A/N: Thanks to everyone for the kind reviews, and follows and favorites and such. I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Today's a busy day, with all my peers graduating university (I'm taking an extra year), so I'm holding down the fort at the apartment while my roommates come and go. Nobody needs my assistance at the moment, and the business means nobody else is hogging the wifi, so I'm posting another chapter!

A lot of dialogue again today, because I apparently love writing mundane dialogue. I actually base my plot around it, kind of. That's why I write out of order; I write scenes, then connect the dots with plot haha. Shh it's fine. I am enjoying myself. That's what matters.


By the time they gathered the whole team, Natsu had a black eye from Erza, a broken lip from Gray, and a sore shin thanks to Levy.

"You're an idiot," Erza said for probably the hundredth time.

"I said we should leave today," Natsu grumbled, kicking a pebble in their path.

"You could've laid low until the rest of us were ready to leave instead of running around like a chicken with your head cut off."

"Being cooped up in the house is so boring," Natsu complained. "Right, Lucy?"

Lucy hesitated. "I mean, I don't really mind…"

"You're no help." He kicked another rock.

"Well, you got to leave Magnolia earlier," Levy said. "Are you satisfied?"

"Yeah," Natsu said. "You didn't have to kick me though."

"But I did. Because you're an idiot."

Natsu pouted and kicked yet another rock. He aimed for Gray's head but missed without Gray even noticing. Well, he'd have plenty of time to start a fight before they reached the north. It was about a week's journey to their destination.

The land surrounding Magnolia was suburban and tree-spotted, random cottages perched on top of hills and dug into hillsides. There were a few patches of woods, like the one his and Happy's house was located in, but mostly it was just open expanses of green. A fresh breeze rolled across the grasses, carrying with it the faint scent of lavender.

The girls chattered about books as they walked. Well, it was mostly just Levy and Lucy talking about their favorite literature, Levy updating Lucy on new books that had come out in the past couple years since apparently Lucy hadn't gotten to read much during her travels. Wendy contributed to the discussion a little, but it turned out Erza didn't know anything that wasn't a battle tactics text.

Not that Natsu could judge her much for it. However many books Erza had read, that was how many more she'd read than Natsu. It's not that he hated reading; he just couldn't get into it.

When the sun started to set, they camped out underneath a small stand of conifers. Happy gathered firewood and Natsu started the fire, bringing it up to the perfect height for cooking.

"I got dinner," Erza said, throwing a large boar down on the ground. She wiped her brow. "Hard to find wildlife around here. Too many homes and farms."

"I'll cut it up," Gray said. "Levy, you take care of the spices."

"Right."

"Natsu, make yourself useful."

"I made the fire," he said, pointing.

"And now you're done, so do something else. Help Wendy, Lucy, and Charle with the tents."

"Don't boss me around, Ice Breath."

"If you don't do it, I'll make you, Chili Paste."

"Stripper."

"Charcoal-for-Brains."

"Ice Prince."

"Asshole."

"Will you two cut it out?" Levy said, exasperated. "Natsu, go set up camp if you're not going to help cook. Where'd Happy go?"

"Getting more firewood," Natsu said.

"See? Even he's helping."

"Fine," Natsu grumbled, ambling over to the tents. The bottom tarps were staked into the ground, but Lucy and Wendy were struggling to get them propped up properly. Charle was sorting the poles by length.

"Good, Natsu's here," Wendy said. "Here, Natsu, help Lucy with the poles. I'm too short for this."

"Then what will you do?"

"Hand you the poles you need. Help Charle sort them."

Natsu took over for Wendy until the tents started to look like real shelters.

"Good," Erza said, coming over to inspect their work. "This will keep us safe from falling needles and sap."

"I call the big one!" Natsu said, throwing his pack and sleeping mat into the largest of the tents.

"You'll still have to share," Erza said. "There are only four tents, but there are six humans."

"Yeah, but it's bigger."

"You do realize whom you'll have to share with, right?"

"Lucy," Natsu said easily.

"No. Lucy's a woman, and I imagine she'll be more comfortable sharing a tent with a fellow woman. The boys will have to share."

Natsu looked over and met Gray's eyes. They were both thinking the same thing: "No."

"Okay, then how about this? Lucy can share with Levy," Erza said, retrieving Natsu's things from the largest tent and moving them into a small one. "You and Gray get the individual tents. That should keep you two from fighting. Wendy and I will share the other big tent. Is everyone happy with these arrangements?"

Natsu was about to dissent, still wanting to stay in a bigger tent, but Lucy was satisfied and soon they were all in agreement except for him. Sighing, he looked at the tiny individual tent he'd be stuck in. That thing was so small it wasn't even worth using. So what if he got sticky sap on him in the morning? At least he'd have enough room to roll over.

"Wait," Natsu said, "what about Happy? Where will he sleep? There isn't enough room in the small tent."

"He can stay in one of the girls' tents," Erza said.

"But he's a boy. You said boys can't share with girls."

"I said Lucy would be more comfortable with a girl, and she agreed. Besides, Happy's an exceed. He doesn't count."

Natsu scowled. Looked like he wasn't going to win this one. He'd just be stuck in the tiny tent for this job. He wasn't happy about it, but there wasn't much he could do when everyone else agreed with Erza.

Conversation was loud over dinner, all of them talking and shouting over the huge roast boar. Then as the firelight dimmed, they all went into their tents to sleep.

Only Natsu stayed outside, sitting by the fire and watching the embers burn. Fire never ceased to fascinate him. It appeared seemingly from nowhere, as if it were floating around the wood it burned, just glowing bits of energy dissipating into the night.

He heard a rustle and looked up to see Lucy leaving the tent she shared with Levy. She paused when she saw him awake, but ventured over and sat down next to him.

"Can't sleep?" she said.

"Don't wanna," Natsu said. "The tiny tents are uncomfortable."

"Sorry about that," Lucy said. "I can talk to Erza about it if it really bothers you."

"Nah. You should sleep with Levy. Girls bein' friends, and all that."

"Next time we'll camp in a field so you don't have to worry about pinecones and things falling on you in the night. Then the tents won't be necessary."

"Yeah. That'd be nice."

A cricket nearby began to chirp loudly, distracting them for a moment before the sound faded away.

"You're getting along with everyone already," Natsu said, throwing a dry stick into the fire.

Lucy smiled faintly, watching the burst of sparks as the flames licked their new prey. "Yeah. Everyone's nice, so it's easy."

"Why did you work alone all this time?" he asked. "With us you're pretty social—" and a bit flashy, but he'd never say that out loud "—so it must've been lonely all by yourself. Or are you just bad at teamwork or something?"

"I rely on teamwork all the time with my spirits," Lucy pointed out, hand subconsciously moving to her keys.

"Oh. Yeah."

"I guess it's mostly because of who I am. If I had comrades, they would be hunted down, too. And I don't want anyone else to be in danger because of me; the whole reason I do what I do is to protect people, so it would make no sense."

"Then why are you with us now?" he couldn't help but ask.

She frowned, shoulders sinking. "I have a bad feeling about all this," she said in a low voice. "That meeting we saw a few days ago, what Makarov told us…something's not right in the world. I won't be able to solve this alone." She turned to Natsu, amusement in her eyes. "Not that you'd let me if I tried. You were the one who followed me onto the roof of that mansion in the first place."

Natsu grinned. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that."

"I've worked alone until now, with no one other than my spirits, and it was my choice to do so. But to continue that way of thinking even now would be naïve. I've seen your strength; you and your friends are a valuable asset."

"More like you're a valuable asset to us," Natsu said. "We're Fairy Tail; you're the tagalong."

"You've got a point," Lucy said, laughing.

"Well, you know why I'm up. What about you?"

She smiled at him. "Can't sleep."

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. This just happens sometimes."

"Did you call out Plue?"

Lucy nodded. "He's still in the tent; he fell asleep before I did." She picked up a stick and poked at the fire. Sparks danced in response.

As she watched the flames rise into the night air, he watched the warm light flicker across her face. The fire was reflected in her eyes, turning the warm brown into a gold that glowed like embers. Why couldn't he stop looking at her?

"What?" She noticed him staring. Again.

"Nothing," he said. "You look tired. Go to sleep."

"I just want to watch the fire for a little while," she said. "It's pretty."

Natsu turned to the campfire in front of them. "Yeah," he said. "Fire is always beautiful."


It took them several more days until they reached the northern forest, which meant several more days of the same sleeping arrangements. Somehow, Natsu and Lucy's post-bedtime conversations by the campfire became a tradition for just the two of them, the only exception being once when Wendy joined them to make a trio of insomniacs. During the day, Lucy smiled and laughed with the Fairy Tail girls. At night, her smiles sobered and became gentle as she talked to Natsu.

And somewhere along the line, Natsu decided that he trusted her.

He really wasn't sure where that feeling came from; it just appeared one day when they were sitting together in the darkness, watching the fire. He realized that he felt comfortable and safe around her, the same way he did with Happy. It had only been a week, but he already considered her a friend and an ally.

Damn. He had it bad, didn't he? Even Wendy and Erza seemed to notice the way he gravitated toward her, the way he smiled even more than usual whenever they bantered with each other.

They really did have a good rapport, and Natsu only hoped their teamwork in battles was as good as their conversation, because how awesome would it be to have the great Celestial Spirit as a partner? She was one of the strongest and most famous mages still publicly active. He couldn't wait to see her in action.

That day would come soon, it seemed, because they hadn't been in the northern forest for two days when they encountered their target.

A woman with a feathered dress and long white hair stood at the edge of a stream, her sharp eyes waiting for the group. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

Gray smiled and stepped forward, hands coming together in the pose he used to initiate his magic. "Looking for you, actually. You're one of Oración Seis, aren't you?"

"Yes," the woman said, subtly moving her body into a fighting stance of her own. "What is it you want with us?"

"Wait," Lucy interrupted, stepping forward. "I'll take care of Angel."

Natsu and the others responded with collective confusion, especially when this "Angel" person took a step backward in shock.

"The Celestial Spirit," she breathed, awestruck. Then her eyes narrowed into an even harsher gaze than before. "Good. Now I can avenge my humiliation at your hands all those years ago. You took my spirits." Natsu was startled to hear that there were celestial mages other than Lucy. But Lucy was obviously the superior mage, if she had beaten Angel in the past. No matter what magic Angel used now, she was a fool for challenging the Celestial Spirit a second time.

Lucy was unperturbed. "Are you so eager to be defeated by the very spirits you tortured and abused? I'm sure they desire revenge even more than you do."

"Then I'll just have to take them back and make them pay for their betrayal."

"I'd like to see you try."

"I've learned new magic. You, who can only summon spirits, could never compete with someone on my level."

"Try me."

The two women sprang forward, arms sweeping outward to activate their magic. The battle against Oración Seis had begun.


A/N: Thanks for reading!