Mother Moon, Mother Moon

We call upon you,

Glowing brightly; a lovely hue.

Mother Moon, Mother Moon

See us please,

Grant us Wisdom across the Seas.


Despite being against helping them at first, River was a fast learner when it came to using her powers to connect with her mother. Lucy had to give it to her, she was diligent and smart too. The blonde mage watched patiently as the Celestial halfling closed off her senses and relaxed into her mind; her magic strobing around her body in fading hues of blue. A soft, but sad smile found itself on Lucy's face. This would be a good thing, something that should've happened a lot earlier and the next time she sees 'Stache face she was going to give him a piece of her mind.

Love is love and sometimes it finds you in the most unexpected places with the most unexpected people.

She finds her gaze sliding towards Gajeel as the thought passes through her mind; the man was propped up against the wall of the cave, bandages around his ribs from where the ice had cut him going in, eyes closed and breathing lightly as he slept. His dark hair was unruly and unkept and the fur pelt that they had put around him had slipped from around his shoulders and pooled in his lap. Lucy huffed in amusement and quietly walked over to him, crouching down next to him to re-cover him and keep him warm. She placed a hand against his head, making sure his fever hadn't escalated, when she felt his brow furrow and glanced down to see his eyes staring up at her, all red and alluring and soft. Gently, he grabbed her hand and pressed it to his lips, kissing over each knuckle and then again over each fingertip, all the while holding her gaze. Lucy felt warmth flood her cheeks and her body felt oddly floaty under the attentive adoration of her new, not quite Mate, Mate.

He smiled roguishly and pulled her to be fully seated in his lap, long legs splayed on either side of his body and hands pressed against his plush chest. He chuckled at the little yelp that escaped her and the irritated glare she gave him after. Looping his arms around her shapely waist, he hugged her to him and pressed his face into the juncture between her shoulder and neck, breathing in the smoke, musk, dried meats, and snow that clung to her warm skin. It felt like coming home. Gajeel closed his eyes as dexterous fingers carded through and untangled his hair; a deep rumbling started in his chest under Lucy's care.

Lucy paused her ministrations and tilted his head back, gazing down at him and waited for his eyes to open again. Gajeel's eyelids languidly slid open and his breath caught in his lungs at the fond look on his chosen Mate's face. They moved together in an instant, lips greeting each other like old friends, gliding together effortlessly and seamlessly. Tongues slid against each other slowly, caressing and mapping and memorizing the shape and feel of each other. His hands moved down from her waist to her thick toned thighs, lightly gripping and pulling her tighter against himself. A low groan escaped his mouth as her hips brushed against his in a languid and unhurried grind on his wakening cock.

This wasn't the time or place for them to do this, but Gajeel couldn't help but clutch her tighter as passion and lust ignited inside of him, his lips pressing even more insistently against her's, his hands trailing up and down the sides of her curvaceous body, barely grazing where he knew she wanted him to touch. Lucy gasped sharply and broke the kiss as he thrust up and rubbed his erection against her clothed core, nudging just below her clit. Dragging his nose down her neck, he rumbled lowly and mouthed at her collarbone, nipping and sucking lightly at the dark tattoo that lay there and leaving his own mark upon her skin. Gajeel soaked up all the warmth and lust radiating from Lucy as he lavished her with kisses and left imprints of his sharp teeth on her shoulders. Gajeel sighed and pressed his face against her breasts, breathing in her mixed scent. Lucy flushed, but smiled softly as she held him and laid her cheek on the top of his head, comfort and serenity exuding from them. It was like a balm on her soul.

"I was worried about you." She whispered and began to card her fingers through his hair again. Her lips were rubbed raw from the days of unshaved stubble on his face and the vivacious way he had kissed her. He huffed lightly from his place on her chest; warm breath damp against the skin there.

"Shouldn't be worried about me, Princess. I wouldn't have died so easily." He murmured back reassuringly, even though he gripped her tighter- not painfully, but enough to center himself. "I wouldn't have left you so easily."

Lucy felt her eyes water and her heart clench at the thought of losing him. It hadn't been long since their first kiss and they haven't officially talked about… all of what was going on between them, but Lucy knew that everything they had experienced together on this trip had been leading up to this; or at least something close to this.

"I know we should also talk about this," He started, pulling away to look at her fully, his hand cupping her cheek as he gazed at her fondly. "But, you won't be alone when I'm here. That's my promise to you. I won't abandon you again, Lucy. You're It for me, I hope you know that, and I'll wait for you forever if I have to. Even if you choose another person to love and live with. I want you for a mate, Lucy."

Lucy sobbed and laughed at the declaration, smiling widely down at the Dragonslayer. Gajeel smirked playfully and wiped the tears from her cheeks kissing her lightly on her brow and lips and nose and eyelids, thoroughly covering her in his love.

"I swear to Mavis, Lucy, if you don't accept his offer, I'm going to because that was the cheesiest, most romantic shit I've ever heard someone say." Cobra said, breaking the loving atmosphere between them. Bixslow cuffed the back of his head and crossed his arms as glared at him.

"Really?" The Soul Mage scoffed, offended that his boyfriend was hitting on another man in front of him. "I'm literally right here!"

Lucy giggled at their antics as Cobra backtracked and reassured Bixslow that he was just joking and that he would, in fact, never leave him for another man or woman or person. Gajeel rolled his eyes and brought Lucy's attention back to him, eyeing her with anxious hope.

"So, what do you say, Princess? Wanna give this a try?" He asked, thumb brushing against her full bottom lip. Lucy grinned and kissed him chastely.

"As long as you don't court me for too long, Gajeel," She stated hotly, running a hand down his muscular chest, grazing his abs underneath cotton bandages, before teasing the top of his pants, knuckles brushing against the dark coarse hair peeking out there. "Someday soon, I want you and I to take a trip and spend a whole week in bed with nothing to bother us."

Gajeel growled and pulled her closer, ravaging her mouth, all teeth and tongue and spit.

"I'm going to mate the fuck out of you, Princess." He grinned sharply as he pulled away. Lucy returned his grin and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Looking forward to it, Iron Boy."


River felt lost in her mind, the darkness around her 'scape almost suffocating her with its vastness. She knew that Lucy told her that it might take her a while until she was on the right track to her mother, but she couldn't even feel anything even remotely like her mother in her.

"You can do this, River, buck up!" She told herself as she began her trek. She focused herself on the thought of Aquarius, bringing up memories of the last time she saw her mother. A blurry memory of when she was left with her father.

A golden tether appeared in front of her suddenly, glowing and constant under the fog of her own mind. She grinned triumphantly and grasped it in her hand as she began to follow wherever it led.

The smile quickly dropped when intangible voices started whispering around her, filling the void with a low hum of noise. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but as she got closer and closer to wherever the thread led her, they got louder and louder. She winced as the voices grated against her 'ears' and almost dropped the thread in the process.

Then, the voices stopped and a new one sounded, more clear than the rest and stronger too.

"River."

The Celestial hybrid gasped and gripped the thread tighter, picking up her speed towards the end of it.

"Aquarius?" She called out.

"My sweet daughter."

"Mom? Where are you?"

The back of her mindscape was lighting up, a soft white glow permeating through the darkness.

"We have always been connected, River, I've always been here. Just follow the line and see through my eyes."

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." She said hurriedly moving towards the light.

It felt like moving through molasses, the light. Thicker than air as she struggled to walk normally, sweat perspiring on her brow and she forced her body through the dense light. When she was through, her sight cleared and suddenly she wasn't herself.

She was seeing through Aquarius' body.

"Find me."