The sound of metal being hammered echoed through the speaker. Gajeel was in the middle of forging the sheath by the sound of it. Natsu smiled meekly as he cleared his throat. "I kinda need Durandal, have you gotten to a point where you don't need it anymore?"

"I've made a blank from iron using the dimensions of the sword since I had a feeling you wouldn't have been able to stay out of trouble, even after all that had happened." The man paused for a moment but his smirk was loud enough to speak for him. "Gihi. So what's the deal?"

"Challenged to a duel by a Mermaid."

Laughter burst through the mobile, forcing Natsu to move it away from his ear as it began to ring from the loudness of Gajeel's laughter. The salmon-haired swordsman groaned quietly as he rolled his eyes. "You know what… Just throw it out the window or something, I'll summon Durandal to me."

"Alright, give me about five seconds." Gajeel replied after a solid ten seconds of laughter. The call quickly ended soon after and Natsu sent the mobile back to his requip space and dispelled the magical sword he was holding.

"Sometimes… you can really get on my nerves." The man muttered quietly, his eyes narrowing in frustration as he took a few breaths through his nose to calm down. A familiar power signature informed Natsu of the appearance of his sword in this world. "Come to me, Durandal." As the signal got closer and closer to Natsu, he kept his eyes set firmly on the swordswoman in front of him. A flash of black metal dropped point-first from the heavens as Natsu whipped his arm around, his fingers wrapping around the handle of Durandal as it appeared next to him.

"Show off." Shianne jeered playfully from under the cover of the Inn's awnings.

"Can't help it." Natsu chuckled as he spared a glance at the mature beauty, a playful smirk slowly curling the corner of his lips up. "It just seems to happen." His attention swiftly forced back to Kagura as he was instantly on the defensive, putting his guard up to block the swordswoman's sudden assault.

"Focus."

Archenemy grinded along Durandal's jet black blade, sending sparks flying as Natsu stepped into Kagura's attack and forced it to his left side.

He knew she'd be getting in nice and close, it was the only way to prevent him from using his greater reach against her.

The black dragon blade sang as it sailed through the rain, closing in on Kagura's head and forcing the woman to lean further and further back to avoid the attack.

She was forced to dodge even further away as Natsu pivoted the sword vertically and drove the tip of the blade down towards her nose.

"Just because my sword is larger and longer than yours, doesn't mean I can't effectively use it at point-blank ranges!" He grinned as a flash of white redirected his attack, making him overshoot and bury the tip of the sword in the brick pavement. "Not bad, using your scabbard as a second weapon."

"I saw you do it when you were in Pandemonium." Kagura replied as she straightened up between Natsu's arms. She was close enough to the man's chest that his body heat had started to soak into her own chest. "Looked like a good idea so I decided to try it for myself."

They stood in a long silence, the rain pouring down around them and shutting the world off from the two warriors. They gazed into each other's eyes, neither mage backing off. Natsu's eyes turned red as a devilish grin spread across his lips. "If you're going to kiss me then just kiss me."

Much to Natsu's shock, Archenemy clattered to the ground as he quickly found his lips captured by the stunning swordswoman. She tightened her arms around his neck as she pressed herself against him.

Even END was shocked, there wasn't any form of warning or thought that would have alluded to the kiss, she just went for it. 'You didn't use Macro, right?'

'I don't think I did…' Natsu released Durandal and placed his hands on the slim woman's hips, his eyes were halfway closed as they glowed a faint red. He stared into Kagura's own half-closed eyes as he returned the kiss, water cascading down their bodies.

"You go girl!" Millianna cheered from among the murmuring crowd.

"Quite the unusual tactic you have there, Kagura." Shianne jeered playfully as she hid her giggles behind a hand. "But it seems to be working~."

Kagura softly moaned into Natsu's mouth as his familiar warmth seeped into her, pleasantly warming her core and providing a pleasing contrast to the cold rain. Her legs started to fail her as she fell backwards, still refusing to let the man go.

Durandal was knocked aside as the two mages fell on top of one and another, water splashing away from Kagura as she gasped into Natsu's mouth. Natsu pushed himself up a little, just enough to break the kiss and look down at the swordswoman splayed out beneath him. "Well, I guess that showed me."

"Shush." Kagura murmured as her daringness showed no sign of dissipating. She chased the man's lips and reinitiated the kiss, a soft murmur escaping from between them. "This feels too good to stop."

'Well, looks like we'll be getting some action after all!'

By now the two mages were already surrounded by the Mermaids, preventing anyone from observing their interaction. Shianne sighed quietly to herself and glanced at her mages. "Someone break them apart please, I don't think we'll be seeing any more of their duel. Or at the very least it won't be very family friendly if you know what I mean… So it's best if they are taken off the street."

The kissing mages were forcibly separated by a dozen hands as Natsu was lifted up off of the swordswoman, much to her chagrin. He was placed on his feet a good metre away from Kagura who was gently helped to her feet. Both of their swords were returned to them, causing them to feel a little guilty as they were meant to be duelling with their swords, not their tongues.

Kagura brushed a wet lock of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat into her fist. She tried her best to pry her eyes off of the man as water slid down his pecks and abs but was very unsuccessful. "I um… I… I'm not sure what came over me…"

"Don't lie~." Millianna purred into her friend's ear from behind. "We all saw how much you wanted to that, and then how much you loved it~."

Kagura jumped out of her skin and spun around to face the cat-girl. "It's not like that!" She shouted as she quickly slipped on a puddle and fell back against Natsu, landing in his arms. She couldn't help the murmur that escaped her lips. "So warm."

"Maybe we should get out of the rain before one of you catches a cold." Natsu suggested as he glanced around at all the glowering girls. His red eyes quickly faded to back to green as he moved Kagura back onto her own two feet. "And you need to be careful with your footwork, distracted or not there is no excuse for slipping on a puddle. Not when you are carrying a sword."

"I want to keep fighting." Kagura said as she turned to the man, eyes shining with steadfast resolve. "I acted upon an impulse just before, and while I did enjoy it I still want to fight."

"So be it." Natsu chuckled quietly to himself and stepped back to the middle of the road. "When you're ready."

With as little warning as a tiny smirk, Kagura launched forwards and restarted their duel. Their blades sent flying a shower of sparks as they collided once again, this time showing no sign of stopping.

The clinking and clanking of swords echoed around the block, slowly drawing a crowd of pedestrians who started cheering for their favourite mage.

"I thought Archenemy was too dangerous to wield unsheathed…" One of the Mermaids quietly asked Shianne. "Why does it just look like a normal sword fight?"

"Probably because they aren't using their swords' latent abilities." Shianne shrugged her shoulders. She watched on as the two warriors started to speeding up, their swords becoming silver and black blurs.

Natsu started using his training from Kagura in the fight, matching the swordswoman's attacks blow for blow. This caused Kagura to frown, how could this man read her moves so quickly? She summed it up to his experiences and not being completely human.

"It's also because we'd probably destroy the city again if we used our sword's abilities." Natsu threw over his shoulder as he pushed Kagura out of her attacking range, giving him some more room to breathe. "Not to mention if we used our own magic too recklessly."

"Speak for yourself. You're literally a walking weapon of mass destruction." One of the girls said snidely as they turned their nose up at him. She didn't like the man, even if he saved them all last night. "Kagura on the other hand is much more refined and has finesse when using her magic."

"Bitch please, she can flatten you like a pancake if she wanted. Hell, she could flatten this entire city block into a pancake." Natsu retorted as he rolled his eyes at the woman. A stroke of immaturity flashed through him as he parried Kagura and kicked her back a few metres, he held up a hand and manipulated a flurry of embers to spell out Go Fuck Yourself Bitch in front of the woman's face. "If you can't finely control your magic then you shouldn't be a mage. If I couldn't do that then everyone at the games would be dead the first time I used magic." He closed the distance with Kagura and locked swords once more. "Very sorry about that Kagura, your guildmate was pissing me off."

"Understandable, maybe she forgot how large of a part you played last night." Kagura grumbled as she broke the stalemate and walked over to the troublesome Mermaid. "In case you have forgotten, it's because of Natsu that we survived being overrun last night! How about you fight him instead, or are you going to cower behind Shianne like you were doing last night!"

'Ooo Feisty!'

"Kagura, she just called me a walking weapon of mass destruction, I doubt she has forgotten." Natsu chuckled as he requipped his sword away.

"And you're fine with that?" The swordswoman rounded on him, she was uncharacteristically lively today.

"I mean, it's the truth. If I'm not mistaken, I'm more powerful than the superweapon Etherion. Hell, my Athena's Cannon spell is modelled after that superweapon."

"But…!" The woman was practically sizzling with fury as she glared at the man.

"Calm down, Kagura. If I let myself get angry from some petty insults then I'd be setting fire to everything around me unintentionally." Natsu laughed it off and placed his hands behind his head. "Anyway, we need to keep moving forward. I know the Princess plans on having a party tonight, so we should all be getting ready for it."

"Oh! He's right!" Shianne gasped as her hand rushed to her mouth and she hurried inside the Inn. "I Forgot About That!"

"We'll pick up this match when we next meet. After tonight that is, I wouldn't want to ruin the party for everyone." The pinkette turned on his heel and walked away from the girls who started to rush inside, needing to get their outfits and looks sorted for the party.

Natsu stood outside on a balcony of the castle, gazing out at the city as it buzzed with music and life, the streets practically flowing rivers of booze. Durandal was placed in its brand new sheath on the man's back as he wore an immaculate black three-piece suit with a red dress shirt. He had ducked out for a moment for some fresh air, the alcohol was starting to hit some of the more feisty mages and Natsu was sure that the party was about to erupt in some form of fight. The door creaked open behind him and softly clacks of heels drew close to him.

"Watcha doing out here?" Natsumi asked cheerfully as she spun around and leant back over the railing to get a look at the man's face. "Pondering the meaning of life and death?"

"Nah that was my brother's job." Natsu chuckled softly and turned to look at his counterpart. "Just wanted a little time to myself. How's the party going?"

"Loud, but that is nothing new given our guild." The woman fell silent for a moment as the muffled sounds of loud music passed through the closed doors. Natsumi moved closer and wrapped her arms around Natsu's torso. "When are you heading back?"

"I'm thinking of heading off towards the end of this party, I've been away for a long time. Probably will get my ass beat by everyone for almost dying again, I have no doubt that word would have spread by now."

"Could you send me one of those mobiles you guys have and keep a communication's channel open, just so I can talk to you whenever I want to?" Natsumi gazed up at the man with puppy dog eyes and a cute pout as she pressed herself against his body. "Would you do that for me?"

"Yeah, I'll sort it out when I get home. The mobile will be on your bed by the time you get back to your place."

"Alright!"

The two pinkettes enjoyed a few moments of silence as they watched the stars twinkle over the city, but it was short-lived as the balcony door burst open with a loud creaking groan coming from the wooden frame and hinges. "Oi Natshu! Fight me!"

Both dragon slayers whipped around to the sudden intrusion and found a drunken purple-haired swordswoman, her lips stained red from the rich wine she had been drinking. Kagura's cheeks were dusted with pink and she had a slight stagger to her step as she made her way to the demonic man. "I Said Fight Me!"

"She really wants to play with your sword, Natsu~." Natsmi giggled as she dragged the man back into the party, knowing the swordswoman will follow her quarry. She glanced around and noticed numerous eyes on them. "Come on, it's a party. Relax, you can think about work after it's over."

"I suppose you're right." Natsu let out a long sigh as he ran his hand down his face. He glanced around as his counterpart dragged him through the crowd of mages in an effort to lose the drunken swordswoman. "I'll be honest though, I just want to go home and relax. It has been months since I saw everyone."

"What will you do when you get there, any plans?"

"Well, it should be snowing there, and coming up to a certain gift-giving holiday. So I gotta get gifts and stuff."

As the pink-haired dragon princess' lips parted to utter her response, she was cut off by the other princess in the room. Hisui had taken the stage to address the crowd of mages. "Everybody… I'd like to formally apologise for the chaotic events that have transpired. It was through my misguided actions that carnage was released upon our nation. A man came from the future and informed me of a coming catastrophe, which our nation will burn with the fires of tens of thousands of dragons, as proof of this claim, he predicted the outcome of the Grand Magic Games, there were some minor differences in his words and the actual outcome but I brushed them off as minor changes that happened when he came back in time."

She paused and swallowed her guilt as her watery eyes roamed the crowd, after a moment to regain her resolve she continued with her speech. "I am to blame for these events, I so blindly believed this man and rejected all other possible outcomes in fear that our nation would be destroyed had I not taken things seriously. It wasn't until the evidence was shoved so far in my face that I couldn't avoid it that caused me to question the man I had laid my trust in. But even then I still hesitated to prevent the Eclipse Gate from opening before it was too late, before dragons flowed out of the Gate and wreaked havoc on the capitol and its surrounding farmland… It wasn't until I was showered with the blood and brains of the man I have so wrongfully believed that I came to terms with what I had unleashed upon us. I had sicked almighty monsters upon us, and only those who carry the same monstrous power could ever hope to scratch them."

Hisui's gaze paused over each of the present dragon slayers, her regal aura vanishing, being replaced by an almost visible terror as her eyes landed upon the deadliest of them all, a man they had dubbed Ronin, an interdimensional traveller who was almost exactly like Natsumi Dragneel, but only darker, deadlier, and more powerful to the nth degree. What would have her world looked like had this demon of a man hadn't stepped in and prevented the apocalypse. How many of them would have been charred corpses in a burning city had it not been for his actions… The thought sent a shiver down her spine. "I can only wish that you all forgive me for what I have done, and I cannot thank all of you for your strength and courage that you have all shown. And may those who lost their lives rest peacefully."

Natsu watched as her eyes dropped to her feet, tears streaming down her face as her emotions ripped free. She could no longer contain them and her honest emotions were beared for all to see, a sea of regret and self-hate washing out of her. "Natsumi, go comfort her. I should be angry with her for her neglect but it's no different to last time, she was used and I can't hate her for that."

"And what will you be doing?" The dragon princess asked quietly as she hurried over to the monarch's side and wrapping her up in a warm and reassuring hug.

"I'll be going home. Good luck with everything, and make sure to contact me if you need anything." He kept his voice as quiet as it was when they were side-by-side, knowing she'd be able to easily hear him. Which was confirmed when the two Fire Dragon Slayers locked eyes and the princess smiled at him.

"Goodbye, my King." Natsumi murmured as Natsu turned on the spot and headed for the large double doors at the end of the hall.

Universe 129-G, Magnolia, Fiore. 8:15 PM

The Demonic Dragon Slayer stepped out of the swirling rift, his foot crunching into fresh snow as more drifted through the lamp-lit street before him. The cold that nipped at his cheeks greeted him home as his foggy breath replied in due course. "I'm home… finally."

He took a deep breath in through his nose, savouring the scents of his Magnolia. The winter flowers were blooming in the nearby park where he had once sprinted through in an effort to escape a power crazed Mirajane. The skies were dark with heavy clouds, pregnant with moisture and birthing snow that fell gracefully around him.

Natsu lowered the temperature of his body, bringing it in line with that of a normal person, just so the numbing cold of home soaked to his core. Light flashed around him as he requipped a black coat that matched his suit and his sheathed sword onto his back. The snow crunched under his feet as he walked through the quiet street, passing closed shopfronts as the occasional new motor carriage passed by. It seemed that technology was progressing quickly these days, though it was nothing compared to the contraptions he had seen in other universes.

Music cut through the cold air like a knife as he passed by a Pub called The Marigold. The salmon-haired man decided to make a stop at the Public House and buy a drink, to show his face around the city after being away for so long. A bell rang above him as he pushed through the doorway, though it was drowned out by the loud music and patrons of the Pub. Natsu made his way over to the bar and noticed the recognition on people's faces start to spread like wildfire.

"Eh Natsu, mate! How are you?" The barkeep called out as he whipped out a chilled glass and poured some Fireball Whiskey into it.

"I'm happy to be home, Tommy." Natsu replied as he took a seat on a stool in front of the rowdy redhead. "I just got back from a three month stint and figured I'd show my face around town. But I turned up reasonably late and it seems everyone is out of the cold."

"So you were passing by and decided to grace this fine establishment on your way to the guild?" Tommy chuckled heartily as he placed the glass down in front of the Dragon Slayer. "Well welcome home, mate, this one is on the house."

"I can't have that, Tommy." Natsu chuckled softly as he looked around the Pub. "How's a round for everyone, on me?!"

A tsunami of cheers roared around the premise as everyone toasted to the Salmon-haired man. Natsu himself requipped a bundle of cash from his pocket dimension and placed it into Tommy's hands. "Keep whatever is left over." Natsu flashed a smile and grabbed the glass, he threw his head back and downed the drink in a single go. Once gone, he raised the glass high with a grin. "CHEERS!"

"Will you be sticking around or heading right out?"

The glass clinked loudly as Natsu placed it upon the bar. He shook his head as he stood up. "Sorry Tommy, but I've gotta run. I need to get to the hall so they know I've returned."

"Ah, since you probably don't know, your guild has visitors who are staying for the holidays. I've seen them floating around the city."

"Thanks for the heads up." Natsu waved back at the patrons of The Marigold as he stepped out into the snow and gazed towards the far end of the city where the Guild Hall resided. "I'd better pick up the pace."

Fire burst from his back and illuminated the snow as he took off into the dark sky. The heat from the underside of his wings which propelled him along also melted the snow as he through it. Lights raced by below him as he rapidly approached the guild. As he neared it he started to pick up on the scents of his friends and family, making him all the more eager to get there.

Natsu landed upon the pavement in front of the Hall but due to his speed and the snow under his feet, he lost his footing and slid towards the large doors. He went crashing through them with a loud bang but quickly found his footing once again and straightened up, he fixed his coat as he grinned at the gathered mages. "Sup everyone, I'm home!"

"NATSU! YOU BASTARD!"

The man leant back as a gust of wind blew past him, carrying an angry dragon slayer with bright pink hair. The woman landed in a crouch against the wall and shot back towards the man once again, her eyes glowing with anger. "I STILL HAVEN'T FORGIVEN YOU FOR PULLING A STUNT LIKE THAT!"

"Woah, woah, woah. I thought you said you'd beat me to an inch of death next time I do something like that?" Natsu replied playfully as he easily dodged the woman with a step to the side. He grabbed her by the ankle and threw her across the room onto an empty couch. "At least let me savour being home before you put me in an early grave."

Natsu laughed as he walked further into the Hall and gazed around the large main room. Having guests was an understatement it seemed as he saw the faces of pretty much all the big members of Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, Sabertooth, Mermaid Heel, and Quatro Cerberus, and their Guild Masters too. As well as Queen Hisui and her father, along with a small attaché of her Royal Guards.

"What did you do this time, Natsu?" Sting yelled from across the room as he held up a tankard of ale, he was sitting with his closest friends and teammates all whom were also nursing drinks of their own. "Let me guess, it was one hell of a fight?"

"Well, I was in bad enough shape that Wendy threatened to beat me to a pulp the next time it happened, after healing me of course. But it seems she has skipped to the beating me up part." The salmon-haired man shouted back gleefully as he grinned happily at everyone. "Well, looks like the party started without me, so let's kick it up a notch!"

"HELL YEAH!" Shouted the rowdy mages as someone turned the music up even louder, and drinks were passed around readily.

That's this chapter done and dusted, it took me a bit to do as I had my focus elsewhere and was struggling with writer's block mixed with low motivation. But I got there in the end, and I hope you have all enjoyed it. Stay healthy and I'll see you all next time.