Hi guys,

Once again, thank you for the support. Thank you to the same person that had faithfully reviewed my work. I know you may get this a lot, but knowing that someone really did take the time out of their own busy schedules to compliment a total stranger. It really does mean the world to me. Thank you.

Without further ado, chapter 3.

Preview:

Sting paused, finding the correct word to piss the already mad individual in front of him. Ah. He remembered.

"What's wrong, Salamander?"

A fist fueled with fire was aimed at the smiling Sabertooth member, punching him squarely on the face. The impact had sent the light dragon slayer back, going through the brick walls of the guild and slamming a nearby tree . Instantly, Lucy dashed outside from her seat to pluck the injured mage from the ground. At the same time, Gajeel and Levy detained the furious fire mage from advancing towards the blonde male on the ground.

"Control yourself, Natsu." Gajeel gritted his teeth. He transformed his arms into iron rods to firmly hold the fire dragon slayer in place. Levy also stood next to Gajeel, orders ready to be released if the pinkette manages to escape Gajeel's clutches.

"Let me go, Gajeel." Natsu hissed with anger. He couldn't believe it. He knew that Lucy was back. He waited in patience and hopes that she would finally come back to them. To him.. But not with a Sabertooth member. As soon as he walked into Magnolia, he had caught a whiff of her. He literally threw his stuff at the ice-make mage and dashed back to the guild. Her scent was the strongest amongst the million people in the streets that as soon as he opened the guild doors, he saw her sitting down at the bar with Gajeel, Levy and Mira.
Eventually, his eyes narrowed dangerously on the male who sat too close for comfort.

"Natsu, calm down." Levy commanded, hoping that the fire mage would realize that his anger was dominating the air, making the heat almost unbearable.

Lucy ignored the drama behind her and assisted Sting to sit up. No doubt, Natsu had landed a good spot on the light dragon slayer's face, catching a lip which bled down to his chin.

"You okay?"

The light dragon slayer spat blood from his mouth. "Never felt better. I've always wanted a greeting of nothing more than a punch to the face." The mage replied sarcastically.

Instantly, Lucy felt the anger within her boil up. The celestial mage turned her head to the raging pinkette and stood up,

"He had done nothing, why did you hit him?!" Her face went red with hot anger. How dare he. How dare he thinks that he could do anything that he felt like doing. Regardless of what he's doing or who he was hurting. Natsu turned his attention from the subject of his anger to the reason of his feelings,

"You really are selfish, Luce. Always thinking about yourself." He chuckled weakly, "You're always making decisions without me. Always keeping me out of the loop." At this point, Gajeel released the fire mage, who just stood at the same place without moving.

"That's a pathetic excuse to punch Sting!" Lucy retorted, her voice was shaking with anger and the tears were threatening to fall. Something snapped inside of Natsu. Just the thought of her, being all protective about the light dragon slayer, pissed him off. He took a couple of steps over to Lucy. At this point, Sting looked cautiously at the fire mage. He couldn't tell what the pinkette was planning.
Gajeel watched the whole ordeal unfold. As of now, nearly every member in the guild had gathered outside to watch the fight that would soon pursue, especially after the first punch. The iron dragon-slayer gripped Levy back, in which she turned questioningly at him, but he shook his head in response.

Don't get involved

Lucy took one last breath before the fire mage was directly in front of her. His shadow towering over her. Taking a closer inspection, she noticed the tired, bloodshot eyes and the unruly hair that remained unkempt. She also took note of how his ragged breath struggled to work calmly.
Natsu looked directly in her brown orbs. She had changed. She was no longer the girl that he saved back in Hargeon. She was no longer the girl that depended on him for support. The one that promised to be by his side. The one that everyone branded her as his. She was no longer his Luce.

"Is this payback? For what I did to you?" Natsu whispered. Immediately, the memories flowed into the celestial mage and her heart began to hammer painfully in her chest.

"Are you getting back at me? For the hurt that I've put you through?" Sting clenched his fist. Was he really putting her on the spot? In front of everyone? What a bastard.

"I'm sorry Lucy. I didn't know that I was making you feel like that. I didn't know you felt like that. You should have said something." Lucy almost gasped. Slowly, she raised her head in confidence and fixed her hardened gaze on the pink-haired mage before her.

"Say something?," Her fists shook. "I tried Natsu. I tried to say something." This time, she pounded her fists onto his chest. "I've tried everything to talk to you. You were the one that kept pushing me away. You were the one that kept pushing me down. Pulling me apart until I was on my own."

Lucy stopped her arms and just rested them on the fire mage's chest. "I tried Natsu. Okay? I tried. You kept ignoring me until..." damn. The memories really hurt like hell. "...until that happened. But don't worry." The pinkette raised an eyebrow. Don't worry?

"You see, I've decided to move on. Not to stay behind in the past. I've decided long ago to cut ties with those closest to me. So that it won't happen again and I won't get hurt." Natsu watched as she took a step back. He realized her eyes were empty of emotion. Like a doll.

"So please stay the hell away from me, Natsu. And don't think anymore that things will go back to what it was before." Without showing a shed of feelings, the blonde woman turned, helped Sting up and walked directly pass the fire mage.

"You were gone for three years, Lucy! I had to live with the guilt for three years! I didn't know when you were coming. Or if you were even coming back. I swear I regret reacting the way I did every day, Luce. And living after that day was hell for me. It still is." There was a slight pause of footsteps. Regardless, Natsu looked down in shame and trained his eyes on the ground.

"You'd need to earn my trust Natsu." Eyes widened, his head shot up with a mix of shock and hope,

"But it won't be easy. That's all I can say now." And with that, the two walked back into the guild.

Leaving Sting at the bar, Lucy walked to the Quest Board, grabbed any request that seemed befitting and brought it to Mira, who was talking with the light dragon slayer. The celestial mage placed the paper onto the wooden bench and requested for this to be granted.

"Sure thing, Lucy." The white-haired mage replied enthusiastically, not wanting to dampen the foul mood. After receiving approval, the two left the guild without sparing at least a glance back.

A few minutes later, Mira smiled pitifully at the fire dragon slayer who sat at her bar, drinking his second serving of fire whiskey. The rest of Team Natsu had just arrived, of course with Gray being the first one to throw Natsu's belongings at the fire mage angrily before realizing that the flame brain didn't react at all. Erza ignored the entire thing since it wasn't causing any trouble. Happy had gone with Wendy and Carla at their house and Lisanna went straight home to unload her things.
The fire mage sighed for the umpteenth time and by now, this didn't go unnoticed by the Take-over mage.

"Problems with life, Natsu?" Mira hummed quietly, after returning from giving a load of beer to Cana, who was drinking her way at the further corners of the bar. The teen shrugged in response and gripped his cup, slowly swirling the contents whilst peering inside.

"I don't know whats wrong with me, Mira." Natsu began, "It's no secret that I've broken what we had. But just seeing her with Sting just makes me so mad. It's like she's replacing me with that- that- idiot!" Natsu exclaimed dramatically. Mira smiled knowingly to herself.

"That's your answer, Natsu." The barmaid said softly. "That's exactly how she felt when you spent time with Lisanna and less with her. She felt like she was being replaced." Mira paused. It wasn't that she didn't want Lisanna with Natsu, but she knew that the fire and celestial mage loved each other and it would really be sad if neither of them didn't see it. Especially with the way things are.

"What should I do? I don't want this to continue. I just want her back and Sting out."

Mira chuckled, "Well... it's not like they would need your help on their mission." The said dragon slayer perked up, "Mission? They went on a mission? Together?!" The barmaid shrugged her shoulder in an innocent act of not knowing.

"I don't know. It's not like I knew that they are going to Mt. Hakobe to retrieve rare medicine for a family." There was a big grin plastered on the pink-haired teen. Feeling pumped, he quickly picked up his thrown belonging and rushed out of the guild, not before turning around at the front of the guild doors,

"Thanks Mira, I owe you one!" Before running off and slamming the doors in his wake due to his excitement. Curious looks were shot to the barmaid. Of course, the white-haired beauty was always up to no good. Feeling bold, the iron dragon slayer and his bookworm companion walked over to the takeover mage who was humming giddily to herself. Of course, the pair didn't miss the evil sparkle in her eyes.

"Where is the goofball going?" Gajeel thumbed over to the door. Slowly, Mira turned over to the dragon slayer who felt shivers run up his spine. She broke into a wide smile.

"I don't know." Mira said a little too innocently, "I wouldn't dare to tell him where Lucy and Sting were going to have their mission up on Mt. Hakobe," And with another innocent act of putting down her cloth and holding a thinking expression on her face.
"He even looked excited."

"Mira!" Levy exclaimed. But the white-haired mage waved her hand to the blue-haired script mage,

"Oh come on, Levy! Wouldn't this be fun? The tension of two best friends? Of different genders? Doesn't this excite you in the least?" The take-over mage gushed, but the bookworm folded her arms.

"It's not the tension I'm worried about." Levy stated, looking around as her eyes settled on someone that just walked in.

"I'm more concerned with their feelings. There are some things that can be resolved. Like friendships." The blue-haired mage watched as the figure walked towards them.

"And there are some things that can't. Like the past. And the pain."

Wow.

I've finally finished this story. I'm actually quite busy right now with work and school but I'll make sure to upload new chapters within a two-week deadline at the most.

Any who - I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as I did.

Lots of love,

B7K