"Here we go," Gray muttered as he helped Wendy slide onto an armchair by the fire, her arm slipping from his waist as she sighed happily.

"Thank you Gray," she said, leaning back against the plush cushions. Her rosy skin glowed in the firelight, dark blue hair hanging loose against her shoulders and back. Even just an hour after receiving the herb in the form of a tonic, Wendy was already looking better than she had in months. She took a deep breath, enjoying the recovered ability to do so.

Erza smiled at the girl, taking in her healthy appearance. While she might not have the heightened senses the Dragon Slayers shared, she had a feeling that the next time Natsu looked at Wendy, he would see that she was as vibrant as the two lords of the manor, unlike everyone else who were drab and lackluster. At least, according to him.

Evia settled herself in another chair across from Wendy, keeping a close eye on her. Although she looked healthy and happy, it was hard for Evia to wrap her mind around the idea that an herb truly possessed the ability to heal anyone, no matter how severe their illness. If only she had known when Dorothea was sick…

Mak hovered in the background, not sure of where he should position himself. He knew there was something weird going on. He knew that even before he left just based on the cryptic phrases and the sentences and names that made no sense to him. But when he returned with dinner just ten minutes ago, Lady Scarlet had decreed that they would all move to the living room to eat and tell Evia and Mak everything they wanted to know. So now everyone else sat around the trays he had carried up here while he stood near the wall, feeling awkward and out of place.

"Mak, come and sit down." Erza patted the seat next to her, her gentle smile turning on the guard. He shifted slightly, shaking his head.

"It's alright my Lady. It's not right."

Her gaze quickly shifted from warm to stony. "It wasn't an offer. Come here. We have a lot to discuss."

Gray chuckled quietly at the expression of fear that crossed Mak's face before vanishing just as fast. It was always enjoyable to see what Erza could do to others with just a look or a few words. As long as she wasn't doing it to him.

With a few cautious steps, Mak crossed the room and slowed lowered himself onto the couch, eyes watching the terrifying woman only a foot or so away. It did confuse him slightly as to why her husband was across the room with their niece, but he had learned long ago that he shouldn't expect anything to be normal around these nobles.

Gray sat on the last remaining couch, close enough to Wendy that he could help her if she needed it but still far away enough as not to crowd her. Just simply walking from her room to this chair had made her happy beyond his imagination, and he still didn't quite understand her joy at simply being able to walk around. Then again, he hadn't been the one bedridden for weeks. He likely would have gone insane after only a few days of lying around. He was honestly a little surprised she hadn't.

"So," Evia began, linking her fingers in her lap. Everyone's attention turned towards her, Wendy's gaze darting briefly to Natsu's closed door before returning to the healer, sending Gray a brief smile beforehand to assure him that their friends were doing fine.

"So," Erza repeated, smoothing her grey dress out across her legs. "Where should we begin?"

"Um, could you perhaps tell me what is going on?" Erza glanced at the guard sitting by her side, his face hidden by strands of loose purple hair. "I don't want to assume anything but… there's obviously something going on that I'm missing."

Gray chuckled. "There's a shit ton going on that you're unaware of, dude. It's just how do we even start to tell you everything?"

"Maybe with our names?" Wendy offered quietly, tired and yet full of energy. Whatever that last tonic had been had certainly done the trick, and now her muscles seemed full of energy she had lacked for months. Gray and Evia had told her everything they knew: Lucy had gone out in search of an herb that was supposedly to heal any illness, and now Natsu was keeping her warm while that same herb cured Wendy and allowed her to be sitting here in the living room. Wendy wanted to feel guilty for all of the trouble Lucy had gone through just to help her, yet the only feeling the Sky Maiden could comprehend was overwhelming relief. Although she made sure to remind herself to thank Lucy profusely once the blonde woke up.

"A very good idea," Erza agreed. She glanced over at Gray, sighing internally, waving her hand at him. "Go ahead. Take it off."

"It's not like I enjoy stripping," he complained. "It just happens."

Evia and Mak glanced at each other worriedly, not quite understanding what was going on. But then Gray stood up and shrugged his waistcoat off, his fingers already working on the buttons of her shirt.

"Uh, Lord Silver?" Mak started hesitantly.

Gray scoffed, his shirt fluttering to the ground. "I am definitely not a lord. It's Gray. Gray Fullbuster from Fairy Tail." And there was his guild mark, the dark blue lines of the mark standing out boldly against his skin.

Wendy giggled at his theatrics, pulling up the sleeve of her nightgown to show off her mark as well. "And I'm Wendy Marvell."

"Erza Scarlet," the requip mage finished, not bothering to attempt to pull her sleeve down. Her stupid dress was too tight to even try. "And Drago is actually Natsu Dragneel, and Lucy is Lucy Heartfilia. All five of us are wizards from Fairy Tail."

Mak blinked rapidly, still not understanding what was going on. "You're… what?"

Evia shook her head slightly, amazement pooling up inside. "I know that I recognized Lucy's guild mark earlier but… we've heard so many tales throughout my entire lifetime of the power of the Fairy Tail guild from Fiore. You five… you're the reason why the Alvarez Empire was defeated, aren't you? And why the dreaded black dragon was finally killed two years ago?"

Erza nodded, leaning back against the couch as she started to relax. "Well, most of Fiore and Ishgar truly were responsible for those great deeds. We just helped. Although, from what I understand, Acnologia never would have been defeated without Lucy or Natsu."

"I'm confused," Mak spoke up again, glancing between Evia and the nobles. Not nobles? Wizards? How was Evia accepting this so calmly? And why was Acnologia being brought up? Surely these couldn't be the people from whispered stories shared while on a late-night shift. People often told the tales they heard about adventures of wizards from Ishgar with tones of reverence, most unbelieving that magic could ever be that powerful, especially when they lived in a country cursed to be void of the gifts that blessed everyone else. Of all the stories he had heard, the guild Fairy Tail had always been at the forefront of the danger and heroism, accomplishing impossible feats to protect their family and friends. And though he saw the proof right before his eyes, saw the guild marks and heard the names, he could wrap his mind around the facts. It was impossible, wasn't it?

Wendy pulled the nearest tray of dinner closer to her, beginning to dig it. "It's complicated, I know. I'm sorry we had to lie to you, but we didn't know who we could trust here at Grimstone. But you two have both been so helpful, especially you Evia." The young girl beamed at the healer, her exhaustion fading away as she finally started eating. "I don't think I could have made it this far without you."

"I'm assuming you know what was ailing you?" Evia asked, her curiosity burning too much to wait.

Wendy nodded mid-bite. She swallowed, suddenly ravenous. "It was magic deficiency. I'm a Sky Dragon Slayer, so, back at home, whenever I breathe in, I can replenish my magic by taking in my element. But the air here in Benos is sick, everything is. And since I can't stop taking in air like Natsu can stop eating fire-"

"Eating what?!" Mak exclaimed.

"I became a lot sicker than everyone else," Wendy finished, ignoring the interruption. "And without the strong presence of ethernano here, I wasn't able to recover like I did back home. So my guess is that whatever Lucy found had to have a lot of ethernano inside it, since I feel amazing now. Still can't use magic though…"

"I'm sorry, I'm still confused," Mak said once again, thoughts moving so fast that his brain was nearly mush. "I mean, I get who you are. But I don't understand why. Or how?"

Gray smirked, still shirtless even as he sat back down. "I don't see how it's so hard to grasp."

"Give him a break, Gray," Erza admonished. "And put your damn clothes back on."

"You're the one who told me to take 'em off," he grumbled, grabbing his shirt before Erza could snap again.

Erza huffed, turning her attention back to Mak with a smile. "I'm sorry. We're not very good at explaining ourselves, are we?"

Mak shook his head mutely, leading to a giggle from Wendy even as she continued to chow down on her dinner.

Evia spoke up this time, taking a small plate for herself. "You must understand, this is all very odd for us. After all, the exploits of your guild and country are the stuff of legends here, much like the dragons are in your country I'm sure. We've heard of all the fantastical things you and your guild have accomplished, and I suppose it's just awe inspiring to come face to face with these people we've heard about for years and years. I can't look at you, Erza, and see the Fairy Queen who took on a thousands monsters all by herself and emerged triumphant. And I can't picture Wendy as the girl who took out a weapon capable of wiping out all magic in the world."

Both women flushed with the praise. "It was only a hundred monsters," Erza mumbled, suddenly aware of the wide-eyed stare she was receiving from the guard sitting beside her.

Evia smiled to herself, shaking her head at the sheepish air the young women both now shared. "I assume most of the tales have all been blown out of proportion. So why don't the three of you enlighten us as to the truth? Start at the beginning; your beginnings. How did you join Fairy Tail? And Natsu and Lucy of course."

"And what really happened during the Alvarez War?" Mak blurted out, blushing slightly when all faces turned to him. "Sorry, there's just been so many different versions told, and I've always been curious as to what actually occurred."

Wendy giggled again. "We'll try and explain it best as possible. To be honest, I'm not sure I understand everything that happened either. Natsu would be the best one to ask about it, but I have a feeling he'll be sleeping for a while."

Gray rolled his eyes, sinking deeper into the couch. "I joined Fairy Tail first, so I can start. Be warned, a whole lot of crap happened in the past couple years, so get ready. I don't even know if I can remember it all."

Evia laughed, making herself comfortable on the chair. "We have all night. I already sent word to Mava that Lucy is sick so she won't be coming to work in the kitchens for a while. And Lord Ajax was aware that Shel-, well, Wendy's condition was declining, so he shouldn't be too suspicious if you all don't make an appearance at court for the next few days. So start talking Gray. I'd like to hear everything. Especially as to why the five of you have come to our country."

XXX

Her return to consciousness began gradually. All she knew for a while was warmth unlike any she had experienced before, heat so comforting she could have stayed curled up inside of it forever. She knew she should probably move, especially since the last thing she remembered was the freezing outside which had threatened to kill her. Yet her limbs refused to cooperate, remaining heavy and sleepy and not listening to the commands she halfheartedly sent.

Finally she groaned, head rolling to the side as she forced her eyes open, peering into the darkness for some hint as to where she was. Her legs shifted slightly, pinned down by some foreign weight. In fact, most of her body was trapped in place by an immovable object that also seemed to be the source of that glorious warmth. She panicked for a moment, thoughts turning to the worst ideas as she tried to figure out what it was. Am I dead? Did I get buried by the snow? Was it all just a dream?

"Lucy?" The raspy, familiar voice cut through her frantic worrying, setting her nerves at ease almost immediately. With that one word, she was able to piece together where she was. The softness beneath her was a mattress, some of the weight above her was blankets, and the force pinning her chest, waist, and legs in place had to be…

"Natsu?" Lucy murmured back, her own voice taking her by surprise. Although, she shouldn't have been too shocked; hours outside in that awful blizzard couldn't have been good for anyone's voice. Just thinking of the winter wasteland she had wandered for hours made her shiver.

"Luce," he repeated, even his voice full of warmth and comfort, even with fading traces of worry still lingering. "Don't start yelling at me, got it? I'm only here cause it was either this or you freezing." It was in that moment that she realized they were pressed up against each other, legs tangled together and his arms holding her tightly against him. Her cheeks grew hot, embarrassed at the situation even though she knew it was likely necessary. Fighting the urge to kick him away, she simply wriggled slightly in his grasp, hoping he would get the hint.

He did. His arms loosened until she was able to pull enough away from him that she could turn and face him. As their bodies separated, she became painfully aware of her lack of pants. And she also became aware of how cold she was without Natsu pressed up against her.

"What happened?" She murmured, running a hand across her face and propping her body up with an elbow. The dying embers in the hearth provided the only light to the room, only allowing her to see Natsu's vague shape and his glinting eyes in the darkness.

"I was gonna ask you that." He sat up as well, leaning back at an odd angle against the headboard. "You feeling okay? Still cold?"

She shook her head mutely even as she forced her body not to shiver. She wasn't going to give in to the cool air the minute Natsu pulled away. He eyed her for a minute before letting his gaze wander over her, seeing the obvious signs she was trying to hide. He'd let it go for now, but if it became too hard to watch, he wouldn't hesitate to pull her close again.

Convinced that she was okay and not in any danger, he immediately started the rant he had been building up since she woke. "Do you know how worried we all were when you disappeared all day only to have Mak show up at the door with you half-frozen in his arms?"

Lucy flushed again, pulling her tank top down farther and then pulling it up, not able to find the right position. "I should've told you, I get that, but you know that if I had, you never would've let me go out there."

"With good reason," Natsu shot back, crossing his arms. "I don't know how, but I'm pretty damn sure the only reason you're still alive is because of Loki, which doesn't make any sense, but I know it's true. Why would it have been so bad if I came with you anyway? We always do everything together! Every job, every adventure, even this. So why did you just disappear and not let us know?"

"Oh you're one to talk." Lucy glared, figuring he would catch the expression with his sharp eyes. "So you're allowed to leave me alone for a year with only a note, but I go for however long to get an herb to save Wendy's life, and you immediately start giving me shit for it?"

"Happy and I weren't going to die during our training year; you would've."

"After everything Wendy's done for us, I would've been okay with it if it meant she got to live."

Natsu gaped at her, fumbling for words. "I- what?"

Lucy glared right back, crossing her arms under her breasts and pulling a blanket up higher over her legs. "You heard me. And don't you dare say you wouldn't do the same thing. If you knew how to save one of our friends but it meant that you would have to suffer, wouldn't you do it in a heartbeat?"

"That doesn't mean you can just disappear without any note!"

"If you knew where I went, you probably would've tried to follow me and blown our cover in the process!"

"So what?"

"So what?! Natsu, we've been here for months! You can't just throw all of our work away just cause you're worried about a friend!"

"But you're not just a friend, you're-" Natsu cut himself off before he revealed too much. "You're Lucy," he finished weakly.

Lucy furrowed her brow, wanting to ask what that meant but still too annoyed at her friend. She turned away partially, glaring at the opposite wall. This was just what she needed after waking up after stumbling around the frozen countryside for hours. She was hoping for praise or celebration, not arguments and hurt feelings.

Natsu swallowed hard, beyond grateful that she hadn't pushed him. Then he reached out, nudging her thigh with his elbow. "Hey."

She glanced down at him, arms still crossed.

He shifted, looking shyly up at her. "I don't wanna fight with you. I hate fighting with you."

Lucy sighed, letting her arms fall finally as she draped another blanket over her shoulders. "I don't like it either."

"I was just really worried."

"I know."

"I'm still kinda worried."

"Why?"

"Cause you're still cold."

"What makes you say that?"

"You're shivering."

"No I'm not."

"You're a god awful liar."

"Oh shuddup."

Natsu chuckled quietly, shifting to the side so he could rest his head on Lucy's leg. She tensed for a brief moment before settling back against the headboard, enjoying the warmth he radiated. He grinned to himself, knowing that it wasn't a big thing but it still felt amazing to have her soft thigh under his head. He wondered what she would taste like…

He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing those kind of thoughts from his head. Instead he looked up at her, blonde hair still damp from her escapades. Without even realizing that she was doing it, her hand went to her neck, fingers wrapping around the pendant of her necklace. "How long was I out there?" She whispered, other hand pulling one of the blankets tighter around her shoulders.

Natsu shrugged as best he could. "When did you leave?"

"Uh, right after I left Wendy's room."

Natsu frowned, attempting the mental math. Then he sat up again, still frowning at her. "Luce… that means you were out in a freaking blizzard for like a day! How the hell are you still alive?"

Lucy looked down at her lap, fingers subconsciously moving to Loki's key. "Um, it's a long story. Well, not that long of a story, but if you can wait, I'll just tell everyone at the same time, okay?"

He grumbled, agreeing but not liking it. She smiled, adjusting the blanket she had pulled over her legs.

"Sorry I took your scarf."

"Eh, at least it was you, not some stranger. Or Gray."

Lucy laughed quietly. "Where did it end up?" Natsu nodded toward the dying fire, and Lucy caught sight of his scarf hanging on the mantle, boots and cloak drying nearby as well. "At least I didn't ruin those like I destroyed my dress. Speaking of, who got me out of it?" Her words took on a slightly accusatory tone, and he rushed to reassure her.

"Erza did. Don't worry, she made me turn around. And before you ask, Wendy's fine. I can hear her out there." He paused for a moment, straining his ears to figure out exactly what was being said. "They're telling Evia and Macaroon about when we went to that village of giants where my uncle was."

Now Lucy frowned. "First of all, it's Mak, not Macaroon. But, why are they telling them that?"

"Evia saw your guild mark and somehow put everything together. So Erza said we'd tell them everything if Evia helped Wendy and you. Well, I'm sure she would've done it anyway cause she's nice like that, but still."

"So they're gonna know everything? Like, everything?"

"Yeah. Erza seems to think we can trust them." Natsu shrugged, glancing over at the embers barely glowing in the hearth. He groaned, starting to push himself out of bed. "I'll add some wood to the fire. Then you should probably go back to sleep."

"I don't need more sleep," Lucy argued back, beginning to get up as well. He reached over and pushed her down, keeping pressure against her shoulder when she tried to fight back.

"I always sleep whenever I feel crappy. And trying fibbing one more time about not being cold again, and I will tie you to the bed with my scarf."

Lucy rolled her eyes, laughing softly at the bossy tone he had taken on. "Fine. Whatever. I'll sleep. I haven't had much time to just relax since we got here anyway." Natsu grinned back at her, starting to move again. After a second's hesitation, Lucy reached out, grabbing his wrist and keeping him in place. "Um, can you stay?" She blushed, not quite knowing what was coming out of her mouth. "Having you here is a lot warmer than the fire."

Natsu froze, all attention zeroing in on the hand wrapped around his wrist. His eyes flitted back to Lucy's weary features, knowing that either she was too tired to know what she was saying or she simply was just too cold to care. So he nodded silently, laying back down on the bed. Lucy released her grip, falling back as well. About a foot separated them, sheets that seemed too empty after the hours he spent holding her as tightly as he had wanted to for the past few years. But Lucy made no move besides the occasional shiver, so he stayed put, drawing another blanket up over the young woman.

Lucy turned onto her side, eyes falling shut as her exhaustion finally caught up with her. "Goodnight Natsu. Thank you for everything."

"We should be thanking you," he mumbled back, shifting to face her even though her back was turned. She snorted, ignoring the stare she felt against her back.

"Goodnight," she repeated.

"Night."

She yawned, snuggling deeper into the blankets. Natsu smirked, not caring if she called him a creep for watching her. He was determined to keep an eye on her until she was peacefully asleep. He'd already gotten enough sleep for the day as it were.

Just like her return to consciousness, her departure back to dreamland came about gradually. While her toes and fingers remained freezing, her heart was warm, soaking in the heat Natsu radiated. She couldn't help but continue to shiver, unable to rid herself of the remaining tendrils of the blizzard she had willingly submitted herself to. Yet as she finally slipped into nothingness, the bed shifted under her, and familiar arms pulled her close. And suddenly, the cold was gone, banished from existence by the presence of the Dragon Slayer holding her, a barrier against the world and all the trouble it threw at them.

XXX

Silence reigned in the common room, Evia and Mak digesting the load of information they had just received. Wendy dozed in her chair, exhausted even though she had spent the past few days unconscious. Erza sharpened a dagger she had pulled out an hour or so ago, Mak's eyes darting to the razor-edge weapon every so often. Gray stared at the fire, subconsciously thinking about the fire wizard sleeping in the next room with the Celestial wizard. He had noticed Wendy glancing at the bedroom door a couple times maybe two hours ago, her expression shifting between worry and amusement and simple contentment. Gray assumed that meant Lucy had woken up, but since the door remained closed, he figured they went back to sleep.

Evia inhaled deeply, stretching her legs out in front of her. "That was quite a tale."

Mak nodded in agreement, shaking his head in amazement. "I know we've heard those stories before, but to actual hear about them firsthand from the people who actually accomplished all those amazing deeds…" He shook his head again, still unable to wrap his mind around what he had just heard.

Wendy smiled blearily, yawning widely. "They really did feel amazing when we were doing them. I mean it really felt like hell sometimes. Really, everything we did from Tartaros onwards was shitty." Erza jolted, not expecting the foul language from the young girl. Granted, it was warranted.

Evia adjusted her skirts, smiling back at the Sky Maiden. "Not everyone could've done what you five have done, what your whole guild has done. You deserve to become the stuff of legends, your names passed down through history for the rest of time."

Erza flushed slightly, sliding her dagger back into its sheath. "Thank you, Evia. It truly does mean a lot to us." Gray nodded slowly, the time of day finally catching up to him.

"I don't know about you guys, but I need to sleep. So is there anything else you two want to know before I go back to my room?"

Erza rolled her eyes at Gray's bluntness, pushing herself to her feet with a groan. "I agree. It's been a very long, stressful day."

Evia made a sound of agreement, taking Mak's offered hand as he helped her up. "Yes, lots has happened today. Shall we meet back here tomorrow? Mak, do you have a shift tomorrow?" The guard shook his head, sending a glance at Natsu's closed door, concern for Lucy worming its way through his heart.

Wendy caught the glance and smiled gently at him. "She's okay. I heard her and Natsu talking an hour or so ago. She's a little cold still, but she's fine. And she plans on telling us everything that happened out there."

Gray's shoulders lost some of their tension, and Erza breathed a sigh of relief. "That is good to hear." Then she glanced at Gray, raising an eyebrow. "Should we go?"

He nodded once before pausing, staring at the healer and the guard. "Before Erza and I go, I want you to promise us that you aren't going to share anything you learned, no matter what. If you want your country to be healthy again, you can't say anything. And if you go back on your word…" He let his eyes harden, filling with ice and frost and darkness.

Mak shifted under his gaze, dipping his head to the man he had considered a lord until a few hours prior. "Of course. I know how important this quest is, both for you and for the good of our country." Evia nodded her agreement.

Erza nodded sharply, smoothing out her dress and motioning for Gray to follow. "Good. You won't want to know what will happen if we find you have betrayed our confidence. Not that you will. Now, Gray, let's go. Wendy, will you be okay by yourself?"

"Evia will stay with me, won't you?" The fifteen-year-old glanced over at the healer, seeing her expression fill with warmth.

"Of course, dear. I want to keep an eye on your health anyway." Wendy beamed, staggering to her feet and across the floor to her room.

"Good. Now goodnight!" And with that, they all dispersed, Evia and Mak left with quite a lot to think about throughout the night. And of course, all five were left questioning what exactly happened to Lucy during her day in the cold, questions that would hopefully be answered soon.

A lot happened here didn't it? I loved writing this chapter (actually I wrote it like months ago, and then I had to rewrite it after finally writing all of the chapters that came before so that was kinda wasteful haha). But seriously, this chapter is super special to me. I've been envisioning this scene for what must have been at least two years. It's been through so many changes, beginning with Lucy sick while all of them were in a cave after **something**, then to them still having magic while at Grimstone, and probably many more versions in between. So I'm so excited for this chapter to finally be out in the open, and I hope you all love it as much as I do!