A/N - What I had planned for this chapter did not fully come thru, but that will be for the next chapter, instead! What came forward with this chapter I actually thoroughly enjoy!

Hopefully everyone also likes it!

Former Arrangements

By Genavere

Chapter Sixteen

Happy pressed himself into Lucy's chest, his arms gripped her tight. It had been so long since he had seen them, and to find them alive and normal. If the rain had not been falling, his tears and snot would have made her ragged nightgown wet. Around him, he felt her arms wrap tightly around him, and then Natsu's arms tightened around her.

They were together again. Their small family.

Lucy let out a soft laugh, her face nuzzling against the top of Happy's head. Yet, the relief they had felt in that moment was crushed as the giant monster stomped down a stone foot into the ground, another step in their direction. Four sets of eyes stared up at it in terrified awe.

"What did you bring along with you, cat!?" Lucy shouted out in anger, though her arms tightened. Her eyes narrowed at the creature. Happy was part of her nakama, and no one was allowed to hurt or scare him.

"He was human when I first ran into him! I swear! He even smelled slightly similar to Natsu."

"How did that thing smell like me, Happy!?" Natsu glared at the cat, ready to argue with his long time buddy about smells and how he definitely was not like that thing, by look or smell!

Its whole body seemed made of stone, a mountain that just picked itself up and grew legs to chase their exceed friend. But if it used to be a human, how had it grown so large, or managed to become rock-like? From their positions, they could not see any facial features to discern what exactly it was.

"Dammit." Gray risked a look back to see if Erza might be heading their way yet, or if anyone else might be close. He had energy and magic, but fighting against a literal mountain was something else entirely. And as much as he believed in his friends, he could not tell what happened during their captivity.

Without a shirt on, it was clear that Natsu's body had lost muscle mass. Lack of food and possibly the ability to keep up his workout regimen ate away the normally pronounced muscles. Under normal circumstances, if given the chance, he could eat the guild out of food and still be hungry. High energy, fire magic, and a metabolism set to match would have worked against him with only prison food for substance.

None of that took into the account that he had been poisoned earlier and been fighting before anyone else arrived to help.

And Lucy was in no condition to fight. The blood that ran down her leg mixed with the rain and dripped from her heel and toes. Her bruised form suggested that she had more injuries. It increased the urgency to get her to Wendy. As much as it pained him to admit it, this was a battle none of them could risk carrying out.

"Natsu!"

"Yeah, I know." Natsu looked this new enemy up and down, eyes narrow. If they were able to find a weakness, one good hit could take it out. There had been plenty of mountains he had destroyed throughout the years. This would be just like those times because nothing would keep him from getting Lucy to safety.

"Happy, take care of Lucy." He carefully set her down on the ground gently, his hands tucking the coat around her tighter and Happy. Their eyes met. He noticed her jaw begin to chatter and pressed his lips in a line. "I am going to take this guy out with one move and get us home."

She smiled, shoulders hunched forward. "We trust you."

Filled with resolve, he stood and both he and Gray stepped forward to place themselves in front of Lucy. A Dragon's Roar would not be enough to end this enemy right away. That meant he had to strike hard right away. Start with something that could end it all in one strike.

"Gray," they both glared at the enemy, "I need you to follow my attack up if it's still standing after. Lucy needs to get to Wendy."

"You got it." Gray took a step back, ready to attack if needed. He trusted that the flame brain would do his best, but they both knew never to underestimate an enemy. Their cocky days of the past had been slowly beaten out of them a time or more.

Flames gathered around Natsu's fists, his eyes hard on the mountain before them. Muscles flexed and tensed. Taking in a breath, he charged forward over the wet ground, the stolen boots giving enough grip to gain speed. Flames built up around him, eyes alight from them. The ground buckled inward as he dug his foot down hard and leapt into the air.

High above the rock creature, he pulled back his fist, ready to strike with all the strength he had. "Purgatory Slashing Dragon Fire!"

Silence filled the clearing.

Fist met stone. Rage filled heat met cold stone.

A blinding flash of fire filled the sky and surrounding area, followed by the deafening roar of the explosion that erupted from the clash.

Gray kept his stance at ready, struggling to keep his eyes open from the pain of the light. Even Lucy and Happy covered their eyes with a raised arm as they tried to see what happened.

Fire spread around to the nearby trees, hissing as the rain fell down on and around it. Smoke and steam brought the visibility down even further. Natsu landed on his feet a distance from the enemy, standing against the heat and force that blew back from the attack. They all waited for a sign or a clearing of the area to see what had become of the moving mountain.

A moment passed, then two. Lucy laughed, smiling as tears mixed with the rain and hugged Happy close. Against such a foe, he had done it. She watched the shadows dance over Natsu's back, still appreciating the fact that he was her partner. That he willingly took her by his side and loved her with his entire being.

"We can go home now…" Pain and exhaustion took its toil on her. The desire to go home welled up into her throat and she sobbed. A long, near-boiling bath with one of her favorite books. Sleeping on their bed, under their blankets that encased her in the heavenly scent of him. Going to guild or a restaurant to gorge themselves on greasy foods until they were both broke—she knew neither would want to cook when they got home, or had enough groceries to make a dent. All she truly wanted was to finally rest with her family.

Against her arms, she felt the warmth of Natsu's scarf wrapped around Happy and the distinctive hum of magic from her keys. At their touch, her mind filled with relief from her spirits that she was safe and alive.

Everything was right again.

Another beat passed and everything was still. Natsu turned to them, a proud smile split his lips as he headed back. Even Gray could not help but be impressed. Being the strongest—and most destructive—team in the guild had its advantages at time. It had become their staple after news of them completing a 100-year quest made the rounds.

"If you are done showing off, let's get going to the rendezvous point," Gray said, a slight smile on his own face. There was no lie when he knew it would be good to have the two of them back again after almost two weeks. Even the flame-brain, if he had to admit it. Fairy Tail just was not the same without two of his closest friends. "I will call ahead and let Wendy know tha—" Tremors sent the ground rolling, sending them back and forth for balance. "What the hell…!"

Even sitting on the ground, Lucy found herself struggling to keep herself upright. Needing both of her arms, she released Happy and tried to keep herself steady. He grabbed her arm, trying to help keep her steady while trying to stay up on his own feet.

Lightning flashed across the skies. The land coated in a ray of shadows and light.

Their eyes widened. The remaining flames and smoke swirled, extinguished faster from the storm.

Thunder rumbled and deafened them.

Gray's lips moved in a yell, his fist bruising his palm from the force. Swirls of magic swept around him.

Natsu dove forward in an attempt to avoid the blow headed directly for him.

A blast of cold air pushed everyone back, throwing them against the tremulant ground. From the smoke, an arm of rocks hovered above the fire dragon who heaved out a breath under it. It had aimed to pulverize him into a splatter of blood and bone dust. Rocks shifted, still pressing downward to achieve that goal. Only one thing saved him from being a smear on the ground: a longsword of ice wielded by a near perfect ice replicate of the Celestial King. Mustache and all.

"W-what the—Moustache!?" Natsu and Lucy stared in awe at the ice creation as it pushed the large rock creature back and continued fighting. They had seen Gray create a dragon once before during their fight against Ignia, but never the Celestial King! Back then, the dragon had been a last ditch move the Ice Make Wizard had been able to do before he collapsed of exhaustion.

Unwilling to stay there, Natsu hurried over the trembling ground the best he could. His footing slipped on the wet grass, his body sore from lack of use and the fighting he had already done. The last attack had taken a chunk of his energy, but he could not stop. Not until she was safe!

"Natsu!"

His head jerked up, looking passed Gray to where he had left Lucy and Happy. He watched her struggle to stay up with her numb leg. By her, Happy stood frozen, staring at the fight taking place behind Natsu.

A roar shook the air around them, nearly as bad as the ground below that groaned and heaved. Dirt columns jutted out, cracks began to spread across the clearing, and holes that dropped into nothing formed.

Another area saw the land split open, trees, rocks, and decorations from of the garden fell into the crevice. Then, nearly as fast as it had torn open, the two edges of earth slammed together. Anything that had fallen between them had been flattened.

Gray dug his fingers into the ground in an attempt to get to the prone woman. Both him and Natsu tried to work their way over as they watched her do the same.

Happy untied his knapsack and flew up, unable to trust what he saw as the earth shook his vision. Fear filled his small body as the ice structure fought against what had once resembled a mountain. "Natsu! That thing that was chasing me is changing!" Below him, the three wizards, still fighting the violent tremors, grew separated. A chunk of land jutted up unevenly between them like a spike.

"Lucy!" The wind started up around them and stole Natsu's voice. Rain poured down on them—managing to overwhelm his heat, too. He looked up at the Exceed and yelled for his attention, to get him to get Lucy away from here, to go to Wendy, but again his words vanished.

As the winds snapped, Happy fought as it swirled around him. Covering his eyes from the rain that pelted and stabbed him. Desperation filled him. Desperate to see what it was changing into. From the darkness, two large scaled wings pierced the smoke and fog. The large rock cylinder that the Ice Celestial King parred against drew back into the mist and disappeared. In its place, a large, rock and wood scaled claw swiped forward. The King barely managed to lift his sword in time to block the blow that would have severed him to pieces.

Triangular teeth gnashed together between strong jaws, and reptilian eyes rolled forward and focused on the enemy wizards. Its head jerked back and another loud roar pierced through the air, drowning out the sound of thunder and catching the attention of all those in the area.

"It's a dragon!" Happy wailed, screaming out, flying down to warn Natsu to his face. The ground lurched sharply, the once small cracks in the ground became chasms that fell into darkness. Then the earth slammed back together with a spray of debris forced up from the impact.

Gray and Natsu both cried out as the ground under Lucy rip apart.

Three sets of eyes widened in terror.

Hands grasped at anything that would save her. Wet blades of grass cut her palms. Mud gathered under her nails. One desperate attempt brought the green knapsack clenched between her fingers. "Natsu!" Only one of her legs could move to kick against the slick dirt sides of the chasm as the other dangled uselessly. There was nothing for her to stop from sliding form.

Weightlessness surrounded her at the last bit of earth disappeared from under her. Air left her lungs, refusing even a gasp. Her insides felt like they were squeezed up by her pounding heart. Tears mixed with raindrops. Brown eyes widened as Happy switched directs to fly towards her. His mouth wide, screaming something that must have been her name. In that moment, she noted that he had tears in his eyes, too.

Would it hurt, she wondered. Hair wrapped around her face. The shirt and coat Natsu gave her for warmth fluttered away from her form. In the end, she would not even have his scent to comfort her.

The opened grew smaller, shuddered as it prepared to heave back together. Happy grew closer to it. "No," she breathed, not wanting him to die with her. "T-turn back!" A sob choked her. Closing her eyes, she imagined Natsu's smiling face and pulled her keys to her chest.

While she knew that there had been healing they both had to go through, the thought of never having their own Nashi pained her heart. After all they had gone through, the pain and deaths of loved ones. Why had it come to end like this? Why had her past come forward to hurt those she loved again?

They had just become a family under one roof.

Mornings of pans clashing together, her yelling at both of them as they caused trouble in the kitchen, flour getting everywhere like it always did while they tried to bake bread.

Waking up next to each other. No panics. No terror. Just warm, sleepy smiles and lingering kisses.

Laying on the couch together, his chest warming her back as she read out loud for him and Happy, who would lay next to them. The story would have been about the dragon being the protagonist and the knight the bad one. One day, she had hoped his warm hands would have wrapped around her and held her pregnant belly as she had seen Gajeel do to Levy in sweet, tender moments.

Loan groans made her ears vibrate at the depth of them. The dirt walls heaved and shuddered. Her eyes snapped open in fear. Desperately, she reached upwards, not wanting to give up. Not wanting to die yet. "Natsu! Happy!"

Claws dug into her chest as pure white feathers fluttered around her. Arms wrapped around the Exceed. The light around her brightened and everything shuddered under a roar. A breath caught in her throat and the earth slammed together.

A/N - Sorry, not sorry for the cliffhanger. As soon as I wrote that last sentence, I knew that it would be the end of the chapter.

Also, I was trying to remember exactly what Natsu called the Celestial King, but my Manga set is not to that portion of the story, and with my husband home, I try not to watch FT since he isn't the biggest fan. If I addressed him wrong, please let me know and I will change it!

Hope you enjoyed! Chapter 17 is already in the works and it will be amazing (I hope)!