Chapter Thirty-Eight

Their Plan

Beautiful Trauma - Pink & Die for You - The Weeknd

(ps. not edited)

I watched as Erza slowed to a stop ahead of us, her horse reacting to the firm tug she gave the reins. Natsu, seated behind me, followed her example, eyes keenly observant of our surroundings. The mood was serious, plagued with the knowledge that we were getting closer to…

My home.

The Stars.

Ultear was the first to dismount, two silver, floating orbs following her mid-air. She had been tracking our progress - and more importantly any movements from others since we left the Moltens. Although she had said her ability to track had a wide span, I could tell she was anxious about the fact she hadn't sensed any life since we entered the Southern forest.

And by any life, I meant that from a point where we left the Moltens, we had come across countless animal bodies. Something had wiped out a large amount of wildlife, and even though we hadn't found any human, I knew we all were fearing the worse the closer we got to the Stars.

We all followed Ultear's movement, as she approached Erza.

"Problem?"

"Just a feeling." Erza murmured, her deep eyes narrowed in concentration, "Natsu. Jackal. Can you smell anything?"

Natsu took a deep breath in, ignoring Jackal, who I had enlisted to help with this mission. It had been a short conversation.

And I hated that this might be viewed as a disobedient display by Zeref, which meant Jackal could be punished.

But he had waved the concern away, telling me that I had avenged his life previously so it was within his means to do as he deemed fit to return the favour. I believed he returned the favour by allowing me into Natsu's cell when I had originally done my little death act, but apparently vengeance to a demon is much more important than I had once thought.

"Yes. But… I can't place it." Natsu murmured, eyebrows furrowing as he scented the air again.

"A smell you haven't come across before?" Erza asked, glancing at Jackal who had come to stand beside us, also attempting to sniff out whatever he could.

"It is the dead." Jackal stated, surely, but added after with a slightly apprehensive confused note, "But it is… also not."

"I think you need to get your nose fixed, puppy. That, is not possible." Ultear stated playfully, and I smiled reluctantly although her attempt to lighten the mood was weighed down heavily by the ominous unknown mixed with the terrifying known.

Not knowing what we were approaching in the Stars, what the situation was like, how many survivors there were, but also knowing that the creature behind it all had almost killed Natsu and destroyed the Molten castle from such a distance.

Someone that had pushed Acnologia to the brink of death.

"As much as I hate to say it, he's right. It has the sour, decaying stench of death. But, there's something beating there. Something alive." Natsu agreed, looking up to the sky as if it would give him an answer for such an oddity.

Erza frowned harder, opening her mouth to question further when the final member of our party spoke, sidling up lazily to stand beside me.

"You cannot feel it, Princess Lucy?"

I turned to Bickslow, who still wore his mask, and his usual baggy clothing. His posture was relaxed and I couldn't see his eyes, but I somehow knew they were pinned on me.

"I am shielding very heavily right now," I informed him carefully, not wanting to show him exactly how out of control my power was ever since the attack, "But even if I was not, I have no idea if I would be able to sense anything."

"Perhaps, if you would wish it, I could lend you some of my focus." Bickslow offered softly, and there was an odd note of… understanding there. I stared up into the mask covering most of his face, feeling like there was something he was trying to tell me.

"Lucy and I agreed that we would be careful about using her powers before the given time." Erza stated loudly, breaking my concentration from Bickslow. He turned the faceless mask to her, tilting his head.

He did not say anything but to me, the silence was enough. It spoke of something that perhaps, Erza would never understand.

And maybe, I would.

"We will give it a shot."

The words left my mouth bravely, and I squeezed Natsu's hand softly, sucking in as much strength and courage as I could. Erza shifted, clearly ready to argue with some fashionable logic, but Bickslow swift nod made her still.

"Since your power has a strong affinity to soul magic, I will use my own control and focus to help you manifest it."

I willed myself to be strong, nodding in agreement because it made sense.

If anyone here was going to suit my power best, wouldn't Bickslow be the most obvious choice?

"I will let down only a small portion of my shields. Please do not poke or try to get past them." I told him seriously because my power, was not silent behind my shields. It was thick, bright and thrumming with emotions, ready to snap out, ready to explode around me.

I would have never believed that my control would grow so much from the first scream but being able to function, and continue on with such a volatile growing energy inside me made me slightly proud. And terrified what would happen when I allowed it to take me over.

For the first time since I had known him, the playful aura around him was gone. That's how I knew that if there was a chance I could sense whatever he was talking about, I had to feel it myself. I had to try.

We moved away from the group, and luckily, they gave us some semblance of privacy. Of course, Natsu was watching Bickslow like a hawk, which made my shoulders relax slightly, amused that he still remembered the kiss that Bickslow had forced on me when we first met.

"Okay." I took a deep breath in, steadying myself. I felt the solid reassurance of the soil, the forest floor beneath my feet. The brisk, but subdued wind whistling through the trees. The late morning sun bearing down on us, lighting the way through to where we were needed.

"Let's get this over with." I trusted Bickslow to know what he was doing because I had never used another persons focus with my own power before. When we had been attacked, I realised that my experience with my power… was pathetic to say the least.

Something inside me trembled and I banished the thought away, sending it deep into that white abyss that fed on that negativity, screaming out for the blood of the one who hurt, who attacked and attempted to rip all I loved away from me.

The one that had succeeded and left Acnologia…

Bickslow placed his hands over my eyes, and I wanted to inform him my power didn't work very well without eyesight but I just steadied my breathing, listening to the thump-thump-thumping of my heart in my chest.

I peeled the thick shield that I had built up like the corner of a wet piece of paper, making it loosen, more easy to move, to shake. The drop of power that leaked out send a shudder through me, and in extension Bickslow.

I ignored that, feeling the energy in my veins, pulsing around my body like a million tiny ants, stomping, making it's presence known. Tasted it on the tip of my tongue and it was a depraved, heady thing. Ready to force it's dominance on all who fought against it.

I was swept up in the emotions of it running around in my body, that I almost forgot what we were doing. Luckily, Bickslow's soft, "Lucy" made me slowly place the shield back up, solidifying the image of it within my mind, making sure no more of that white mist could slip out.

I could feel the moment Bickslow used his own control and focus to direct my power to the ground, to give it a way out that didn't mean bloodshed.

Yet.

There was nothing trembling or afraid about his self-control. I somehow knew Bickslow had learnt the hard-way about control because it was stable, unshakable and solid.

It almost felt like weights on my shoulders, keeping me to the ground, not allowing me to fly away. I wondered if Bickslow felt like his power made him worried he would drift away.

"Focus."

The minute he said it, my eyes which I had closed when he covered them, snapped open. Instead of seeing the covered darkness of my restricted eyesight, I saw flashes. People. Men, women. No, no children. They loitered, their bodies moving sluggishly, their posters slumped.

Skin ashen.

Dark, purple like veins stuck to their skin but when I tried to peer closer, the image was swept away.

It continued for a few minutes and I wanted so badly to help them, to cure them. To reverse whatever this other Banshee has done but… then I felt it.

They weren't… there.

I pulled away from Bickslow sharply. The horrifying image of lifeless, dull eyes sinking into my brain. It was like a door had been abruptly slammed, echoing in my head, rattling through my bones.

"What is it?" Erza demanded, warm hands grasping my shoulders firmly, grounding me to where I was standing.

"They…" I gasped out, unable to find the words.

"We saw people. I could start to sense them once we started to see the dead animals. But I knew something was strange and didn't want to say anything until I understood why I could only see them, and not their… souls." Bickslow's voice was tight with pain, and I knew he understood how horrifying it was to witness such a crime.

"She's taken the souls out of the villagers and made them into these mindless… things."

"Zombies." Ultear stated, making us all turn to her, "It's one of the only stories that the Dark War has left us. The Swarm That Took Morto."

Morto was one of the strongest fortes in Fiora once upon a time but after the Dark War, it had been destroyed and deserted. I had never heard the story but Jackal seemed to have as well. He had no trouble informing us of what he knew.

"Morto's destruction was due to the experimentation with an undead army. They call it a swarm because without souls, humans are very weak but with enough numbers, they attack like incessant insects or animals. They listen to the one master who ripped their soul away."

"I had heard of the tale but I was positive it was only a horror story." Bickslow murmured, and something told me he had hoped it was only a horror story.

"Is there a chance they can be saved? That their souls can be returned to them?" I demanded, hysteric for an answer. Jackal glanced at Natsu, as if asking for permission then shook his head sadly.

"No. From what I know, the process of turning a human being into an undead… zombie destroys the soul entirely. They do not go to any place, they just… cease to exist entirely."

Sadness and pain washed through me and I felt tears pool in my eyes at the loss of lives that we hadn't been quick enough to save. Erza squeezed my shoulders, and I accepted the small comfort before Natsu moved over to me and took me in his arms.

I cuddled into his chest, wiping my face on his shirt which was soft. The rest of us had donned fighting armour, but Natsu remained relaxed in his normal clothes. Probably because there was no point of him wearing something similar to my three piece ensemble, some light-weight fairy-made steel breast plate, that criss-crossed around my back, connecting to the flexible, but sturdy material that apparently dragons wore when battling in their half-forms.

Wendy had stitched up the tail hole for me.

And to protect my stomach, a golden mid-piece that glinted in the sun, and was the heaviest piece I was wearing. Probably because it wasn't made of fairy-steel, which was the lightest steel you could get that was good in combat.

I let Natsu squeeze me, noticing how Ultear walked over to Bickslow reluctantly. She then patted him on the head.

"There, there."

"I am not upset." His voice still remained haunted, and I suddenly had a childish wish that Bickslow would return to the wild, free-spirit type he had been previously. But when I had asked for his help, knowing his knowledge on souls and the like would be irreplaceable, he had bowed and accepted immediately.

Like a soldier.

A soldier that I had no idea existed.

"Neither am I. Doesn't mean we can't get a little bit of compassion going between friends, right?"

Bickslow's head tilted, then he chuckled as he lifted his own hand, placing it on her head.

"Right." He returned her two pats and I found myself smiling slightly, watching them.

Once everyone had composed themselves and come to the realisation that the Banshee had made these… zombies, for obviously one particular reason, the next question was a needed one.

It still made me feel horrible, though.

"You say they are undead. How do we kill them?" Erza asked Jackal, throwing me a canteen of water from her horse and I shared it with Natsu, resting my legs by sitting on a low hanging branch.

"I heard the Light side… used the elements to annihilate the swarm. Apparently going at them with swords and the like will only incapacitate them briefly. You can cut them to pieces if you like but they still come after you."

"Healing capabilities?"

"They are dead, they have none." Bickslow stated surely, "It makes sense that they used the four elements to defeat them previously. If death, or the otherworldly power is keeping them here and fuelling their bodies, then the four natural elements of the land would be the exact opposite to what they need to survive."

"Don't forget, the stories say they are blood thirsty." Ultear chimed in, "And if they were after warm blood, the death and mutilation of our late fuzzy forest friends makes a lot more sense."

I screwed my nose up at her words, before asking hesitantly, "So, is overwhelming numbers the only thing they have up against us?"

"Sharp teeth. They aren't notably stronger than any normal human, but they are quick. Very quick." Jackal nodded, as if remembering what he had been told. I had to wonder exactly how much knowledge the Vapid's had about the war and other sensitive topics.

"So we avoid getting trapped by them, their sharp teeth and run like hell if they decide to play tag with us." Ultear summarised, "Should be easy."

Natsu chuckled at her words, "Don't forget, you need the power of the elements. At the moment, Ultear has ice magic which I guess you could affiliate with water, but the rest of you…" He trailed off, and we all knew what he meant.

Erza fought with fae-magic and swords, Bickslow fought with his own soul power and Jackal… he fought with explosions.

I frowned, "Well, Jackal has explosion magic, doesn't he? Can't that be a… relative, for lack of better word, for fire?"

"Don't insult me like that." Natsu leaned forward, biting my ear and I smiled behind my hand softly, knowing that what I said was possibly right.

"You will not have to worry about me," Erza stated surely, "My part of the plan comes later, as does Natsu. We will not be here to fend off the original swarm."

"Right." Ultear clicked her fingers, "I almost forgot. You guys aren't staying."

"No, they aren't." I pressed, "They need to go. And I trust that if the zombies have spread that far, they can both handle them just fine." And that was the honest truth. I couldn't imagine any number of zombies stand-in cup to the pillars of strength that were Natsu and Erza. It felt like the both of them had stuck by me through everything.

Erza smiled at me proudly, her one eye twinkling and I knew she was happy I believed she could handle herself. Natsu just grinned as if it was a given but I could see the worry and stress in his eyes. He was not the biggest supporter of the plan that Ultear and I had made.

But he had agreed to follow it.

"Then, it's just Bickslow we have to worry about." I stated, frowning at Bickslow. I got the strangest feeling he was grinning at my concern and smiled a little when he swept into a low bow.

"Seeing as I am your back-up, Princess Lucy, I will be your guard. Which means we can leave most of the rough-housing to the witch and the demon."

"Making us do all the work, I see." Ultear sniped at him playfully, her hand coyly reaching out to touch his mask, curling her fingers around the edge of it. He remained still, a head taller than her, relaxed as she tried to tug it off.

"Maybe if you show me those pretty baby blues, I might feel inclined to protect your cute little tush."

Erza snorted out a laugh and I bit my lip, sniffling my own giggle at her words.

Very gently, he touched her hand and removed it from tugging at his mask, leaning down to whisper mischievously, "I humbly apologise, my Lady, but my eyes are not blue so I feel that you would be disappointed."

"Are they brown?" Ultear blinked up at him, an impish, coy smile on her face as she brought her hand back-up. He caught that one as well, before she could get too close, not answering her.

"My mother always told me not to believe people with brown eyes because they are full of shit."

I gasped, appalled at this and Erza shook her head, as if she had heard it before. Natsu chuckled, rubbing his hand through my hair, as we all watched them. They pretended like we weren't even here, and their light-hearted, dare-I-speculate flirting helped the atmosphere lighten, and our bonds strengthen.

"What did she tell you about green eyes?"

"That if a guy ever showed me them, to spread my legs and-"

"Ultear." Erza cautioned, ever the vigilant one about polite conversation, which I always found strange since Eileen was the undisputed champion at bringing up uncomfortable and lewd topics in public.

I wondered if that made Erza more easily flustered or disgusted when discussing them in the open air.

Ultear pouted, eyes never moving from Bickslow's mask, "I'll get you to show me your eyes one day, Mister."

"You can certainly try, I always appreciate a good chase."

It was the most bizarre match that I could ever have guessed but watching Ultear saunter away, tugging on Jackal's ear as she passed, then listening to Bickslow chuckle as he watched her, made me believe that maybe, just maybe, Bickslow could be a good match for Ultear.

They were both free-spirits. They were both insanely strong but rather quiet about it. Ultear had a lot of confidence, Bickslow was terribly cocky.

I frowned, leaning closer to whisper to Natsu, "Would it be a good thing or a bad thing if Ultear and Bickslow got together?" He ducked his head down to listen to me, and chuckled at my question.

"The universe would either implode on itself or rejoice on such a wonderful connection."

"Do you think Jellal is going to be mad at you when we go back to the Moltens?" I asked Erza as she packs up her gear into a small bag, to give to Ultear for safe-keeping until we meet up again. I felt insanely bad that Erza had opted not to tell Jellal of our plan, despite her assuring me endlessly that it was her decision and not at all my fault.

"I think he will be mad at first, but not for the reasons you may think." She stated softly, "He will be upset that he was not here to protect me, not that I did not invite him along."

"He worked hard to be a Knight. All of us here… with some fighting, we can keep our titles, not matter how the world sees this mission…" I murmured, worried about their relationship and what this would do to strain it.

Erza nodded in agreement, "I know he will be thankful for that part, but I left him a letter. Hopefully once he reads it for the sixth time, because Jellal likes to dwell, he would have calmed down enough to pray for me."

"I hope so too." I reached out and grasped her hand, stilling her from tying up the top of the bag. She turned to me and stupidly, I felt tears fill my eyes. A soft, sisterly smile flowed over her face and she brought her other hand up to touch under my cheeks.

"I am worried."

"You have no need to be." Erza stated firmly, "You will not be harmed."

"I'm not worried about me Erza. I'm worried that I'll never be able to attend your wedding. I'm worried that I'll never be able to ask your advice anymore. I'm worried that I won't be able to house you when you fight with your husband."

Erza smiled at my words, before stopping, her eyes clearing, looking at me sharply. I knew she was finally understanding it. Finally getting why I was so worried about her in particular.

"Lucy…"

I pressed my lips together, feeling a sob build up in my throat. Tears stung at my eyes, and her face remained calm, collected as she asked very softly.

"Have you seen it?"

I shook my head slowly, "But I can feel it." There was something sticking to Erza. A warning. A black cloud, lurking around her. It made my throat tight, and my chest heavy. Fear prickled at my senses because the last time I had felt this disorientated, and frightened, was… when…

"It's what you felt before Virgo died, isn't it?"

"I tried to get you to stay back." I whispered, closing my eyes tight as a few tears slipped free, my grip on her hands tightening, "But you wouldn't listen. Then everything with Acnologia happened and I foolishly thought that maybe it had changed… When Bickslow helped me see those zombies, I felt it again."

Erza was quiet for a few long seconds, before she stated, "If I must go down fighting, then I will. There is nothing more honourable than that."

"Erza, I beg of you." I whispered, keeping my voice low so I didn't spill what I felt to the whole group. I had a feeling that Natsu and Ultear, both of which I had kept it a secret from, would add fuel to the fire.

"I will not run away." Erza said fiercely, "If this is where I must die, then so be it."

"I am not asking you to run away Erza, I would never do that. But can you not change your destination? You can swap with Natsu."

"It is too late to swap." Erza stated, before stilling, "You already made us swap twice before… Did that not change anything?"

"It went away for a while, before turning darker. Which, I think, if my gut says anything, means sooner. You'd… go sooner." My voice trembled with the fear that burned through me at the idea of Erza… dying. I couldn't think about it. I didn't want to think about the Scream I would be forced to give out by losing someone so close.

I had already felt that with Virgo.

Erza pulled her hand out of my grasp, and touched my cheeks.

"Look at me." She demanded, her voice firm but low.

"Erza." I blinked a few more tears out of my eyes, trying to burn her face into my memory.

"I will not. You were not able to give Virgo warning. But this time, you know better. I will be careful, Lucy. I will be so very, very careful."

A sob left my mouth and I threw myself into her arms, squeezing her tightly, "Do not go Erza. Don't die. I need you alive. Jellal needs you alive."

"I won't." She promised, hugging me back, "You just have to trust me, not unlike the way I trusted you at the start of our mission. Hope is what fuels us, hope and utmost trust."

"I don't need to tell you to stay near Bickslow or Ultear at all times, do I?" Natsu stated, leaning against the tree, watching as I wiped away my tears.

"Why not Jackal?" I frowned at him.

"I don't like him."

"You don't like Bickslow."

"Huh." Natsu made a noise of self-discovery, "Then only stay near Ultear. She's easily my favourite out of the three."

"Even though she put your head through a wall and tricked you into eating those horrid beans?"

Natsu grinned as if the memory tickled his humour and I rolled my eyes at their strange relationship but felt like I wouldn't have it any other way. I glanced over to Erza, before turning to Natsu, keeping my voice low.

"The village you are going to… it's near Gajeel's shack, right?"

His eyebrows furrowed forward at my words, frowning in confusion, "Yeah but since Metalicana is at the castle, Gajeel is probably back at the palace there."

"Is it possible to get a message to him before you stop at the village or is that going to be cutting it too close?"

"I could probably fly like hell and get there in time to do everything but… why? What message would you need to get to Gajeel?"

I glanced over at Erza once more, before looking up into Natsu's eyes, "It's private. But I need his help."

Natsu stared down at me, clearly in shock since I didn't keep any secrets from him on purpose like this, and we had always had a fairly open, and honest relationship. But I knew what would happen if Natsu found out about Erza… We needed to remain concentrated, or at least, they did.

Natsu opened his mouth to question me further but I beat him to it, "I know it's horrible of me and I promise I'll explain everything after but I just need to know if you can get a message to him. I need… I need to do this."

His shoulders relaxed and he smiled softly, "You should have just told me you were going to tell me afterwards in the first place dummy."

"So, you can do it?"

"Yeah. What's the message?"

I stepped closer, keeping my voice lowered despite the fact that Jackal's ears were tilted in our direction and I was positive he was listening in.

"Give him Erza's location. Tell him to get there. No questions asked, and that if he finds Erza, I'll tell him the name of the fairy Erza is protecting. The one who left him hanging upside down."

Natsu raised his eyebrow before murmuring back, "I take it this is urgent?"

"Urgent as can be. As soon as you see him, he needs to be up in the air and going."

He nodded, his face echoing my seriousness, "I promise I'll get it to him Luce, you can trust me." Naive hope and relief rushed through me and I smiled up at him, wrapping my hands around his waist softly, sinking against his warm bare chest.

"I trust you more than anything in this world."

"Are you scared?"

"Terrified." I admitted, nuzzling my cheek against his chest, "But I know you'll make it." And nothing was sweeter than the realisation I hadn't seen any sort of darkness around him, ever.

"And I know you'll make it. As soon as I've done what I need to do, I'll be right there to help you kick ass."

I tightened my arms around him and leaned up on my tippy toes, pressing my lips against his. We stayed still for a long second, just touching, holding each other before his hand slid up, and anchored into my braid. His strong fingertips pressed into my scalp, his lips moving against mine possessively.

It was everything our kiss was supposed to be. Heat, power and energy poured over our bodies, charging ourselves up and that new part of me, the one that recognised herself as a Queen, gave her King as much strength as she took. When I accepted Natsu's ring, and by extension his proposal, I never expected there to be any actual ritual into swearing in a new Queen.

And unlike, a lot of other hilariously difficult parts of my life, the power of being a dragon queen, of accepting that title flowed over me like silk. It turns out that distance dragon I must have inherited from Acnologia helped the transition from just Natsu's love, to his queen and future ruler of his kingdom.

It was like being connected to every single dragon, near and far, a constant buzzing of wings. I had likened it to a hive-mentality and Natsu hadn't been impressed. But it was amazing. The power we shared now, was nothing compared to the power before.

And for some reason, I felt like Natsu was a lot more… one with himself than he had ever been from when I had met him.

When we pulled apart, Ultear was hollering and Erza was trying to desperately quieten her. I smiled up at him, my lips pleasantly numb, and lifted my hand up to his cheek.

"My King."

He pressed his lips against my fingers, then bit my knuckle, at the exact same spot he had down when we first made the companionship link. The memory sent a fresh jolt of hope and love through me that I couldn't help but smile wider, a little misty-eyed about how much we had grown together.

"My Queen."

"Alright, enough of this. We have a strict schedule to keep." Ultear clicked her fingers at us before turning to Erza, barking out all sorts of commands. I reluctantly pulled away from him, knowing she was right and he whispered.

"I'll get the message to Gajeel."

"Thank-you, Natsu."

Once Erza had handed over what little things she had brought with her, she rolled her shoulders and her power began to build around her. I had seen Erza transform into her fae-self previously, which was with super fine wings that you really had to stare at to see but what I hadn't seen, was Natsu's full-form.

In fact, Erza and Bickslow were the only two who had seen a full-dragon form.

So, I settled in for the show besides Ultear who was munching on some trail mix. She gave me handful, chewing obnoxiously. Natsu threw her an amused look, stretching his spine and back, his muscles tensing and bunching with each movement the seemed to loosen every part of him.

"If only we had water to spray at him." Ultear murmured, not low enough for anybody to miss but quiet enough that I knew it was directed for me.

I was so busy enjoying the show that I just replied, "Yeah," dreamily.

If I was expecting blood, obscene muscles stretching and a severely pained Natsu, that is not at all what I got. In fact, the transformation was so fluent, so bizarrely beautiful that it left me speechless.

In his human form still, he launched himself up into the air with a skilled jump. The sun seemed to capture him like a spotlight, and then it burst out of his chest. Fire. A breathtaking display of all the fire possible in one place, flowing over his body, as it grew bigger and bigger until it was just a large sphere of pure elemental power.

I saw the wings and the tail first. Covered in red, almost ruby, glowing scales. Then the rest of his body came into view. He was massive. There were no words to explain how large he was and I suddenly understood why the Moltens had so much open areas without buildings or structures.

They housed creatures that were the size of four houses put together.

His belly, and chest were a lighter shade of pink, almost identical to his hair, blending in with the crimson fire of his scales that covered his back, wings, hide and legs. His talons looked as long and sharp, a dark grey, and the horns on his head were curled backwards slightly.

There was no sign of shadows or darkness, which made me believe that this was fully Natsu's dragon. Knowing his relationship with that side of him, I would speculate that he didn't think he could merge his demon and dragon power together.

The noise he made shook the floor, a low growl that made my heart pound in my chest, as he hovered above us in the air. Big, powerful and amazing. The sort that took your breath away and just made you gape for a few seconds so your brain could catch up.

We looked like ants compared to him but when he tipped forward slightly, easily manoeuvring n the air, his eyes found mine. They glowed red, a different sort of fire in their own right and smoke huffed out of his large nostrils, flooding us below with warmth.

Ultear made an affronted noise but I just reached out, trying to touch the scales on his nose. Since the area was so heavily covered with trees and the like, he wasn't able to land or even get closer to the ground.

"Honestly." Erza stated, amused before I was pulled from the ground easily. Erza flew me up with a hand on my arm, before dropping me gently onto Natsu's snout.

"I'll keep Ultear occupied for twenty seconds. Don't say I never did anything for you." Erza smiled at me softly, her eye full of determination and I felt even better that I had the foresight to send gajeel to her, for back-up. It was a strange plan, since I barely knew Gajeel but with someone helping her, I hoped and prayed she would survive.

I wanted to check her for that darkness, but I was too busy staring into the eyes of Natsu.

"You're huge."

He huffed, and we both ignored Ultear's aggravated yell.

I placed my hand on one of the scales on his head, smiling in wonder, "But you're beautiful."

His eyes stared back at me, but somehow, I knew he was smiling back. Maybe even blushing.

"I love you." I pressed more forehead against him, ignoring the sharp pain of the scales digging into me, "Stay safe and come find me."

Oh wow. Did I seriously just update when I said I was going to update?

Ohmylord.

A lot of big things happening in this chapter. We've got the Crew TM plus my two added friends. Before you ask, Gray was going to be coming along but what if everyone dies? We need to at least keep one royal alive to fix Fiora.

Let's all say sorry to our poor fuzzy forest friends because fresh decided to kill them all.

We finally get to see Natsu's full-dragon form. The idea of a tiny Lucy sitting on Natsu's snout, btw, is the funniest image I could ever conjure. And yes, that was a little bit of flirting between Ultear and Bickslow... I don't know why that happened, I just, that was not planned but I'm sort of happy it's there?

In where I abuse many question marks.

Thank you so much for all your kind words and 'it's okay to be buried by life, don't stress' even though as a full-time stresser, all I do is stress.

I'm so touched to see so many people still around, still kicking, still wanting to see how this turns out - you guys are amazing and I hope you enjoy this chapter. At this point, the end is about four or five chapters away. The next two chapters are going to riddled with fighting, answers about what happened to Lucy's kingdom in her absence, what about the other soldiers etc Leo, Capricorn and Taurus..., and more importantly, where does Lucy's wonderful A+ father fit into all this?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one guys so don't hold back.

Give me four-five days for the next chapter, and I'll see you soon x

stay fresh (and humble)

xo freshprincess.

ps. I have brown eyes and I was offended by Ultear's comment too. Little precious bish.