Lucy nervously wound golden hair around her fingers as she glanced this way and that. The house she'd stepped into was cozy and comfortable, and even reminded her a little of the guildhall. From the entryway, she could see a living room off to her left, laden with plush carpet and a worn, yet comfortable-looking sofa before a large TV. Tables at either side of the sofa held lamps that gave off a soft glow. One wall had a massive bookshelf laden with old heavy books. Straight ahead, Lucy could see a dining room complete with old oak furniture, neatly cleaned and put together despite the hour, as if Gray hadn't intended to have supper at the large table.

A smile tugged at Lucy's lip when she noticed the TV was on, some movie from a few years ago still playing. "Sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean to interrupt your evening, Gray."

Gray kicked the door shut behind her. He promptly reached over the back of the couch to grab the remote. "Trust me, I'd rather you interrupt than finish my movie." He shut the TV off and raked a hand through his mussed hair, annoyed. "The one day Juvia offers to take the closing shift…"

Such a thing shouldn't have surprised Lucy so much, but it did. "What does she do? And you? These houses aren't cheap."

"Juvia helps out at Sting and Rogue's club," said Gray with a shrug. "The staff is made up of people who used to work with guilds. Mostly Sabertooth, with a few others sprinkled in. I think Evergreen works there, too." He waved for her to come further in and Lucy reluctantly did so, carefully perching on the end of a comfortable sofa. She quite liked the sofa after wooden benches and seats and even hard mattresses, but it was uncomfortable, too. She wasn't used to it.

Happy leaped up into her lap immediately, and Gray flopped into the other side of the sofa, sprawled out. He appeared at ease, but Lucy could tell by his tapping foot that it wasn't real. "I help the police out," he added suddenly without prompting. "They pay me well to catch people they have trouble getting their hands on."

Lucy's eyebrows lifted. "You're a mercenary?"

He winced. "Not the way I'd put it, but yeah, I guess."

Lucy ran her fingers along Happy's fur. A frown appeared on her face. "Why are you in Crocus? What about...why aren't you in Magnolia with everyone else?" She gestured to the beautiful golden band that still lingered on his upper arm, labeling him as a member of Fairy Tail. On his other arm, he continued to wear his own personalized cuff, crafted to label him as a half-demon.

Gray grimaced uncomfortably and said simply, voice somewhat apologetic, "Lucy...where did you come from? Sting mentioned seeing you a year ago, and those of us who needed to know were told that you'd gone through the Gate, but…"

Lucy swallowed thickly, not excited to think about the Eclipse Gate again. Now that she wasn't running around trying to get to a specific place, it hurt to remember those last few moments. A wave of agonizing emptiness filled her chest and she rubbed the pain away as best as she could. "The Eclipse Gate fell," she breathed. Gray swore under his breath, rocking forward. He braced his elbows on his knees as Lucy let the tale spill from her lips. She told him all about what had happened with Acnologia and the Eclipse Gate, told him of her time in the year X777 and what had happened the day Layla died, and then of waking up in the hospital.

When she'd finished, Gray shook his head in sorrow. "I still hate that I couldn't get there sooner," he admitted quietly through gritted, clenched teeth. "I tried, but by the time we got a Portal together, it was over. We showed up and Natsu-"

Lucy cut him off, reluctant to hear what might be said about her partner. "It's not your fault," she murmured, twisting her fingers in Happy's fur. "Don't think like that. I could say the same about myself. If I'd noticed that Sting was acting weird...if I'd not left the cottage to wash my face...we could sit here and list countless decisions that would have affected what happened." She'd considered this very idea consistently throughout her wanderings earlier in the day. Lucy had always come to the same conclusion: there were a thousand things she could have done differently, but it did no good to sit and think of them all.

Gray shrugged, but looked as if he didn't agree. Yet he didn't seem inclined to argue. So, he said instead, "You don't know anything about what happened after you went through?"

"A little," she admitted. "From before I went through the Gate the first time. I know the guilds pretty much disappeared after some witch hunting. I know that...I know that Crocus was clearly relocated. Little things," she continued hastily when Gray opened his mouth, not wanting to hear what he said about Natsu, "from the book Levy wrote." She paused and then winced. "I suppose that's gone. It was in my car."

"Actually," Gray said, flashing her a grin. "Levy has it. Mavis told her what happened, and Levy asked Rogue to fetch it for her. They couldn't mess with the rest of your things since the police were already starting to look for you, but they got Levy's book at least. I guess your landlord filed a missing persons report. They stopped working on your case not too long ago."

That meant everything she'd owned before this was probably gone. Lucy groaned, frustrated as she slumped back against the sofa. A faint grin appeared on Gray's face and then faded. "Fairy Tail's gone. The guild doesn't exist anymore." She stared at him, unsurprised, but still hurt by the information. He continued gently, "After Lamia Scale's guildhall was torched with half of the guild inside, it was too dangerous for guilds to linger, even in secret. A handful tried; only one or two still exist. We're still a family. We just...can't exist like we did. We have a reunion every year, but…" He trailed off as Lucy took a shaken breath. He watched as she touched her naked arm, where the Fairy Tail band should have rested. "I'm sorry, Lucy. It's not what you should have to hear."

Lucy sat there in complete and utter silence for a few moments, considering what she'd just realized. Happy had stopped purring to simply blink up at her with kindness, waiting to offer her whatever comfort he thought she needed. Finally, she asked the question that had plagued her throughout the day.

"If there's no Fairy Tail...no Gate, no city to try and protect...no Natsu...what am I supposed to do now?" Lucy's voice cracked on the last word. For so long, she'd had a goal to work towards. Now...nothing. Nothing but a life she wasn't sure she was ready to live At least, not without the family she'd found in Fairy Tail. Not without Natsu. Not that she had much of a choice.

Gray snapped upright, his face filled with confusion. "Hold on," he said, frowning at her. "What do you mean no Natsu?"

Lucy shuddered as she pressed her fist over her chest, her voice shaking. "I can't feel him anymore. It's like someone tore a piece of myself out and won't put anything back in. It's empty, and he's gone."

Gray opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off when the door suddenly opened, and someone stepped inside. Lucy's lips parted in surprise at who she found closing the door behind them. Juvia was exactly as Lucy remembered her to be just older. She'd aged more than Gray, but not by much. She couldn't have appeared more than a handful of years older than Lucy herself looked. Her friendly blue eyes crinkled at the corners when she saw Lucy, unsurprised. A bright smile appeared. "Juvia thought it was odd when Sting took Rogue's shift tonight. He never does that. So, Juvia assumed it was something like this."

Lucy couldn't help the small, teary laugh that escaped her as she rose to her feet to awkwardly hug Juvia over the back of the sofa. Juvia hugged her tightly, and Gray rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as Juvia scolded him, "You should have called immediately."

He waved her off, face flushed. "Yeah, yeah."

Lucy cleared her throat as she settled down again, Happy crawling back into her lap. "Yukino's alive. She fell from the stars catching me." Rogue must be staying with her again.

Juvia sighed, annoyed. As if she was bothered she'd not thought of that herself. "They could tell us," she complained, only to shake her head and move on.

"Hey, Juvia," Gray said suddenly. "Go get the box, would you?"

Juvia paused, and then nodded. "Of course." She dropped her purse and keys, then stopped to bend and press a fond kiss to the top of Gray's head. He reached up and ruffled her hair playfully in response. Juvia giggled and disappeared into the depths of the house.

"You know," said Gray, resting his cheek on his fist and his elbow on the arm rest, "that's how Rogue always described it. Like he was empty. Like someone had taken some fundamental piece of who he was and thrown it away." Lucy bit her lip, averting her gaze. She didn't want to talk about it anymore. It only dragged the feeling to the surface and made it far, far worse. So, Gray continued. "He's the one who suggested that dragons no longer be allowed to give someone else their Marks. After seeing Natsu in action, the rest of us all thought it was a damn good idea."

Lucy hugged Happy tightly. He'd destroyed Crocus despite everything they'd done to ensure otherwise. She doubted it was out of hatred, or the love for what he'd done. She was sure there was some other reason, but still. It hurt to know that she'd changed nothing in history. The Gate had still fallen, as had Crocus, and Natsu had been behind both.

"I have it!" called Juvia as she bustled back into the room, a smug smile on her face. She brandished a large locked box that Lucy could have sworn she'd seen once, in a fortress surrounded by snow and fir trees. Juvia rounded the sofa and squeezed her way in so that Lucy was between her and Gray. She rested the box lightly on her lap and smiled as she unlocked it with a key that had resided on a chain around her neck.

Lucy set Happy aside with care as the world came to a screeching halt. Juvia smiled as she cradled the ancient, familiar tome in her arms. She handed it to Lucy, and Lucy couldn't breathe as she stared down at it.

Three letters were imprinted at the top-center of the cover, black and similar to the Marks on her back. END. This was Natsu's book - his soul, which had been ripped from him and pushed into a book. Lucy was holding Natsu's soul in her hands, and it was angry. Even as she held it, rage seemed to ripple from between its pages. Natsu was viciously angry, and full of grief and loss and misery. Her heart ached as the book burned where she touched it. It felt empty. Lost. And oh, so angry that the one who'd come to mean more than anything else to him was gone.

It was alive.

Natsu was alive.

A choked sound spilled from Lucy's mouth, and Juvia wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Lucy," she said softly, and Gray leaned forward to squeeze her arm reassuringly, too. "Lucy, Natsu was never at risk of being lost. He merely wished to sleep. That's what he told us. The Demon King merely wished to sleep in peace, away from the pain he couldn't escape." Lucy's head snapped up, and she stared, fearful of their knowledge of Natsu's true identity.

Quietly, Gray said, "Jellal told us everything. He had to after what happened. Very few people remember Natsu now. Us, you, the other members of Gildarts's council, the Keepers and Guardians, Wendy. That's it. He announced to the world what he was, and we alone were able to remain indifferent to him."

Slowly, Lucy brought the book to her chest and hugged it, wishing it was Natsu himself. His soul was better than nothing though. "What happened?" she whispered. "What happened to him after I left?"

And so, they told her.

Six months after she'd disappeared, Natsu snapped. No one knew why he suddenly did so, but he'd gone from mythic to mythic, seeking help - begging that they help him. He'd demanded they seal him away, so he didn't have to feel the void that filled him every day anymore. When that hadn't worked, he'd shifted tactics; when no one had helped him, he'd taken drastic measures. He left Gray with one simple warning: "Get them out."

For three days and three nights, Natsu tore his way across Fiore, burning away everything in his path. When he reached Crocus, he'd incinerated the city, razing it until nothing was left. He'd become the very monster that he'd tried so hard to avoid becoming simply because he could no longer handle the agony that had spliced through him for so long.

Left with no choice, Levy had used her single day of freedom that year to accompany Jellal and the Guardians to end his destruction, just as Natsu had desired. Levy had found a spell that would seal even the Demon King away, and between all of them, they'd managed to soothe the Demon King into slumber that would last at least ten thousand years. He'd been sealed into a mountain, and Sting and Rogue had agreed to watch over him as Keeper and Guardian. They'd created a complex tomb to stow Natsu in, hiding him among the labyrinth of caverns and tunnels. Then, they'd sealed the entrance, putting up spells to ward people away and keep them from accidentally waking him.

Following the event, Makarov had made his final decision as guildmaster: he'd had every memory of Natsu and Lucy erased from those who'd not needed to know. Within days, no one could remember their names. Lucy had become the Lost Star once more; Natsu had become the Demon King of myth.

"He...how many died?" asked Lucy softly, knowing that the number would destroy whatever was left of Natsu if he ever woke up again.

Much to her surprise, Gray rocked back with a smug grin. "One," he told her, and Lucy's breath caught in her throat. "He only killed one. I told you, he warned us to get everyone out before he went to town on the city, Lucy. Every single one but the Councilman got out before he arrived, and he only died because he attempted to go after Natsu in a final stand."

Lucy stared at him long and hard. "But the…Levy's book…"

"Just 'cause it's written one way doesn't mean anything, blondie. What's written down is never what really happens."

Gajeel had told her that, a thousand or so years ago, not long before everything had gone so wrong. As if he'd known ahead of time what was coming.

Juvia chuckled. "Levy did that on purpose. We knew you'd go back in time, so we had to ensure you were set on the right mission again. History would repeat itself. Now, we can finally focus on the future." She pressed her hand over Lucy's heart, which ached with loneliness even as Juvia leaned into her. "Old, old magic was used to seal Natsu away. Juvia bets it's that magic that is preventing you from feeling Natsu. Mavis would know something, or Sting and Rogue. They've studied the magic closely."

Lucy said nothing, only looked at Happy when he suddenly chirped to catch her attention. He was staring up at her, eyes glimmering. Lucy found a smile tugging at her lips in understanding. What do we do now? he was asking. How do we wake up Natsu?

But first things first.

Lucy rocked to her feet, gently pushing her beloved's soul back into the box that rested on Juvia's lap. "Hold onto that a little longer, would you, Juvia? I have something I need to do."

Juvia nodded, locking it away without hesitation. Rather than re-donning the key, however, she handed it to Lucy, who didn't hesitate to slip the chain holding it over her head. "It's late," she commented. "Why don't you see to it in the morning? We have a guest room. It's yours as long as you want it."

Lucy nodded, yawning as if the mere mention of how late it was had dragged her mind back to how tired she was. "Thanks," she said.

Gray only grinned up at her. "Anything you need, Lucy. We're here for you."

Lucy missed a lot of things about the past, but the clothing was not necessarily one of them. While she'd loved the sturdy clothing she'd worn on a daily basis, it had been scratchy and uncomfortable compared to the clothing she now wore. Her jeans were comfortable, albeit a bit hard to move in, as was the soft cloth of the shirt she'd picked out. Her sturdy work boots would outlast any from the time she'd come from, and the supplies she'd used to pull her hair out of her face were far superior to the bands of leather and harsh brushes and combs.

Hot showers weren't all that bad either.

"Thanks again for buying all of this. I'll pay you back eventually." Lucy spoke sincerely to Gray as she pulled on a nice, soft jacket that Juvia had helped her find while they'd spent the morning shopping. Late afternoon had arrived, and while Lucy had been desperate to get going as soon as possible, she'd seen sense in Juvia's demands that Lucy accompany her into the city to get some things.

"Natsu's been as he is for well over a thousand years," Juvia had said firmly. "He can wait a few more hours."

Gray smirked a little as he watched her get ready to leave though there was a hint of worry for his friend on his face. "Don't worry about it. We might not act like it, but living a long time does wonders for the interest that builds in a savings account." He had leaned against the wall, arms folded. "You sure you don't want us to come with you?"

"No," said Lucy confidently. "This is something I need to do myself. I'll be back though, and then I wouldn't mind some company when I go to talk with Rogue and Sting." She needed company then, and backup. For she wasn't sure she was ready to face them about what had to be done. Sting had been testy long ago about Natsu, several times over. She wasn't sure what he'd think of waking Natsu up, but it didn't matter. She had to talk with him regardless.

When she was ready, Lucy let Happy climb onto her shoulder. "See you in a bit?"

"I'm not going anywhere," he promised, and that reassurance was more comforting than he could ever know.

So, with a smile, Lucy bid Gray farewell and stepped back through a Portal that had appeared behind her. Within moments, Gray's home had vanished, and when she stepped free, avoiding the shadows that lunged at her (for she no longer had an amulet to ward them off), she stood before the ruins of the Gate. Her stomach churned at the sight of the ruined stone, and a patch of dead earth caught her attention. "That's where Ancoloiga died," she said aloud. Even now, it held no grass. As if Acnologia's blood and magic had destroyed any chance of life ever reappearing there.

She shivered and chose to move on, determined. She began pacing up and down lengths of grass and stone, searching. It took her a good long while to find what she was looking for. When she did, she carefully lowered herself to her knees before it, eyes soft with grief.

It was buried in the ground, scuffed with age and dirt. It was Natsu's last words, weathered by centuries of exposure so that some words and markings had been lost. She reached out and ran her fingers along the complex writing, smiling a little. It was familiar, and the way it was written… Natsu knew she would never understand the entirety of his language, so he'd simplified it. He'd ensured it would be read when she came to look, had ensured it would be so easy that a child who knew the language would understand.

And so, Lucy read the letter, struggling with what had faded.

Lost Star...I'm sorry. I promised you I wouldn't destroy Crocus….know what else to do...no one would help me. I tried to ask….told me to wait. ...final warning and told them...what I was. I can't wait. It hurts...empty. ...turn around, something reminds me of you...don't know where you...even alive. ...said...further in the past.

"Oh, Natsu," she breathed, tears welling as she continued onto the next part of the letter. This half was somehow untouched, as if the Fates had protected it for her.

I will not become Acnologia. This is the future he saw for me. I will destroy the future you tried to build for us to protect a new one. I understand why he did it, and I know I would do the same just for another second with you. So I will wait. I will wait forever if I have to. I'm immortal, and I would rather sleep a thousand years than see them without you. Forgive me.

He signed his letter as the son of the Fire Dragon King, and Lucy could do nothing but weep over what she'd already known she'd find.

AT LONG LAST THE NOTE BEFORE THE GATE! Actually struggled writing it for some reason, but it's HERE. Also, I think the "I would rather sleep a thousand years than see them without you" might be one of my favorite things I've ever written.

ON ANOTHER NOTE I started my job, but intend to keep going as planned. :) Also, my dog turns one tomorrow. ;)

Thanks to reviewers (Meow Orbit, SistershoOk, Kedo, VioletZap, stranger1999, AthomeinFairytail, stranger1999, Sele de la Luna, rao hyuga 18, kkitz, Guest #1, valerioux, 19vanelkc, Guest #2, Jcat007, Guest #3, lcr0718, MagicalReader, LayLay lives, thelemonroll, guest #4, fjsmothie, Kaisha00, Guest #5, Bookwork129, Lodemai04, and itsxoi!) as well as those who favorited and followed!