Angry mama is angry! I always hit the save button before closing my laptop, even if I didn't change anything, but my edits from this morning were gone when I did what was supposed to be my last read through. I am unhappy with the current version, but I can't remember how I wrote the parts I changed earlier. Still, I think you guys will enjoy this.

Uchida Akira: I have more than three parts left. I'm adding and editing as I go, so I can't give a solid count, unfortunately.

As always, thanks for all the love and happy reading.

"You've been visiting a lot recently," Lucy said as she appeared at her altar. Natsu was seated on his pillow, his legs crossed and his hands folded in front of him like always.

He bowed his head and said his prayer before smiling and holding out his flowers. "I like seeing you."

Lucy frowned as she studied him, but everything looked normal; his clothes, his hair, his smile. Still… something was wrong, she could sense it. "What aren't you telling me?" Natsu's smile immediately faltered and she knew she'd been right. "What is it?" She kneeled on the ground in front of him so he couldn't hide his face from her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Luce," he said. "I didn't mean to-"

"Lies." Lucy felt her hair beginning to swirl behind her and willed her stars to remain quiet. "Do not lie to me, Natsu, you know that I don't like it."

"I just don't want you to worry," he said as he kept his eyes downcast. "I'll… be leaving in a few days and won't be able to visit for a while."

Lucy felt her heart clench as she realized what that meant. "The war…"

Natsu nodded. "Being homeless did have some advantages," he said wryly. "We're less anonymous now, and while Zeref was able to get out of being recruited, he couldn't do much for me." He reached forward, and for the first time, initiated contact without asking. His hand was as hot as it always was, and he was careful as he wove their fingers together.

"I'm afraid, goddess," he whispered. "I've never been so afraid. Even as a child, not knowing where we would sleep or where we would get our next meal. Even when I knew nothing of the world and the only bright part of my day was to visit your altar. Even when I had to fight to protect myself because people always take advantage of the homeless.

"Even when all I had was my brother, I was never this scared."

Lucy ignored the way her stomach sank and put on her best goddess voice. "Natsu, while death can be scary, it's a natural-"

"I'm not scared for me," Natsu said as his hand squeezed hers. "I'm scared for you."

"M-me?" Lucy stared at him, shocked. Here was a human who was about to go off to war and he was scared for her? "But why?"

"If I die, who will visit you?" he said. Tears filled his eyes as he spoke, and Lucy couldn't deny the way her heart swelled for him. "Zeref forgets and if I'm not here, no one else will come. I still haven't made any friends that I can bring here and even if I don't die, while I'm away, there won't be anyone to bring you flowers, or sit and talk with you.

"And if I do die, who knows how long it will be before someone else will come to see you." Tears fell from his eyes that he tried to hide with his free hand. "And that's not even including the stuff we still haven't talked about."

Lucy pulled his arm close and held it against her chest. "Natsu, come with me."

Confused, he frowned at her. "What?"

Lucy squeezed his hand harder. "You could come to my world, with me. Stay, with me."

"I can't…" he stuttered. "I mean I- there's something, yeah- with you, maybe, but I don't- I don't wanna be like Hibiki. I know it's supposed to be an honor, but-"

"No no. No, Natsu. It would just be me." She flushed. "I wouldn't be, uh, sharing you or anything. You'd just be there to- to be with me." Her grip on his arm tightened even more. "And if any of the others got any ideas, I'd just mark you so they won't be able to touch you."

"Luce, I- I don't understand. That's-"

"Stay with me," she begged him. "Come to my world and be with me. Don't become a soldier."

Natsu blinked rapidly. His mouth opened and shut a few times before he finally asked, "You want to mark me?"

"Only to protect you." She let out a breath as she shook her head. "I don't think I'm doing this right."

"Lucy…" He sighed. "I- I still haven't fixed what I need to. I can't... move on to other things until I do."

"Tell me what it is," she demanded. "Tell me what you need to fix so I can help you. What do I need to do," she asked intensely, "so that you'll stay with me and be safe?"

He floundered and to her horror, he began to cry in earnest. "I'm so sorry, Luce, but I can't tell you." His chest heaved as he cried. "You have done... more... than I could ever... repay you for. I'm afraid... if I don't fix this, you'll… you'll blame me, or maybe yourself. Worse you might... even hate me, and I just... can't risk that. I can't. I don't... think I could... survive if you... hated me."

"Natsu-"

"Please, Luce." He moved forward so his knees were inches from hers. He took several breathing, calming himself down. When he finally had, he raised his head so he could look her in the eyes. "I have to leave, and this is going to be my last visit before I go." He reached out and cradled her cheeks in his hands. "Promise me you'll allow me to explain when I return. I won't let myself die, not when I haven't fixed everything. After the war I'll make sure I clear it all up and then I'll tell you what's happening.

"Once I've done that… then you can tell me if you… still want something with me." He pressed his forehead to hers, causing her stomach to flip. "I promise I will respect whatever choice you make, but I can't leave yet. Please, will you wait?"

"Of- of course." Lucy forced her tears back, but it was hard. He was choosing war. He was choosing this thing he needed to fix and war over being safe with her! She couldn't let that happen! She had to save him.

But it's gotta be his choice. Gajeel's words slammed into her and she found it difficult to keep herself together. She still had things to say to him. He still had things to say to her. He said he wouldn't die, but he had no way to guarantee he wouldn't. She had to do something…

"I… I can wait," she said as she pulled away, "but in exchange, I want you to let me do something."

"Anything," he said immediately, sitting back so she could see the complete sincerity in his eyes. Lucy caught his hands with hers and held on, palm to palm.

Lucy smiled as she studied his eyes for a moment, preparing herself. A tickle along her spine warned her, but she didn't care. She knew there was a risk to what she was going to do, especially since she was not a goddess of war herself, but she didn't care. The whole point of the gods and goddesses was to make humans' lives better. If she couldn't use her power to protect her one and only follower, what was the point in what they did? The coming war would be brutal and bloody. Even if he was hurt, even if he lost hope, even if he came back changed, all she wanted was for him to come back to her.

In a tongue older than humans, older than herself, older than any of the gods, she spoke to him. "I am the daughter of Judell, the Maker of Deals, and Laylith, the former Keeper of the Stars and Night Sky. Sole heir to the Hearfilia bloodline, the Origin, and the first god.

"I, Lucinda, Goddess of the Stars and the Night Sky, hereby place my blessing upon this human, Natsu Dragneel.

"In the war ahead, may your reflexes be faster, may your health be better, may your body be stronger, may your attention be sharper, may your mind be clearer, and may your heart be fuller than those you fight. May you be protected from harm and return to me, your goddess, when the fighting is done.

"I invoke the name of the Heartfilia line in this way, to protect he who is loyal to me. And may all who find you on the battlefield know whose wrath they shall face should they slay you.

"In this way, I honor you, so that you may honor me. Go forth and fight well, my Champion." When she finished speaking, Lucy pressed a kiss to Natsu's forehead, branding him with her seal.

Natsu stared at his body as a dark glow passed over his skin. Lucy's eyes remained on his forehead, where a star surrounded by a swirl of black appeared. The sigil marked him as her Champion and would only be visible to other gods and goddesses.

As her chosen Champion, he would go into battle with a goddess' blessing, which meant that he would be harder to kill than the usual man, but also that he would draw attention from the gods. As each god could only have one champion, her pantheon would do their best to protect him and keep him alive, but those on the other side would try harder to kill him.

She hoped she had done the right thing…

"What was that?" he asked as the black faded.

"I have blessed you," she said, "so you will have my protection on the battlefield." She smiled sadly. "I hope that it will aid you and bring you home safe. To me."

He jerked slightly at her words and then grit his teeth. He closed his eyes, looking pained as his grip on her hands tightened. Afraid he was upset, she made a move to back up, but he refused to release her. Instead, he opened his eyes and the look he gave her made her heart beat furiously. Her mouth dry, she couldn't seem to find any words as his stare bore into her. After a moment, he pulled his hands away and reached up to take her face in his hands. "Forgive me," he whispered before pressing his mouth to hers. He gently kissed her once, then twice, then three times. His touch was firm, but he was careful, ready to release her in a moment's notice if he needed to.

She sighed as he rubbed his nose against her before tilting his head and kissing her once more. He never tried to deepen the kiss or increase the intensity, and Lucy found herself feeling disappointed. When she leaned forward to try and do so herself, he pulled away and cursed quietly.

"I'm sorry." With a sigh, he got to his feet. "I wasn't supposed to do that. I was supposed to get everything cleared up before we did that. I just…" He studied at her sadly. "I just didn't wanna miss the opportunity before I left. In case… I don't come back." He hesitated before he came forward quickly to give her a fierce hug. Mind still foggy, she didn't get the chance to hug him back before he was pulling away and walked backwards out of the temple.

He whispered something before turning around and bolting out.

Lucy's eyes widened as she got up to follow him. "Wait, Natsu!" She yanked her body back out of the human world and chased after him, faster on her own side of the veil. She searched the streets and everywhere she could reach on the holy grounds, but couldn't find him anywhere no matter how frantically she searched.

She fell to her knees in the street, ignoring the humans moving around her, ignoring any of the gods that might see her. Tears falling from her eyes, she covered her face and cried, regret filling her as she thought about his words. Words she should have said a long time ago. Words that deserved a response, but had only caused her to freeze during what might have been his last visit. She sobbed as her heart ached, the throb repeating with every beat. She replayed his words over and over in her head, desperate to remember their sound.

I love you, Luce.