Thank all of you for the support. It really gives my motivation a strong boost. Enjoy this chapter!

Also, a small warning for sexual content.

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Unease.

She felt at unease, her heart beating a touch faster than normal. It was a feeling that seemed so foreign to her after all that she has seen. When she noticed the unexpected sensation, she was surprised she was still capable of such feelings. She thought she had lost all emotions a long time ago, rendering her into a mortal shell of flesh and basic instincts paired with her cruel, unforgiving personality. For the red-haired woman, it was equal to salvation and demise at the same time.

People feared her might and at some point along the way, they had started to call her the "Scarlet Despair". She would have preferred a cuter nickname, but she hadn't complained anyway since her new name perfectly fitted the truth. It was the epitome of her strength, and she took great pride in being the mightiest woman in the Alvarez Empire and perhaps even the whole world. She is none other than Irene Belserion, the former Queen of Dragons and now together with The Calamity, August, she had risen as one of the chief advisers to his majesty, the Black Mage Zeref himself. Together their accumulated power can bring down the world, and they even aim to tear the King of all Dragons Acnologia from his throne crafted from the bones of those he had shattered with his very own claws. And for such ambitious goals and a person in her position, the pressure inside her chest is unbefitting and it bothered her more than she liked to admit.

The world below her looked so tiny, so insignificant to her as she flew through the skies like a dragon would in ancient times. She had levitated herself with enchantment magic so maybe it was because of the height that she felt so restless? Irene Belserion shook her head from side to side in disapproval whilst she dismissed the thought as fast as it had come to her mind. That can't be the reason. She has crossed oceans by aerial means countless times already, so a suddenly developed acrophobia couldn't be the cause behind her restlessness.

Maybe it was because of the scenery underneath her body? The bloody and gruesome battle between the troops of the Alvarez Empire and the fairies and their allies? Even from her current height in the air, she can hear the screams of death below. How bones were broken and ground to dust by the countless forms of magic clashing. A canvas of the purest brutality. She was very familiar with such a scene because she had witnessed countless similar battles in the past, so that couldn't be the cause either. She had literally seen enough bloodshed for several lifetimes to be bothered by it any longer.

Or was the fateful, nascent reunion with her daughter the reason behind her distress? Maybe. It's not an everyday occurrence, mayhaps even the first of its kind, to once again meet the daughter, you abandoned years ago because of her worthlessness in a tiny, dirty village.

But if that's the case, shouldn't she be excited? Excited that she's finally able to murder her one and only daughter with her own hands? The more she thought about it the more Irene got confused. She had sensed her daughter's magic from afar and she could admit she had become quite strong over all these years. She understood how Ajeel lost to her, but compared to her she still didn't hold a candle. It was like a baby facing an adult. The victor was decided even before the fight had begun. And that concept didn't apply to Erza alone. Throughout Fairy Tail and their allied Guilds, the only mage who could offer her a challenge was the nomadic wizard Gildarts. The rest was mere trash. She or August would have been more than enough to finish the war, as his majesty called it. But in fact, it was nothing else than a game. Fiore was the gameboard, and all the people currently within its borders, the chess pieces. Normally, this game of intellect would be a masterful battle between two closely matched players, but in this case, the Empire's opponent could barely earn that honour.

In this game, no one could pose a challenge to Zeref, the genius Black Mage who's lost in eternal darkness. All strings fell from his hands and he pulled at them as he deemed the best fit for his plans. It didn't even matter if it was an ally or an enemy. He controlled both sides like the masterful puppeteer he was. Whether they noticed or not solely depended on his mood. Irene Belserion had experienced this first handed.

Years ago, the mighty enchantress grew bored and decided on a whim to rile up her old home continent. Using her influence as a chief advisor, the vast Alvarez military set into motion upon her command and bared its fangs at Ishgar. It was purely for her own amusement, and she could care less about any losses the empire might suffer if the Magic Council ordered the usage of Etherion or other weapons at their disposal. But before anything could happen the troops were stopped in their tracks. She wondered whether The Wizard King August had intervened somehow, but she doubted it since his authority did not surpass hers. He shouldn't be able to lift her orders without her getting notified beforehand. It left only one singular option which was even more unlikely because the only person standing above her and August, was his majesty himself. But the emperor of Alvarez was as easy to read as the wind of death. He was more content with travelling across all of Earthland, rather than ruling his empire.

So when she received a letter with his royal seal imprinted on the parchment, she ignored it. Hours later, she regretted her action as swirls of dark magic took hold of her, and she was transported to the imperial palace before she could come to terms with what was happening to her. Within the passage of mere seconds, the scarlet-haired woman found herself in the throne room alongside all other members of the Spriggan 12, an event that had not taken place up to that moment. Even the latest additions were assembled. She noticed how some of the other members were brought here in the same way she was. Most likely they had thought the same about the letter or didn't even care. All of them had diverse personalities and soon enough a commotion was set to boil, but a gentle and soft voice stopped it in its tracks.

"It's good to see all of you are as lively as ever. It makes me happy that you are doing well. It would be a shame if not," the man cooed to whom the warm tune belonged. All attention was immediately drawn to the throne. Irene had seen it many times in her services for the empire, but the man who was supposed to sit on the centre of Alvarez avoided the seat of absolute control like a deadly disease. She wondered whether it had been used for its intended purpose even once since its creation.

So finding it occupied for once felt strange to the tall woman. The offered view she could only describe as false, but the ebony-haired man sitting on the throne didn't care all too much about this fact since he started to explain this weird occurrence without further ado.

"I know that some of you are bored and itch for a fight, but the time has yet to come for Ishgar's annihilation. So I stopped the troops and ordered them to retreat," Alvarez' emperor explained the current situation to his shields. He was but a boy, looking innocent and cute. His black hair still sprouted the lonely spikes on top of his head and even his garments were the same he always wore when she saw him. At first, Irene barely believed that such a sweet-looking boy could not only be the infamous Black Mage Zeref but also be the one to stand at the pinnacle of an entire empire. If she was being honest with herself, Irene still occasionally had trouble believing this well-established fact. But the raven-haired boy was full of surprises the world had yet to see.

"Also allow me to thank you for attending this meeting. You are all busy, so I'll try and make this as short as possible in order to not waste your precious time." His words sounded gentle, but Irene nevertheless noticed the irritation residing in his every word. She didn't think anything could break through his foggy walls and reveal some of his true thoughts. She would have been excited to see what lay beneath his friendly mask, but his large eyes bore into her. She understood that Zeref was well aware that his Empire's uprising had been under her sole command and he was seemingly displeased by this development.

He closed his eyes before he addressed all of them again. "You probably wonder why I called you all here. As I just said, the time is not ripe to bring doom to Ishgar, and so I'm merely here to clarify one thing," the young-looking emperor began, though none of his shields could pay their full attention to his words because they were struggling to stay conscious. Unholy magic assaulted them and brought all of them to their knees, including Irene herself and August. The entire palace and maybe even the royal capital shook beneath his power. It felt as if gravity had multiplied and forced them to lower their heads in front of their new master in a demonstration of complete obedience.

Zeref reopened his eyes and gone were his blackish eyes. Instead, they were drenched in bloody scarlet crimson as a second iris had formed inside his pupils. All traces of his humanity vanished in front of this demon-like stare as he spoke his next words which were more of a warning than anything else.

"The one who is deciding the time for the attack is Me. You all should do your best in remembering this." The dark emperor's speech sent a cold chill down the spines of all members of the Spriggan 12 as his black magic consumed him and the winds of death howled through the throne room. With blinding light, his presence vanished and Alvarez' emperor was gone once more to travel across the world. He had left behind the reminiscence of why he held the title of emperor and not anyone else. They were his shields, but he didn't need any of them, so they were disposable for him at any given time and they should not forget this - never.

He titled himself as a Spriggan, an ugly fairy, but he was a demon through and through. A demon hiding inside a human coat.

So why did she feel so troubled now, when not even Acnologia could unsettle her since she knew that Alvarez had the powerful arcane mage Zeref, on its front lines? It felt like an ominous shadow was lurking inside the chaos of Zeref's game, hiding somewhere in the massacre, just waiting to pounce at the right time. It was an oppressive sensation. Almost as if someone was constantly holding a sharp, well-honed blade at her throat - no, it was more than that. The blade was not pressing against her throat but had already pierced through her chest and was mere millimetres away from reaching her heart. With each beat of her life-keeping organ, she could sense the metal cutting away the first layers and it wouldn't take long before she would bleed out. It unnerved her but she decided to push it aside for the moment and worry later since her target was in sight.

While releasing more magic than necessary to add some spice to her entrance, she crashed into the ground, taking in the delightful shouts of surprise and fear her unexpected arrival garnered.

The dust cleared and revealed her magnificent form to her prey and made them desperate. She couldn't help the tiny smirk sneaking on her face. Maybe she deserved the name 'Scarlet Despair' after all.

"Who are you?" a girl with hair as scarlet as her own asked. Irene observed her. Said girl was covered in nasty looking bruises. One of her hands was badly burned, while the other was breaking apart since someone had frozen it solid to the very bone. Being the mother of this girl, she should be shocked to see her own flesh and blood in this state, but she felt nothing, absolutely nothing. All ties had been severed a long time ago.

So instead, she gave her a cool and reserved retort.

"I am you and you are me."

The answer apparently didn't satisfy her daughter, but she could care less. She remained in her calm posture as her daughter ordered her companions to flee, all the while she ignored her unease which had just skyrocketed through the roof. Whatever the reason behind it may be, it was close by, waiting to be unleashed already. Her eyes landed on the unconscious, pink-haired boy with spiky hair, being carried away by a blond girl. Somehow his face looked familiar, similar to Zeref's in some ways even. She knew that he had a little brother so could it be this boy? For a moment she lost herself in her thoughts as she analysed the young man further. She stretched out her magic to investigate him. It invaded his body but was suddenly repelled by another magic caster. A cold touch of death brushed her and for a moment she saw a single pair of crimson eyes glaring at her. The sensation was gone as fast as it had come and Alvarez' high enchantress was unsure whether this vision she had just perceived was simply a trick of her mind or not.

But Irene didn't find the time to ponder much longer about this as her daughter charged at her with heavy armour and sharp swords equipped at the ready. Irene could only chuckle at the poor attempt. Swinging down her swords with all her might, Erza appeared hopeful she could finish this fight hastily. Dust was stirred up by the force she had used but even before it cleared completely her eyes bulged in pure horror. Her swords had been stopped by nothing more than one of the lengthy fingernails adorning her enemy's gloves. The scarlet woman chuckled slightly at her reaction and pushed her away like a gnat, sending her flying into one of the collapsed buildings nearby.

'What a naughty, little daughter you are, Erza. Time for some serious education. I hope you don't mind one or two spanks on your behind.'

XXX

While the war outside turned fiercer with every passing second as the climax approached and one shocking reveal was followed by the next, a blond-haired girl and a pink-haired boy hugged each other inside an underground ruin as tightly as possible. They didn't know how long they did so because neither of them wanted to ruin the intimate moment they shared with each other with words. Secretly, both had wished for an event such as this for a long time now, but neither had the courage to take the first step. They wanted more but feared losing what they had. A paradox crafted from emotions, but times of dread and terror acted like battering rams, pulverising the walls and leaving behind nothing else aside from secrets in their naked form.

Even when a large magical power caused havoc not far away from them, they couldn't detach themselves from each other. They were simply too happy and remained like this, wishing it could last for eternity. But they were not alone in their bliss - much to their dismay.

A certain blue-furred, flying cat was as happy as the blond had been when the pink-haired Dragon Slayer awakened from his slumber of almost death. Happy wanted to fly over there and hug Natsu as tightly as possible but a sudden development halted his actions, one he didn't expect.

Lucy and Natsu were basically nude, only their most private parts still had covering to offer in order to protect them from any naughty eyes. Though, they didn't seem to care about this small but fine detail as they winded their arms around each other's bodies and engrossed in a tight embrace. There was no space between them anymore. Sure, these two had other accidents in the past in which they ended up being pressed against each other - more than often with a certain lack of clothing on the blonde's part. Happy had lived together with Natsu for a long time now and he knew his partner very well. He could read him like an open book.

So he was aware that these events were considered a god's gift by Natsu, but the fire mage was a master at hiding his excitement beneath thick layers of oblivious behaviour. Behaviour which more often than not, earned him a reddish handprint on his face or one of Lucy's infamous Lucy Kicks. And speaking of them. The blue cat had always wondered why Natsu never made any effort to dodge or block them. He was nimble and strong enough for both options, so it had always been a mystery to Happy.

He had got his answer unexpectedly.

It was in the middle of one night between the events of their return from Edolas and the S-Class Exams. Happy had trouble finding sleep. Whether it was due to the wild emotions coursing through his heart after numerous emotionally tiring events in another world, or simply because he shared the house with a dragon, who was snoring quite loudly, he couldn't say. He tried to tune it out, but it was pointless. The animalistic noises from his brother in mind were simply too loud to be ignored. He was also aware that waking a sleeping dragon was anything but possible, so he decided he would just fly over to Lucy's place so he could find his peace there.

He conjured his white, fluffy wings but stopped when Natsu suddenly started talking in his sleep. Nothing new to him. But this time was different. Not only was every second word Lucy - normally it was every tenth - but Natsu also revealed at last, why he never did anything against the incoming Lucy Kicks aimed at him.

"Luce~" Natsu began to lull in his dreamy delirium, "don't Lucy Kick me all the time. I can see your panties~" Natsu mumbled, sounding really satisfied. Just what was he dreaming right now?! Happy decided he would fare better if he didn't know this. Still, he was stunned by Natsu's little secret. And here so many people thought Natsu was not the smartest bean in the pot. How wrong they were. Thus far he had only needed one paw to count the times when he was left speechless by his friend. Now he would need two because Natsu hadn't finished yet.

"They are piiiiink~" the fiery Dragon Slayer purred, a sound that Happy had never heard before from his best friend. But that was still not all. Natsu's face sprouted his signature grin, all flashy and toothy and the moonlight shining through one of the small windows exposed one more thing. Natsu Dragneel was blushing, the same Natsu Dragneel who had shown no interest in women or men so far. That came as a big surprise to Happy and maybe one sleepless night wouldn't hurt him that much. They were best friends, but apparently, he didn't know Natsu as well as he thought he did. With an evil grin plastered all over his feline features, he wondered what more he could learn. Happy dismissed his earlier plans to go to Lucy's for some quiet and returned to his previous sleeping place instead.

As he listened to Natsu chanting the name of his goddess as he called the blonde beauty in his sleep, Happy tried to remember the exact moment Natsu became so attached to Lucy. The farther he thought into the past, the fewer possibilities he had to choose from until Happy arrived at the very beginning, where the three of them met for the first time in Hargeon. For a moment Happy stopped his journey down the memory line and counted all the events in his mind, making sure he hadn't forgotten one. But he arrived again at Hargeon. He turned his face toward his sleeping and still-snoring friend. "Has it really been this long?" Happy asked in hushed manners, fully aware that he wouldn't get an answer. At least not a vocal one but suddenly Natsu grinned again and gave his friend affirmation, nonetheless.

Happy smiled at that. Something about Lucy must have picked Natsu's interest the moment he first saw her and he was certain it had been the same case for Lucy. These two bonded extremely fast, so fast that Natsu was comfortable with Lucy attending their missions from the very start. Their duo became a trio and whenever Lucy couldn't accompany them on one of their many adventures, Natsu would be in a grumpy and foul mood. Most of the time, he even cancelled the mission so he could help Lucy with whatever prevented her from riding along. It earned him quite a few Lucy Kicks, but as the blue feline had learned not so long ago, Natsu most likely didn't care that much and maybe even provoked them.

He could only guess about the reasons. Maybe the fire dragon was simply mesmerized by the wild and adventurous princess who left behind her golden castle in order to see the world and was not afraid of the mighty creature. Instead, she was equally mesmerized and to show his gratitude, the dragon followed her radiant presence which burned brighter than the hottest flames and brought even her beloved stars from the heavens, so she could see them for herself. Happy chuckled at this thought. Lucy's poetry must really be rubbing off on him. Not that he minded. After all, she was one of his precious friends.

After that particular night, Happy paid more attention to Lucy and Natsu.

He noticed the glances they would give each other when they thought nobody would look. He became aware of the slowly but ever-increasing amount of touching. At first, only soft brushes here and there against each other, barely noticeable, but over time they moved to arms draped around each other's shoulders. And when the situation called for it, they would reflexively seek solace in an embrace with each other. Further, there was one more thing the blue cat had never really realised. The thought came out of nowhere to him. It was like a lightning bolt hitting him from a cloudless sky.

Happy had enjoyed teasing them from the very start, but when their relationship shifted, at least so far as he could take notice of it, his teasing had increased as well. "They liiiiiike each other," is what he would always say. The flash from above hit him and he remembered that neither of them ever denied it. Not even once. The blue cat could not decide whether these two were hopeless and beyond help or simply born for each other.

Seeing them in their current position he finally got his answer to that. It was the latter. Lucy Heartfilia and Natsu Dragneel were made for each other. There was nobody else, there couldn't be somebody else. Only these two, forever. So Happy decided to give them some time alone and check on the others. When he returned their hug still lasted and only then, did he decide it was about time to add some teasing at last. He had been more than granting after all. He stretched his wings and hovered in the air and chose a different term this time. He was curious about their reactions.

"They looooove each other," Happy cooed, the amusement in his voice was clear as day but much to his disappointment, there was no reaction at all. Not one to give up so easily, he tried again and again, much to the gradually increasing annoyance of the hugging couple. With the incessant teasing of the blue cat, the fire mage's patience with his reliable partner snapped. The blue cat was utterly shocked at the fist suddenly aimed at him, in fact, too shocked to even react. The dragon slayer's fist hit the bullseye and Happy's world became black, knocked out cold with one strike.

"Read the damn mood you stupid cat!" Natsu muttered lowly under his breath causing the girl in his arms to chuckle slightly.

"If you hadn't done it, I would have had to." she said while giving the fire mage an evil grin, coaxing a hearty laugh out of his throat. She could feel it with her entire front as Natsu's body rumbled from his laughter. It was a nice feeling, she must admit.

When the pink-haired man had calmed down, he looked at Lucy and as a response gave his signature smile, full of teeth and full of reassurance.

Oh, how she had longed to see it again after the currently unconscious cat had told her the bitter truth. She knew everything by now, but she didn't want to believe it. Her hands wandered from his broad shoulders and cupped his soft and plush face, halting his large smile to a stop. His look at her was intense but his whole face, no his whole being, screamed nothing but innocence. She wondered how he could possibly be a demon. It couldn't be right.

As if reading her mind, he gave a response to calm her worries. Natsu didn't need anyone to tell him that Lucy knew everything by now. The damn cat must have spilled the beans, but he couldn't blame his best friend for it. Lucy was smart. She would have figured it out on her own soon enough, so maybe this way it was even for the best. There was no need for lying and therefore no need for pain by betrayal as well. 'Gotta see the good in it,' Natsu thought silently to himself.

"Luce, no matter what's going to happen, I will be fine. I promise." Lucy didn't understand why she was still surprised by Natsu's empathy. Maybe she tended to forget because of his rough exterior or maybe because it just seemed so out of place for his character but in fact, his personality couldn't be any warmer. Just like his magic, he would always burn with passion inside his heart.

"I know... it's just-" she began, but Natsu interrupted her with a fateful question.

"Do you trust me, Luce?" What a silly question she thought. In her opinion, it didn't even need an answer but by the uncertain stare Natsu directed at her eyes, she knew that he wanted one. So she gave him what he desired without a second's hesitation.

"Of course I do." He smiled, the reassurance which took root in his soul couldn't be described in words. It made him so happy and set his whole being ablaze.

"Then trust me when I say everything will be fine, Luce," he cooed, wishing to gift her with the same safety.

"Natsu..."

It was one of those conversations which could last for days and never find an end. Lucy was aware of this and did want to speak more. There were so many words left unsaid between them, but something stopped her from doing so.

Was Natsu's face getting larger? Or was his face getting closer? Since when could she feel his breath fanning over her lips and why were her lips so hot … and wet? When did their noses start to brush against each other? And most importantly, since when did Natsu have this longing in his eyes? Had he always looked at her like this? Was this the same expression she wore on her face at the moment? Questions over questions. In fact, too many, but all of them were lost when their lips met for the first time.

Careful and distant in their inexperience at first, but both of them turned out to be fast learners in this regard. Soon their lips danced the tango of passion and soon enough their tongues joined in as well, eager to taste each other. At first, it was a foreign feeling for both, celestial wizard and Dragon Slayer, alike. But the sensation was hastily forgotten as they grew accustomed to each other, the feeling of their lips devouring each other becoming a drug. They had cupped the cheeks of each other, caressing the soft skin beneath their fingers but they wanted more, needed more. All tension and all anxiety snapped which had been built upon for a long time when their bodies rubbed against each other.

Their naked chests touched as well as their lower bodies. They could feel everything and never had anything before felt this right in their lives. Lucy's hands were the first ones to explore her newfound treasure box as they wandered from his face. The motion was slow and sensitive, careful even. Her delicate fingers traced over his neck and then they parted into different directions. Her left hand vanished between their bodies, feeling and touching his firm muscles. Natsu's kiss intensified, and he grabbed her face firmer, his tongue pressing with more vigour inside Lucy's hot cavern when her hand danced across his skin, every touch like a breath of fire. He was a fire dragon, but Lucy could set him on fire any time she wished to, and he was utterly helpless against her divine touch - not that he cared. Instead, he welcomed it even.

Her hand dived deeper and deeper, fingers sliding across his abdominal muscles, and for a sinful moment, Natsu thought she would give the part of his anatomy begging for the most relief, some attention. But suddenly her hand made a U-turn and he whined for the lost opportunity and bucked his hips upwards. He was sure that Lucy could feel his excitement as she sat in his lap with only his underwear covering him. He throbbed and pulsated with need, a need that only the blond vixen could satisfy.

Since he was distracted by the desire burning between his legs, the dragon was caught off guard by his princess' next action. Her hand had returned to his chiselled chest and her fingers assaulted one of his pink nubs. Each finger slid over it singularly and Natsu broke their kiss. His head titled backwards, and he moaned in pure bliss by the unexpected sensation invading his brain. But Lucy was not done with him yet. When the last finger had brushed over his nipple, they repeated the motion. Again, each finger tortured the hardened perk but this time her thumb remained on top and drew circular motions on the pink skin. Each circle sent pleasurable lightning throughout the Dragon Slayer's body as he became a moaning mess in Lucy's hands.

"Fuck, Luce," Natsu cussed in bliss as the blond showed her dragon not a shred of mercy. She began to plaster sweet kisses on his neck, his jaw and finally his lips again. His mouth was slightly open, and it was like a magical invitation for her. She parted her lips but did not swallow his moans. Instead, she bared her teeth and took his lower lip between them and pulled. Natsu growled like an animal at that action. In the wrestle of passion, the fiery dragon was losing against the naughty princess, but Natsu was not one to give up that easily!

His hands went on their own journey now, with their goals already clarified. His left hand snaked around her shoulders and his right hand ventured downwards until the soft flesh of her behind was palmed by him. Then he pulled Lucy even closer against him than before. He buffed his muscles up and Lucy moaned. It was her turn to break the kiss or rather the torture of his lower lip. Her mouth hung wide open, an opportunity Natsu wouldn't let go unused. He cupped her oral organ with his own, his demonic tongue invading its new territory once more. Lucy fought back but against the full-body assault, she was utterly helpless as the tide of their horny battle turned to Natsu's favour. His advantage lasted until her right hand wove into his unruly, yet soft hair and the other took his shoulder in a bruising grip, nails digging into the skin just slightly. At that moment, her hand looked almost like a talon, but Natsu, certain of his victory, thought not much of this, but how wrong he was. When her preparations were done, Lucy started her counterattack. Her right hand pulled at his pinkish spikes and her left hand scratched his skin, starting at his chest. One of her short nails struck his nipple and Natsu was hit by a meteor of pleasure.

To Lucy's wicked delight Natsu released a sound that was a mixture of groan and growl as he fell backwards, overwhelmed by her malicious strike. The dragon who once flew proudly through the vast skies, tumbled towards the ground after he had been hit by the well-aimed shot of the princess. He landed on his back and was utterly helpless as the ravenous beauty pounced on him and devoured him whole in carnal and famished manners. He didn't mind the lost fight though because he happened to love every freaking second of it. And when Lucy sat down with all her weight on his raging erection and started humping against him in lewd, needy motions, Natsu roared. He angled his legs, planted his bare feet solidly on the ground, took Lucy's plush behind in both hands and bucked upwards against her in wild motions. They screamed simultaneously as they felt the throbbing of their most intimate parts on each other.

As the heat and passion inside the room, detached from all worldly worries, rose and rose, a flower blossomed inside both of the teens' hearts. Its roots connected both of their souls and whether this turned into a continuum, would be solely up to Lucy and Natsu.

This flower was the fruit that only The One Magic can bring forth. It dwelled within the deepest part of the endless abyss of magic. There were many forms and many ways to make it blossom. Its power is infinite and second to none. Even the mightiest of all demons couldn't win against this powerful magic and suffered a severe defeat. Such greatness is truly marvellous.

The one and only downside to this powerful magic was the impossibility to be transferred to others. It could only be achieved by oneself. So the might which emitted from this scene of passion, peace and happiness, couldn't be transmitted into the pink-haired boy's inner world.

The sky had darkened noticeably since Natsu's soul left that place. Every last volcano spat its seemingly limitless stock of fire into the air, turning the volcanic plains into true hell.

Somewhere among the raging flames, Igneel was face to face with the embodiment of calamity. The last words uttered by his nemesis caused him to remember a day from long ago that he had wanted to forget, but the more he denied it, the more it came back to him.

XXX

The day started as so many did before. He awoke from a deep slumber inside one of the many caves of his home. As always there was nothing out of the ordinary or any interesting, new development which caught his attention. Igneel decided to stretch his wings for a bit because it was the only thing he could do in order to pass some time. Maybe in the open world, he would discover something that could keep him busy.

Centuries had passed since his birth and now he had grown into a full-fledged fire dragon. None of his siblings could overpower him any longer and they viewed him in awe or detest, for he took their high standing from them. Once he had been the weakest of them all, but now only his father Ignis was more powerful than he was. Much to the dragon god's displeasure, his strongest son was not one who called obedience a strength.

Since he was a child, Igneel had his own mind and took things too far, one time too often. They had many arguments about their disagreements and lately, it had gotten worse. Another reason Igneel wanted to get out of the volcano as fast and as early as possible. He had not the patience to listen to another one of his father's lengthy speeches about why dragons are the ultimate beings. He had his own view of the world and didn't care to live by standards he was not convinced of.

The guards at the entry didn't say a thing when Igneel stretched his wings and prepared to take off. With a mighty flap, he catapulted himself into the air and enjoyed the freedom felt he when looked onto the vast landscape in front of him.

Wide plains of grass with countless flowers blooming everywhere, calm mountain rivulets slowly flowing through the passages they had forged over time into the rock, cool forests covered by a soft blanket of mist as birds filled them with their chirps, and in the far distance, the never-ending ocean.

This world truly was beautiful and invited anyone who dared to dream of something more, on an everlasting adventure. Another flap with his large wings and he was on course. He didn't know where his aim would be. He simply let the wind be his guide for this little journey. Embraced by such peace, he failed to notice the small figure calmly walking through the unwelcoming terrain of the volcano he called his home.

Upon seeing Igneel soaring through the skies, the figure stopped and focused his gaze on the fire dragon. He shielded his eyes from the low standing morning sun with one hand while the other conjured a small flame in his hand. But after seeing the expression on Igneel's face and realising something, the figure stopped whatever he had planned to commit.

Instead, he just watched the still young dragon drawing his circles into the sky, and before long he vanished out of sight. His eyes lingered a little longer in the vast sky before they ultimately returned to the large fire mountain, also known as Mt. Hakobe, close by, the seat of the fire dragon Ignis and also the place where he would have his revenge.

"Never thought I would come back here one day. I wonder what kind of face this oversized, filthy worm will make."

The man walking towards the mountain had once upon a time been held captive inside this realm of fire. Due to a certain incident, he was able to escape, but the gods above didn't smile down upon him, so his newfound freedom hadn't lasted long. It ended with another century of being a hostage. He was beaten and violated day and night.

After this nightmare had ended as well,e the boy swore to take his revenge one day. He amassed power as he dived into the abyss of magic, obtaining an ungodly strength and now he was ready to unfold the curtain for a new age – his age.

And what other place than the seat of the fire dragon god, would offer a suitable scenery for this plan to invoke his personal age of vengeance?

But the closer he got, the more he had to think about the dragon he had seen before.

"It's still hard to swallow just how much time has gone by though. To think lil' Igneel has grown this much," the man muttered to himself, lost in his thoughts.

"Well, the same could be said about me as well, I suppose. Time is such a fragile thing indeed. Once you have understood the foundations, it doesn't even matter anymore. But I do wonder, what the future will bring for you and me, lil Igneel."

"Halt who goes there?" one of the guardian dragons asked with his raspy voice.

"For you, I would say a world that's turned upside down, Igneel. It's nothing personal though. I hope you will understand this."

"Wait a moment," another dragon chirped in "this is just a punky little human who's talking to himself. How boring. And I here I thought there would be finally some action. I'm dying of boredom."

"It's regrettable to find you in this condition, insignificant tadpole. How about I relieve thee of your boredom for eternity with the greatest show you have ever seen?"

"Tadpole?! Who do you think I am, lowly human?"

"Just what I called you but before we start, I think I should answer your initial question," the man continued. Unimpressed with his show of insolence the dragon in front of him was already fuming and inhaled deeply, preparing to unleash his breath attack on the lowly creature who had dared to mock him!

"Good grief. You really should learn to let others finish. It's a virtue and you could have at least tried to escape from me. Not that it would have mattered anyway."

The dragon released the torrent of magic from his mouth, the blending light from the powerful attack so strong that even the other dragons on guard were flinching.

The man however didn't move an inch and just calmly stood still, unbothered by the brightness shooting at him. When the breath attack was about to hit him, he raised his hand and caught the strike, his own magic offsetting the dragon's easily.

He clenched his hand into a fist and in the next moment, the dragon's magic was ripped apart and set ablaze. Every dragon around was shocked by this development. Not once in history had a human been able to counter a dragon's mighty strike. So could this man standing in front of them truly be human? Or was he something entirely different?

"You didn't want to know but I will tell you nevertheless. My name is of no importance to you, but what I am is going to affect you greatly so you better listen carefully."

Before his reveal, he let his repulsive magic spike, terrifying the dragons with the intensity. No human could be able to hold such magic, magic that surpassed a dragon's strength. He had to be a dem-

"I am a Dragon Slayer and I'm going to kill every last one of you!"

XXXXXXXXX

I hadn't planned a scene like this between Lucy and Natsu at all but before I knew it, I had written it down and it just felt right to put it here. Hope it was a pleasant surprise for you.

See you next time!