Yes, the title is a rip off of "A New Hope." No, I won't apologize. I've been sucked into Star Wars since June, and it's a slipperly slope. It truly has consumed my life. But I hope y'all enjoy!
Another thing that has consumed my life which I dedicate this chapter to? Midnights by Taylor Swift. Such a fantastic album. Everyone go listen to it. Anyway.
Makarov wiped his eyes, unsuccessful at hiding the mess his face had become. It was one thing to say goodbye and leave Magnolia, a third of the guild on the train with him. It was quite another to be sitting here in a new house, his belongings spread haphazardly around as the brats he called family did their best to unpack.
Leaving that small house in Magnolia… that had been hard. His parents had lived there, all those many years ago. The memories of his father were foggy, nothing more than bright hair and a fierce smile. Nearly a century of time would reduce any picture to a mere echo.
While he had been raised mostly by Warrod and Precht, both desperately trying to do right by their dead friend, the two men were not very well prepared to care for the toddler Yuri had left. He'd spent most of his time at the guild, but that small house had still been his at the end of the day. And it had been his when his family had grown.
That house held the last traces of his parents, gone for almost his entire life, along with the few good memories of his son.
But it was gone now. And he was here, three hours from Magnolia in a new house that he feared would never be home.
"Gramps?" Natsu crouched down next to Makarov's chair, forearms resting against his thighs as he leaned forward. His scarf clung to his neck with sweat, the sides of his vest hanging open and displaying his bare chest. "You doing all right?"
"Just fine, my boy." Makarov sighed, reaching out to pat the Dragon Slayer on the shoulder. "Reminiscing, I suppose."
"Ah. I getcha. Luce says I do that too much."
Makarov hummed. He watched Natsu from the corner of his eyes. "You've grown a lot, Natsu. You're not the same boy who joined the guild all those years ago."
"I had to," was his answer. "None of us had families, not in, like, the normal sense. These kids deserve that."
"That they do." The old man observed him for a moment longer. "That's not the only thing, though. The war changed you."
"It changed us all."
"No need to get defensive. I won't pry. It doesn't matter much, you're still a pain in my ass."
Natsu grinned, eyes closing as his head tilted to the side. Makarov knew he was hiding from his gaze. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Gramps."
Makarov shook his head, grumbling even as he pat Natsu's shoulder a final time. "You're Laxus's headache now."
"More like mine." Lucy appeared, draping herself across Natsu's back.
"Aw, Luce, don't say that." He rose to his feet, dragging her up with him as she laughed. Her legs twined around his waist, chin resting on his shoulder, and his hands supported her thighs. "I'm not that much of a problem."
"Nah," she agreed. "You just like to stir things up."
"It gets boring if I don't!"
She laughed again, laying her cheek against his shoulder so she faced Makarov. "Levy and I are gonna head down to the village soon to get groceries, so if you could write up a list?"
The Third guild master nodded, soft smile deepening the lines in his face. "Of course, my dear. It'll be good to have something to do."
"Yeah." Lucy sighed. "Erza kicked us out of helping too. Apparently, I get 'too distracted' looking through all your old memories, and Natsu turns everything into a game."
"She made a fine Seventh Master."
"And you were an amazing Third Master. And Sixth. And Eighth."
Makarov groaned. "Why I was convinced three separate times to take that mantle, I'll never know."
"It's cause you love us, Gramps."
"That's one word for it."
Natsu smirked, hiking Lucy up further. "Think Laxus will break your record?"
"Hopefully, there won't be any more world-ending events that necessitate Laxus giving up the mantle multiple times over."
"Maybe not world-ending. We might drive him insane, though," Natsu contemplated. "'Specially with the kids."
"The day Liddian and Gideon both learn magic is the day the guildhall burns down."
Makarov chuckled in acknowledgement. "Perhaps it's best I'm so far away. This way, I'll actually be able to have more than a few hours of peace."
"Just you wait," Lucy warned, "Xavier's gonna be calling you after every job."
"You heard the story too?"
"How could I not?" She shook her head with a grin. "It's all he would talk about. I had to have heard that story at least four times, and I was only home for a few days. I can't imagine how Mira and Laxus are feeling now." She got down from Natsu's back, corded arms sliding beneath her palms. He flexed as her touch descended just to make her laugh. "All right, Master, I'll find some paper for you."
Lucy dragged Natsu off with her, the Dragon Slayer following without a complaint. Makarov shook his head. Even ten years later, the utter devotion Natsu expressed whenever Lucy was around was truly a sight to behold. He would burn the world down for a smile.
"Master Makarov!" The old man used the wheels on his chair to turn, facing the doorway instead of the window. Erza strode into the room, skin streaked with sweat and grime. Her white tank top and blue sweatpants were not much better.
"Now where did you get so dirty?" He frowned. "Surely, this house isn't that much of a disaster."
"Oh, never you fear, Master." She sounded smug. That worried him more than anything. "The fireplace was in need of a cleaning. It wouldn't do for your new house to go up in flames simply because of buildup in the chimney."
"I… appreciate the gesture, Erza." She beamed at the response, hands clasped behind her back. "Is there anything I can do? This is my house, after all."
"We have a handle on it, Master," Freed said, slipping into the room after Erza. He was not quite as disheveled as the scarlet knight, but he had obviously been working hard. "We do not do this because we think you can't help," he hurried to tack on. "But you've been the head of our guild for so long, done so much for us. This is just our way of giving back."
Erza nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, precisely."
Makarov sighed, leaning back in his chair and stroking his beard. "I suppose there are things better suited to the youth, eh? Fine, I'll let you wear yourselves out. Maybe you'll actually sleep tonight instead of driving me insane."
"With Cana, Gray, Natsu, and the other hot-headed members of our guild here? Not a chance, Master." Freed let a small smile break across his face, his features softening with the simple expression.
"They were bad enough on the train," Makarov grumbled. He sighed once more; nothing else but a sigh was able to convey the mixture of exhaustion and love he held for his guild. "All right, Erza. Why don't you show me what you've done so far with the place?" And he let the young woman lead him deeper into the house, voices filling the hallways with exuberance.
XXX
"Oo, Lu, look!"
Levy grabbed Lucy's hand, pulling her through the street toward the brick building dwarfed by the others on the road. Lucy laughed, wrapping her free hand around Levy's forearm and letting her friend guide the way.
"I'm pretty sure the grocer's the other way, Lev." Gajeel crossed his arms, reluctantly following along behind his wife and her best friend.
"Oh, it can wait."
"Yeah, sure, I'll just tell that to the old man when he asks why he doesn't have any food." Levy glanced back over her shoulder, sticking her tongue out at her husband. "Wow, real mature."
"You're no better than she is," Natsu said, reluctantly dragging his attention from the nearby food stand. His stomach growled loudly, betraying his interest. Happy snickered, hovering in the space between Lucy and Natsu.
The blonde smiled. "We won't take long, promise. Then we can grab some snacks for us and get whatever the Master wanted."
Natsu snorted as he adjusted his scarf. "Luce, the day you and Levy spend less than an hour in a bookstore is the day the world ends."
"What can I say?" Levy grinned, reaching back to tighten her headband. "We're predictable."
"And we know what we like." With that, Lucy grabbed the door handles and pushed her way into the building. She took a deep breath as she crossed the threshold, the familiar smell of ink on paper reminding her all at once of both her family's library and Natsu.
As the years passed, he smelled less like paper and more like smoke, the final remaining traces of Zeref's writing finally fading away, leaving nothing but Natsu behind. She knew he didn't notice, probably never had. But Gajeel had commented on it several years ago with his… usual grace.
"Why the hell has yer scent changed?"
"What the fu-, er, what in the world are you talking about?" Natsu furrowed his brow, real confusion adding depth to the expression. "I smell the same as always!"
"No, you smell different than when I first met ya."
"That's called growing up, asshole! 'Sides, we met when we were like five, I doubt you remember that, screws for brains!"
"Yer misunderstanding me on purpose, you freaking pyromaniac!" And just like that, the two Dragon Slayers were in each other's faces, eyes blazing and fists ready.
"Oh, calm down," Lucy said. Natsu might not understand what Gajeel was talking about, but she certainly did. Time to push the conversation in a completely different direction; the less questions related to Natsu's past, the better for everyone. "Gajeel, people change. I doubt I smell the same. Natsu, no need to get so defensive. He was just asking a question."
"He didn't have to be so dumb about it," the pink-haired man grumbled, pout matching Nashi's when she didn't get what she wanted.
"It's a weird change." Gajeel crossed his arms, looking away and reminding Lucy very much of the grumpy toddler she had at home.
If she was honest with herself (something she was struggling to be better at), she missed the traces of ink and parchment that had lingered to him for years. She liked having that connection to him, the reminder of all she had done to save his life, the knowledge that she was one of three living people to know him so completely. It was so, so selfish of her. Even just the thought of it made the sharp pain of guilt twinge in her gut.
"You good?" Natsu draped an arm over her shoulders, watching the side of her face with a furrowed brow.
She nodded, affirming sound pulled from her throat as she pushed a smile to her face. It came out sadder than she wanted, however, and he latched onto that immediately. He tugged her closer, stepping off to the side to let Levy and Gajeel in the door behind them.
Lucy pressed her face against his neck, taking another deep breath and losing herself in the smell of him. "I just," she paused. Then she sighed. "I just really love you."
"Love you too, Luce." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "But you're sure you're good?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good now." She smiled up at him, bumping her hip against his thigh. "I'll be better if you carry my books for me."
Natsu groaned even as Levy giggled from behind them. "Don't say yes," she warned. "We can pick out a lot."
"Don't I know it," Natsu grumbled, pushing Lucy away even as she beamed up at him, heavy thoughts flying away like her children when there were chores to be done.
"Lucy!" Levy squealed, grabbing her friend's arm again and pulling her into the stacks. "Look, I've been waiting for this one to come out!"
Natsu and Gajeel exchanged a look, the look of long-suffering husbands waiting by, too infatuated with their wives to complain.
From fantasy to history, romance to murder mysteries, Levy and Lucy wandered through the entire building, giggling and whispering the entire time. Several times, they broke out into heated debates, heads nearly banging as they leaned over tables and perfect rows of new books.
Lucy picked up a sleek black book, smoothing her hand over the cover even as she took in the simple design plastered across the front.
"Um, excuse me?"
She nearly dropped the book. Lucy turned, eyes widened in surprise as she tried to find the source of the timid voice. There, nearly two feet behind her, a teenage girl stood, hands fumbling with the hem of her skirt. She looked at Lucy through a sheet of white hair. "Sorry, uh, but are you Lucy Heartfilia?"
Lucy blinked. "Um, yeah. Yes, I'm Lucy."
"Oh, wow." The change in the teen's demeanor was nearly immediate. Her shoulders collapsed, eyes brightening and teeth digging into her bottom lip. "I'm sorry, I'm just such a huge fan."
Natsu tried to cover up a snort. Gajeel didn't even bother. Lucy blinked again. She turned to look at Natsu, at Gajeel, Levy, and then back at the girl. This girl was fawning over her when two Dragon Slayers, two of the most powerful people in their guild, were standing right behind her?
"I mean," the girl continued on, "I must have read your book at least ten times by now. It has to be one of my favorites. Really, Iris is, like, one of the coolest protagonists ever."
The white-haired girl kept rambling, words spilling out of her mouth at a record pace. Lucy still stared, unable to comprehend what was going on right now.
"Would you like Lu to sign a book for you?" Levy stepped in, smug smile on her face.
"Oh my god, would you? My friends are gonna flip when I tell them. I'm sorry, I just can't stop, I'm so excited. It's really you!"
"Uh, well, thank you," Lucy stammered out, taking the book the young girl handed her. Levy dug around in her bag, finding a pen at the very bottom. The blue-haired woman was still grinning, watching as Lucy scrawled her signature across the title page. "Sorry, this has just never happened before."
"Really? I'm surprised, a lot of people around here have read your book, and I'm sure all across the country too!"
"Yes, well," Lucy shifted, handing the book back to the girl with a rueful smile, "most people see the wizard before the author."
"Can't they see both?"
And with that, and another excited smile, the girl disappeared, giving the four wizards space. Lucy appreciated it. She still really had no idea what had just happened.
Natsu and Gajeel exchanged a look. Gajeel looked away with a smirk. Natsu just burst out laughing. "Luce, you should see your face!"
Lucy crossed her arms, pouting at her friends. "I don't see what you're laughing at."
"Oh, Lu, I thought it was sweet." Levy's grin somehow grew. "But, I gotta agree with the boys. This is the most bewildered I have ever seen you."
"You look even more confused than that one time Marigold gave you half a used napkin out of nowhere."
"That was odd," Lucy agreed, vision blurring as her thoughts unfocused from the present. "But this…" She shrugged, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. "I dunno. I wrote that book to be shared, and yet, sometimes I forget that hundreds of people have read the words I wrote, the characters I created, the world I built. Sometimes, I think Iris and her story are still all just in my head."
Natsu slung his arm over her shoulders. "Well, aren't all stories just in our heads?"
Lucy snorted, pushing herself closer into the circle of her husband's arms. "That might just be the wisest thing you've ever said."
"I doubt he'll ever do it again," Gajeel said with a sneer. Natsu made a face right back at him, choosing to hold Lucy tighter instead of throwing a punch at the asshole he reluctantly considered a friend.
Levy shook her head at the antics of her family. "All right, as fun as this has been, we should probably get the shopping done. We've wasted enough time as is."
"Yer the one who dragged us out here!"
Levy and Gajeel lead the way from the bookstore, bickering as they always did.0. Natsu and Lucy followed, the blonde still under Natsu's arm, as the four wizards finally started what they had set out to do nearly two hours prior.
Honestly, Natsu was surprised they hadn't lost more time in the bookstore.
The Fairy Tail wizards wandered through the mountain town, a general idea of where they were meant to go and yet, at the same time, absolutely no idea of where they were going. Levy and Gajeel keep up the banter, honed after nearly fifteen years of marriage, friendship, and everything in between.
Lucy was content to remain at Natsu's side, taking comfort in his presence in a way she rarely allowed herself to. She missed her children, she really did. But there was something refreshing about not having to worry about keeping an eye on them as she explored a new place.
Natsu was complaining, free hand pressed to his stomach as it gurgled and groaned and drew all of their attention. Gajeel made fun, but Lucy was certain he was just as hungry. She was starting to feel lightheaded herself.
Levy had her hands on her hips, glaring up at the pink-haired Dragon Slayer. "I get you're hungry, Natsu, but if you could make up your mind about what you wanted to eat instead of just complaining?"
"I dunno, I'm just hungry," he whined. "I don't care where we eat, you pick something."
"I guarantee that whatever I pick, you'll find something wrong with it."
"I'm too hungry to care, Lev!"
"I've put up with your antics for two decades now, Natsu Dragneel, and I know you've never been too hungry to care."
Lucy rolled her eyes, glancing over at Gajeel to see if his thoughts mirrored hers. Judging by the annoyed fondness evident in his dark gaze, she thought they would.
When people heard that the Redfoxes and Heartfilia-Dragneels had dinner with each other every other week, they often thought it was Lucy and Levy's idea, the two women pushing their families to spend time together. That much was true. People also thought that those nights often dissolved into loud arguments between the two Dragon Slayers. They'd probably be surprised to learn that it was far more common for Levy and Natsu to break out into stupid, years-old fights and inside jokes, disrupting the entire meal and dragging the conversation down into the pits of their relationship.
It was like they were thrown back into their preteen years whenever they spent more than an hour together. And of course Gajeel and Natsu would argue. Lucy and Gajeel even had their moments of stupid fights. But nothing was ever as bad as Levy and Natsu.
Slipping out from under her husband's arm, Lucy loosed a sigh, meeting Gajeel's eyes. He smirked, resting his arm on the top of the blonde's head. She grumbled, pushing him off as he chuckled.
"Come on," she said, eyeing their arguing spouses from the corner of her eye. "I'm sure we can eat before they finish."
"Probably."
They slipped away. Well, they walked away, Levy and Natsu too wrapped up in their bickering to notice. Lucy grinned, beelining straight for the cart further down the street. The smell of roasting meat made her mouth water, stomach suddenly understanding just how hungry she was.
She ordered a wrap, meat and vegetables held together by bread and thick sauce. She nearly moaned in delight as she watched it be prepared. Gajeel threw down money before she could pay, and Lucy squinted her eyes at him in response.
He shrugged. "Gotta be faster next time, blondie."
"You paid last time too," she complained. He shrugged again, still smirking down at her. She stuck her tongue out.
Then the food was in their hands, and they had something else to preoccupy them. Lucy actually did moan as she took her first bite, juice dripping down her chin and streaking down her forearms.
"Yer making a mess," Gajeel mumbled through his own mouthful. She made a noise in response, too lost in the delicious wrap to really care about his manners.
She wiped the heel of her hand across her mouth. "You're not doing much better." She glanced over her shoulder. Much to her surprise, Natsu and Levy were still arguing, likely about another insanely minor topic.
She turned back around, devouring the rest of her wrap in another four bites. Gajeel was already eyeing the stand, likely debating if another would be worth it. She thought it would be.
"You two aren't from around these parts, are ya?" Lucy glanced at the vendor, the man's sleeves rolled up his arms. She wondered briefly why he wore the long-sleeved shirt if he knew he was just going to roll the sleeves back.
"No, sir, we're not. We're just helping a friend move." She became extremely aware of the mess she had made of her face. She wiped her chin, cheeks flushing in embarrassment.
The vendor nodded, more confirming his assumptions than anything. "Just a warning for you and your friend. Make sure you're inside by nightfall. There's been some weird happenings around these parts."
"What kind of weird stuff?" Gajeel asked, crossing his arms and intensifying his glower. Lucy was amazed the vendor didn't try to hide under his table. She probably would have back when they first met.
The vendor shrugged, flipping the meat sizzling on his grill. "Not quite sure, to be honest with ya. But there's some weird noses, 'specially out in those woods. Some of the farmers on the edge of town have said there's been big animals roaming around their fields at night. We've been doing our best to keep our children indoors after dark. Nothing's happened yet, but we all know it's a matter of time."
"So yer just gonna wait around until something happens? Not at all worried about what might happen to yer kids?" Gajeel glared, very obviously picturing what he would do in this situation. It involved a lot of violence.
"Course we're worried," the vendor replied. "There's just nothing we can do about it. It's a small town, nothing ever really goes on here."
Lucy placed a hand on Gajeel's forearm, holding him back from doing something he'd regret. Well, he wouldn't regret it, but she certainly would.
"Thank you for the warning," she said smoothly. "And thank you for the food. Enjoy the rest of your day." And she grabbed Gajeel and pulled him away, the massive Iron Dragon reluctantly letting her lead him through the street.
"At least he didn't assume we're together," Gajeel grumbled, remembering several past occasions where that exact thing had occurred. It always inevitably ended with Gajeel laughing and Lucy spluttering out an explanation.
Lucy snorted. "For once." Then she sighed, weaving through the crowded street, hand still tight on his forearm. "We shouldn't ignore his warning, though. Maybe we can figure out what's going on before we leave."
"As soon as Titania hears something is going on, she'll refuse to go until she knows the old man is safe."
"Very true."
And then the pair was back with their spouses, Levy and Natsu finally realizing they had been away for a good five minutes.
"Where'd ya go?" Natsu asked, reaching up to adjust his scarf.
Lucy beamed. "Oh, you know. Gaj was hungry so we got something to eat. You two ready for the store now?"
Natsu's offended exclamation made her laugh harder than she had in quite a long time. Even if she couldn't forget the niggling sensation in the back of her mind that they would find out what was going on in this town sooner rather than later. So much for a relaxing weekend.
Don't mind me, I was getting in the feels about Yuri Dreyar dying when Makarov was only four years old. That poor man. Anyway.
I was writing this chapter and Levy and Natsu's friendship snuck up on me, and then Lucy and Gajeel's friendship also snuck up on me. But, I think it fits. Honestlty, Gajeel and Lucy's sneaking away was most defenitly inspired by Alec and Clary going for tacos during Simon's show in the Shadowhunter books by Cassie Clare. Anyway. Be prepared for much more of this goofiness.
Hope you all enjoyed! Until next time!
