Disclaimer - Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima & all things Pradesh belong to DESNA

A/N - Life has been topsy-turvy recently so I will be updating as inspiration hits. I will try my best not to have lengthy gaps though. Keep up the reviews, they tend to kick my muse into gear when she's been slacking off. :)

"I'm sorry."

She nodded and smiled at him. "It's okay. I just need you to understand that I'm not a damsel in distress needing rescuing." She turned to the boy, "Lucas this is my friend Vander. Vander this is Lucas. I'm helping him learn to control his magic which you already felt. I asked him to put on a suppression bracelet Capricorn supplied so it doesn't affect you."

"Rescued him from the dark guild you went after?"

"Not exactly. He had sort of already taken them out and ran, but he can't be around people for very long. I just happened to run into him and his magic doesn't impact me like it does most." She stated it like it was an everyday event while she went back to her original seat on a log near the fire. She looked over to Lucas who was poking at the bracelet with a look of disgust on his face. She knew he didn't like how it felt and she couldn't blame him. Being cut off from your magic was like losing one of your senses.

"As best as Capricorn and Crux can determine, it seems to be lost magic similar to Meredy's Maguilty Sense magic. It's strong and he's never had any training that he can recall. Meredy's is different though, she has to create an intentional link." Vander nodded, being recently versed in that brand of magic. "His seems more of an area effect. Whatever emotion he's feeling is broadcast and most people just start feeling the same way. The longer they are within distance, the stronger the feeling." That made sense to with how it had felt to him.

"How is it that you are unaffected?" Vander asked, sitting close beside the blonde mage while Lucas glared at him the closer he sat. He smirked a little, he certainly didn't need the kid's magic to know what he was feeling.

Lucy brushed her hand across her keys to silently call Virgo out, while answering. "Oh, hmmm well Capricorn says I'm an empath and that I naturally feel others emotions so I just understand that the emotions are coming from him and not from within. I'm just glad I can stay with him without suppression and help." She winked at Lucas from across the fire as Virgo popped into existence bowing next to her. "Thank you for coming Virgo, it looks like we will have one more for dinner. Can you bring some extra chicken and rice so I can start dinner? Also, did you speak to Aries?"

"Yes, Princess. Aries would be happy to be called upon tonight and she asked if you could also call out Plue."

"Oh, I think that's a wonderful idea! Thank you Virgo." The pink haired spirit bowed again and asked if she was to be punished. "No punishment, no. Thank you very much. As always you take such good care of me. Would you be able to take Lucas for a bath while I cook?" Virgo agreed and smiled as her spirit disappeared in a shower of gold. "Yes a bath Lucas. It's been days. I'm feeling pretty grimy myself so I will take one later too." Vander perked up a bit with the imagery this statement inserted into his brain. She would appear like a water nymph rising up out of the stream, flinging her hair back with the water spray glistening in the moonlight as it flew from her, her breasts-"Oh, I'm sorry Vander, I just assumed you would stay for dinner without asking! You will stay won't you?"

He adjusted his legs slightly as he tried to clear the picture from his mind. "Absolutely. Actually, I was thinking I could stay for a while and help." Lucy had gotten up to go raise up the zipper on her tent. She was fully bent over to reach the bottom and the view. Oh the view. He cleared his throat. "I won't say that I understand the kid's magic well, but I do know a lot about controlling emotions and thoughts."

Lucy, still bent over all the way, looked at him over her shoulder and asked why he had to do that. She realized she didn't really know a lot about the shadowmage's past and he realized she had no idea her skirt was so short and she was wearing a thong. He adjusted himself again slightly and wondered if was doomed to have a semi-permanent hardon for however long he just signed himself up for. If it got bad, he supposed he could jump to a nearby town and find some release. He looked over at the kid that was just scowling at him. He was old enough to know what Vander was looking at, but not quite old enough to understand why.

"My magic controls the shadows and the void demons within. My birth family all died as a result of my lack of control when I was little. I'm sure it was probably similar for you kid, with how strong your magic is. You remember any of it?" Lucas shook his head. "That's okay. I was lucky to get adopted by Dad who was an expert at dealing with rare and off the chart magic in little kids by the time I came around. I take it you weren't so lucky until you found our little starlight?"

Lucas's eyes widened, this man wasn't afraid of his magic and seemed to have an understanding of what it had been like.

Vander could practically see the wheels turning and he ignored the tempting sight of Lucy fighting a stuck zipper to walk over to the young mage. "Do you see her as a sister or mother?" he asked in a low voice.

Still wide-eyed, Lucas stammered out, "S-s-sister, I think. How… how did you know?"

"I can see how you look at her and I felt how you wanted to protect her and keep her to yourself. Now, I'm going to be honest with you kid. She gives pieces of herself to everyone. You will never have her all to yourself. But that is the same reason she is giving to you now." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I get it though. That's why I'm here now. Just wait until Natsu and Gray find out she's off in the woods with us! Half the damn guild will show up just to make sure she's okay."

"You can really help me?"

"I think so. It took a lot for me to get where I am now, but with hard work you can get there too. Who knows, maybe you can even learn to control what emotion is being broadcast and it wouldn't have to be what you are feeling… Wouldn't that be useful? But let's just get it under control first. Baby steps." Vander watched as the suppression bracelet glowed a little as it fought to keep his magic down.

Lucas's eyes glistened a little with unshed tears. He had never known where he was from or who his family was. Maybe it was like what Vander had gone though and he destroyed them unintentionally. Suddenly he was scared of losing what he had just gained. "You… you don't think she will leave when I'm fixed because I hurt people before?"

Vander snorted, "If you knew half of the people she calls friends. Let's just say one of them tried to turn her into a clock in some destroy the world plot and she adores him. He also specializes in poisoning people so you've got nothing to worry about kid. When Lucy picks you up on her radar, you are hers whether you like it or not."