Hello my dearest readers, welcome to the final, Official chapter of 'The Star Queen'.
Don't panic and spam me with "YOU DIDN'T FINISH IT!" reviews now, there will be an Epilogue.
This story had been near and dear to my heart, I have led you through an emotional wringer and quite possibly scarred some of you for life, and while that fills me with pride, I must admit I'm sorry to see this story go. Maybe I'll do a sequel... Who knows?
As Always: I own nothing but a few minor OC's and the story. Thank you Hiro Mashima for giving me an excellent anime to work with.
I hope this 'Final' chapter brings you some hope for how the Epilogue will go, I have a few ideas in mind and one that is well on its way to becoming a certainty.
Happy Thanksgiving my loves.
Yours Always,
BlackRose999
The Star Queen
Chapter Twenty-Four: Time for Goodbyes?
In the Celestial World - Two Weeks Later
Lucy stared into the twin cribs in front of her, both empty at the moment. Her son lay in Natsu's arms as they dozed in the very comfy loveseat in the nursery, while Lucy quietly rocked a bottle-drinking Layla in her rocking chair. She smiled at the dark chocolate eyes, perfectly copied from Lucy with Natsu's hair. Igneel was the opposite of Layla, he bore Natsu's piercing dark eyes and Lucy's fair hair. He'd be a heartbreaker no doubt, just like Layla would be when she came into young years.
A hiccup in Natsu's snoring dragged her back to reality, and she noticed Igneel beginning to stir due to the sudden lapse of Natsu's snoring, she watched intently until he quieted again and fell back asleep on his father's chest. When she was sure they were fine, she turned her attention back to Layla, eyeing her chest and listening to the faint lingering wheeze of her breathing. Igneel had recovered faster than Layla, the Bronchiolitis the children had contracted was deadly for them at first, and for the first week, Natsu and Lucy had slept and eaten in the infirmary with their children.
Igneel had recovered remarkably fast with the help of Moncernos's care, but it seemed his sister would require more aid before she could surpass the illness ravaging her lungs. Lucy worried, but she didn't fear for her life anymore. She was a fighter this one, and Lucy had no doubts she'd pull through. A knock at the door pulled her attention, and she felt Natsu wake carefully through the slowly-strengthening bond. "Enter." She called softly.
To her surprise, Aquarius opened the door. "Hey brat, how are they doing?" Lucy smiled and looked at her daughter lovingly, then glanced at Natsu's equally adoring look toward Igneel's sleeping face. "They're doing very well… Layla is still a bit sick, but Igneel is healthy again." Aquarius smiled and moved over toward her, taking a seat beside Lucy on a small cushioned rollable stool. "Good. Then we can begin."
"Begin what?" Lucy asked quietly, her arms ever so slightly tightening around her daughter. She'd only just gotten to see, hold, and smell her children. If Aquarius meant to take that away from her she'd meet a very unhappy Dragon Mother…
"The process to return you all to Earthland." Natsu and Lucy stared at her, shock filling her face, and finding hope blooming in her chest. "W-we're… Going home?" Aquarius smiled and nodded, watching tears drip down their faces and their hands clasped tightly together.
"Home Natsu… We're going home." They laughed, his forehead pressed against hers as they both cried softly. Aquarius sighed, now for the bad news.
"There's one problem though," Lucy and Natsu turned to look at her, wary gazes locked on her apologetic one. "Lucy's body in Earthland is technically dead, right? No heartbeat?" Natsu nodded. "I suspected as much… In order for her to return, I must send you and the others back first. Her body must be returned to the living so her soul has a place to return to. Otherwise, Lucy will die for real."
Lucy looked at her children, then her husband's eyes. They needed her, Natsu needed her, her children needed her. She owed it to them to try as hard, and harder still, to return to Earthland living and whole. With a steady voice that shocked her, she asked quietly "When can we leave?" Aquarius smiled, and as she began to speak Leo cut in from the doorway of the nursery.
"When Layla's lungs have cleared completely. Igneel is strong enough to go now, but we don't want to separate the twins and risk shattering their bond," At the astonished look on their faces, Leo grinned and gestured toward the sleeping infants. "What? You don't think being born of a Dragon's Mark would leave them normal?" He stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Layla's pink tufts of hair. "Being born of a Mark lets children, especially twins who were conceived and shared the same womb develop gifts. Usually mental ones, but it depends on the conditions of their growth, the magic power of the mother, and abilities of both parents."
"The biggest record we have of the offspring of a Dragon's Mark gaining incredible gifts was Allura Artair, the daughter of a very powerful Thunder Dragon Slayer named Artemisa, and her equally skilled water-wielding husband Rorick… She had impressive Light Magic. She could gather the light around her and use it against those intending to harm her loved ones." Leo looked sad for a moment, and at Natsu's questioning gaze, Aquarius finished the tale.
"She killed herself after her parents were murdered. Do you know the Dead Forest, the one they say is spooky because of the eternally-dead trees?" He nodded. "She did that. She pulled every ounce of magic she had, every spec of light around her, and lit the forest on fire so hot it permanently scarred the earth. She killed the mages who'd stolen her father's Marked skin as proof of their deeds, and happily ended herself too rather than live without her family."
Lucy and Natsu looked horrified. "Why?... Why would she do that to herself?"
"That's the fate of most children of Mated Dragons. Family is everything. In Allura's case, being an only child made her incapable of handling her family's death properly. For other cases where the pair has many or at least two children to share their pain, the fallout is minimal. That's why most pairs have larger families than other mages." Leo explained as he touched Layla's cheek, a soft smile on his face. "For this family, however, we see a bright future, a future of greatness."
Lucy smiled and caressed the soft cheek of her daughter, and with the hand of Natsu on her leg, she let peace fill her once more.
"Oh, and one more thing. Your Herald's were gifted with powers from the planets right?" "Yes?" He grinned and turned toward them, "You get to keep those powers. Which means that two of you just acquired Caster Type magic."
The Celestial World - One Week Later
Lucy stared at the Celestial Throne as she waited for her friends to ready themselves, in the arms of Natsu lay their daughter, fast asleep. In the arms of Levy (and guarded by the ever-vigilant Gajeel), lay her son who curiously looked around and flailed happily. A ghost of a smile appeared on her face, he'd be a handful that one. Little Layla seemed to be the calmer, gentler one. But who knows, hellion children appeared overnight for most parents.
"It's time guys. Lucy will be sent to Earthland in ten minutes, you should have enough time to get to her and restart her heart. It's been roughly four months since the lot of you went missing in Earthland and about four days for the twins. The Slayers, especially Natsu, should be fine." Leo turned toward Natsu. "You will be in pain when you go back, time will catch up as the flux releases you from its hold, that's four months of pain you've been spared from. Four months of pain you'll be forced to endure as your body remembers the pain of her loss." He put a hand on Natsu's shoulder as he grimaced. "It'll be over soon. Once she comes back and the Mark remembers her soul, the pain and that damned internal clock will stop."
Lucy strode forward, clad in a white strapless gown with a pale pink ombre hem, and kissed him gently. "Be back before you know it my love…" She whispered in his ear, kissing him one last time.
With a deep breath, the gate opened and the group stepped through one at a time. When it was his turn, Natsu stopped and turned back to look at her, as if he was afraid that this would be the last time he saw her. She smiled at him, sending her love and reassurance through the Mark they now could use to its full potential.
With that, he took a deep breath and stepped through.
In Earthland
Natsu stepped through the portal and into a crowded guildhall. Their Nakama gathered around and weeping tears of joy, the group was met with gasps of "Where have you been!?" "Are the babies ok!?" before Makarov finally silenced them. "QUIET!" The guild fell silent immediately. "Brats. Where in Earthland have you been for four months?" Erza spoke up, "Master, we will gladly explain where we've been for so long. But before that, we need to go downstairs and help an old friend come home."
The entire guildhall felt their hearts swell with hope, and Makarov tentatively asked "Lucy?... S-She died… How could she come home?" Natsu smiled and handed Igneel to the waiting arms of Mira, and said proudly "We'll show you, and then all of us will explain the adventure we just went through." He turned and led the way toward the Chamber that held the entombed body of Lucy Dragneel, Makarov let it come down and open before them, and Natsu beckoned Levy and Wendy forward.
"We need to heal her and restart her heart as fast as possible, which means Levy you'll have to channel your electricity to restart her heart and Wendy needs to heal any rot and decomposition so she doesn't go into shock… Are you ready?" Both women nodded and got to work, Wendy searched for necrosis and any other ailments that would prevent reanimation, and Levy began channeling small bursts of electricity to mimic a heartbeat so the blood would start moving again.
They did this for several minutes before Wendy suddenly shouted "Miss Levy you must stop now! Her heart's beating!"
They waited for a moment before they saw a crystallized opalescent feather appear and melt into Lucy's chest, and suddenly her chest heaved and her eyes flew open. Natsu threw a blanket over her body and held her close, breathing in the stale smell of vanilla and the feeling of her warming skin on his. He kissed her forehead and stepped back, before dropping to the ground and screaming as the pain of Earthland's time caught up to him.
The other Dragon Slayers stepped forward and encircled him to protect both him and the others from his thrashing. A minute or two passed by before he felt her. He felt the Mark reignite and her concern and fear wash over him.
And suddenly he was laughing through the agony.
"I feel you… I feel you!"