Chapter Eighteen

"Natsu!"

Natsu turned, his grin widening as his brother and father came around the bend of the river. They were going fishing today. And later his mother would make the best River-Slitherer dinner with their catches.

"What are you doing here Little Spark?" He whipped his head around, looking at his mother. She wasn't supposed to be here. She always stayed home when he and his father and brother went fishing.

"Me? Why you are at the river mom?"

"We aren't at the river silly." She said and he looked around. The river was gone, his father and brother closer now. He looked around.

"Are we in the forgette?"

"Why are you here, Little Spark?" His mother asked again and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Mom! I'm not a hatchling!"

"Mom! He isn't a hatchling!" His brother teased and ruffled his hair and sat down, throwing his arm around Natsu's shoulder. "Look at those fangs. He's at least five grollskiks into his maturity."

"Not my Little Spark." Their mother shook her head.

"I'm seven grollskiks into it thank you." Natsu huffed and his father wrapped an arm around his wife and then his sons.

"Already seven grollskiks into maturity. We've been gone that long." His mother's voice cracked and he looked at her. He felt his tears start up.

"We never went anywhere." His brother argued and snapped his fangs.

"Your all still with me. Here." Natsu punched his chest and his father smiled sadly.

"Then why are you here Little Spark?" His mother asked once again and he looked around. Realizing everything was gray, had been gray. And he felt cold.

"Luce said she'd take off my Scalut and never see me again."

"Who is Luce?" His brother asked and looked at him. His parents shared a look.

"My growlkin. I knew when I first watched her in the flesh, she was mine." He thumped his chest and shook his head. "But she said…"

"Calm down Natsu." His father ordered and he looked up at his parents. "Why did she say that?"

"We were…fighting I guess. And she was upset because I want her to stay with me but to stay safe. Out of danger of the Draconics."

"What exactly was said?" His mother asked and he scrunched up his face.

"But nothing. Either you treat me as an equal or you and I…aren't going to be anything."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Either you treat me like you do Gray and Wendy; or I'll give you back your Scalut and when we get to the Guild Station; we'll part ways. For good."

Natsu recounted the harshest part of the conversation.

"I like her." His mother smiled at him and his mouth fell open.

"Mom! She said she'd…"

"And that's her right. You can't imprision your growlkin if you want to be with her."

"Mom's right. That's not fair. You'd go ballistic if your growlkin tried that to you." His brother said and knocked his head against Natsu's.

Natsu crossed his arms over his chest. He could feel the heat of the forgette starting to creep in.

"Tell us about her son." His father insisted. Natsu smiled. "Come on, don't leave us waiting forever Spark Bomb."

"Dad…"

"Tell us about your growlkin." They all encouraged.

"Luce?" Natsu opened his eyes. Fire met him and he looked around, fear and confusion waging war within him. He tried to move but something was wrapped too tightly around him. He looked down and stared. Lucy was pressed against him, the Scalut on and shielding her from the flames. Flames, he realized, that were slowly burning out.

"N-777 has regained consciousness. Do you have any other orders?"

He felt Lucy shift around him. She pushed up on her elbow, the helmet retracting. Her eyes met his, and once again he felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

"Luce…"

"Natsu!" She cried and buried her face against his shoulder.

"Luce is not an order. Natsu is not an order. Do you have any other orders?" The voice made Natsu looked around.

"Not at the moment. Thank you." Lucy wiped at her face. She turned her head. "Actually…can you notify Laxus he's regained consciousness?"

"Laxus is not a known identifier."

"Notify L-757 that I am awake." Natsu ordered and he heard a hum and then silence. "What was that?"

"Your Magi-Hover's A.I."

"I didn't know I had an A.I." He turned his lips down in confusion. She turned her head back to him and burrowed closer to him. "Luce…"

"I'm sorry."

"You didn't…"

"You went into a mental stasis and Gray had to cool you down and Wendy put you into a healing spell."

Natsu growled. He could only imagine what he'd done. He'd seen a few Dragis go into mental stasis back on Edolas and it had been terrifying. "I'm the one whose sorry. I'm too weak it seems."

"Natsu…it's nothing to do with strength." She shook her head and pushed up to sit, but when he tried to do it; she put her hands on his chest and pushed him back down. "You are an idiot!"

"I know." He didn't even try to defend himself. "But why am I one specifically right now?"

"How could you give me your Scalut and think I'm your growlkin after just a few hours; most of which I was unconscious?" She shook her head and he stared at her. Her hair was slicked against her face and neck from sweating within the Scalut. Yes it had protected her in the flames; but the heat still reached her due to how high it had to have gotten. But the sweat, the teeth impressions on her lip, and the worry etched into the lines between her eyebrows; all confirmed to him what he'd felt that day.

"I just knew."

"Knew what?" She asked and he sat up despite her protests and he caught her hands and brought them to his chest.

"I knew that you were my growlkin."

"Natsu…I was not conscious for long when you gave me the suit."

"I knew before you were unconscious."

"Before? Natsu…before that we were on the roof."

"Yes. And you tried to make that Shadowcrawler regret latching onto you; and you protected me."

"I'd have done the same for Gray if he had saved me."

"And I still would have known you were my growlkin when he would have recounted that."

"Why?"

"Because," He pressed her hands onto his chest with more force until she flattened her palms completely against his skin. His scales shifted around her fingers. Making a frame of sorts around her hands. "I saw myself in your eyes."

"Natsu?"

"Scared, determined, alone." He murmured. "But you also had so much you wanted to live for. I envied that. For the first time since I saw the ruins of Edolas…I wanted to live for more than revenge."

"What's Edolas?"

"My planet." He murmured. "I wish you could have seen it. Before…"

"Edolas, file E7986gro034wl." The A.I.'s voice made them jump as the walls of the room changed. Around them was a forest with a teal sky overhead. Flying fish flocked overhead and the twin suns were sinking as the three moons rose behind Lucy's shoulder. Her mouth dropped open and Natsu stared in confusion.

"What is this?"

"Edola, file E7986gro034wl." The A.I. stated calmly. "Recorded by Council decree during the reign of Ishmelt."

"What's all that mean?" Lucy asked.

"It's a recording from a few growlskiks before the Draconic invasion of Edolas." He said and looked around. "This is the Shhkrowl river. My father, brother and I used to fish here all the time when I was a hatchling."

"Edolas was beautiful." Lucy said and looked around, meaning it honestly.

"It was." Natsu agreed and she looked back at him.

"Natsu." She leaned forward and pulled one hand free and wrapped it around his neck. "I'm so sorry. You lost your world, and I've broken your heart."

"You haven't broken my heart."

"Natsu…Laxus explained the importance of the Scalut to me." He blushed and carefully pulled her arm back down. He put her hand back on his chest. He met her gaze and lifted one hand to wipe at her tears.

"You…I uh…" He growled softly. "Lucy, I know who you are to me."

"I don't believe in growlkin." She whispered and he tilted his head. "Humans want to believe in growlkin but…it's a fantasy. The idea that someone completes you. We're whole so that idea is insane. And people change, how they feel change."

"I'm not human." He said and brushed his thumb over her cheek, smearing her tears into her skin. "And I believe in growlkin. I believe in you."

"Idiot." She cried and he cupped the back of her head and brought it closer to his. He rested his forehead against hers as she cried. Her fingers flexed against his chest. He took a deep breath.

"I understand, why you are unsure. But, I won't change my mind. You are my growlkin. No one else will ever come close. So even…if you don't want to be with me. Keep the Scalut. So I can always know that you are safe."

"Natsu…" Her voice cracked and he pulled away. He grinned at her, but it didn't reach all the way to his eyes. He jumped to his feet.

"Let's go back to the library. I owe everyone an apology." He left the room and Lucy sat there, crying as she watched him walk away.

"You idiot." She wiped at her tears and got to her feet. She looked around. "Edolas…I'm so sorry."

"Here the pyro freak comes." One of the girls whispered and Lucy watched as Natsu flinched and sat down at the furthest table from them. She hesitated a moment before she kept walking. She felt his eyes on her and she made a straight line for the girl in question. The girl tensed and everyone held their breath. Lucy turned to squeeze between her and another girl which made them relax; but then she suddenly stopped and grabbed the girl by her throat. Cana whistled and shook her head.

"He is neither a pyro nor a freak; and if you ever, and I mean ever disrespect him like that again; I'll personally send you to the hospital. Do you understand?"

"I can…'t….bre…"

"Do you…understand?" Lucy asked again. The girl nodded as much as she could and Lucy pushed her away. Her friends caught her.

"You didn't have to do that!" One of her friends yelled at Lucy.

"You can be such a bitch." Another got in Lucy's face and Lucy raised a brow and shifted her foot backwards. The girl's eyes widened but before anything could happen, Erza's arm was around Lucy's head and pulling her away. She looked over her shoulder.

"Either apologize to Natsu or stay quiet and out of sight." Lucy's arms were swinging wildly at her side as Erza led her away from the girls. When she was satisfied with the distance she'd put between them; she stopped and released her friend.

"That was undignified." Lucy huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"We don't need in-fighting." Erza stated calmly and her eyes drifted over to Natsu and back. "He okay?'

"He can hear you." Natsu sighed and nodded. "I'm fine. Just ashamed of my actions."

"Lucy?" Erza looked at her and brown eyes, filled with sorrow, nodded. "Okay, we need to get moving."

"Moving?" Mira asked and looked around. Laxus also had a raised brow and the red head nodded.

"As a safety precaution. The fire ball that was created no doubt was spotted. It was dark and that fire was bright. I think it's best we move out. I don't want to try and defend this place. Too many windows."

"She's right. It's not the best location to defend." Gajeel agreed and looked around. "I think each Magi-Hover can take two or three humans each."

"Won't that be a little cramped?" Lucy asked and Laxus shook his head.

"We can expand them to fit up to a team of ten."

"Really?" She looked at Natsu who grinned. "Me and your A.I. are going to talk and you are going to be quiet."

"There are A.I. programs on the Magi-Hovers?" Levy asked, her eyes widening.

"Yes." Lucy nodded and Laxus looked at her and she shrugged. "Apparently asking if there is a way to have help activated it."

"I see." He shook his head. "Let's break into groups. And I want to talk with Red, Cana and Levy."

"My name is Erza!"