A/N: Hi guys. I know it's been a while and there's nothing I can say as to how sorry I am for leaving this story so long. School has been overwhelming to say the least this last semester, but I'm on holidays now and have much more time to write. Here's the newest chapter that has been causing me so many problems (you know writers block and all that fantastic bullshit haha). Anyways, I hope you guys like it.

Last time:

So what the f*ck was happening? It was so frustrating, not knowing where Lucy was and what was happening to her yet sensing there was something wrong. He bellowed his frustration and rammed the barrier. He just kept bashing it, his attacks fiercer and more powerful with each strike, but the barrier didn't break.

I have to get to Luce, I have to find her!

And now:

The members of Fairy Tail littered the floors and tables of the guild hall, tending to the wounds caused by their very own Natsu Dragneel during his rampage across the country. There were moans echoed by groans from each mages aches and pains. But that's what you get when you fight against Natsu and come between the pinkette and something he wants. Those who had been left untouched were the Strauss sisters and Master Makarov who had remained at the guild during Salamanders seizure, as well as the small number of those who had already been away on missions. At present, Mira and Lisanna were scurrying from person to person with medical supplies overflowing their arms and apron pockets, helping to dress their nakama's wounds and ease their pain as much as possible while the Master recalled all those who had been away to help reinforce the guilds defences and the security of Natsu's 'home-made' prison.

There was a loud slam that thundered through the hall, drawing everyone's attention to the guilds entrance where the large oak doors had been thrown open. Jet had arrived, huffing and puffing, with a blue bundle over one shoulder and a much smaller white fur ball under the other.

"Huuuhhh…" He placed the fur ball on the floor, his hat tipping slightly to the left. "I'm… sorry guys… haaahhh… we needed you here… as soon as possible…" Jet gently slid his blue bundle off his shoulder, settling it on its feet. It wobbled a bit. "You okay Wendy? Carla?" The High-Speed mage bent over, one hand on one knee, the other on Wendy's elbow to keep her steadied as he caught his breath. Jet, a member of team Shadow Gear along with Levy and Droy, had been called back early from his mission in the mountain range near Capital Crocus to collect Wendy from Hargeon Bay, which had luckily been in the opposite direction from Natsu's rampaging path of destruction.

"That's… okay Jet…" The swirls in both Wendy's and Carla's eyes slowly abated. "What was the urgency?"

"Take a look around." The little Dragon-Slayers gaze roamed the guild hall, widening in astonishment and horror, hands flying up to cover her mouth as tears welled in her brown eyes. "Wendy…?"

"Oh my," she whispered, scrambling to the first table where Warren, Visitar and Nab sat with a cast each and burns everywhere. In fact, she noticed everyone had burns all over their bodies, and that Gray practically had a hole in his stomach, probably from Natsu's claws, that made the little Dragon-Slayers eyes bug out. "What happened?!" She squeaked.

"Natsu happened." Lisanna stated sadly. "You saw how he was at the beginning of last week, yes? How he was not acting like himself and was always on edge? Well only a couple of days ago, probably after you had left on your mission, it became a lot worse. Natsu," she sighed, "well he fell into a dark place and became very violent-" A loud roar rent the air from above, one that was enraged and pained, causing everyone to cringe and the walls to tremble.

"Violent is an understatement, Lisanna." Everyone groaned in agreement with Gray.

"Oh my, is he in pain?"

Mira sighed. "We're not too sure, Wendy. We need you to help everyone down here first, before we see what you can do for him. At this moment, I don't think we can do anything to help him until our… Celestial mage returns to us."

"Celestial mage? You're referring to Lu-"

"Don't! Don't say her name, please." The alarmed look on Mira and Lisanna's faces worried Wendy. "It'll make Natsu rage even more. He's already pushing the boundaries of Frieds Runic Barrier and any mention of her makes him push it to near breaking point… Poor Fried already has to keep renewing and strengthening the barrier. It's such a strain on him."

"Oh my, I'm sorry." More tears started welling in Wendy's eyes. She shook her head sadly and turned to Warren, hands immediately seeking out the worst of his wounds first and whispering the healing words of her Dragon-Slayer magic. The next hour or so followed this same pattern, with Wendy going to one guild mate after another and healing the worst of injuries first so as to be able to assist everyone in easing their pain rather than spending all her magical energies on only healing one person entirely and unable to do the same for others. Over this period everyone would also hear the occasional rumble from upstairs, always the reminder that Natsu was prowling around like a caged dragon. But what else could they do at the moment? No one even knew what was causing Natsu to act this way, other than the fact that Lucy hadn't been seen in almost two weeks.

The doors burst open for a second time that day as Levy ran into the hall then, huffing air into her lungs and puffing out her reddened cheeks from the exertion she'd endured to get to the guild from her apartment at Fairy Tails female dorm across Magnolia, with a large volume clutched to her chest and Gajeel close on her heels. But that didn't stop her from gasping in shock at the sight of disrepair the place was in while the Iron Dragon-Slayer stood grim faced beside her. "I suppose I don't need three guesses as to what, or rather who, tore this place up?"

Everyone groaned in unison. They had been frightened and worried about the extreme change wrought in the usually laid-back mage. He couldn't explain it to anyone either because of the condition his mentality was in. The only individuals that had any sort of understanding about what Natsu was experiencing were the only other two male dragon slayers the guild knew. Gajeel and Laxus had tried to enlighten the guild some with their dragon slayer knowledge; however they were only able to make educated guesses about Natsu as they themselves had not experienced his vicious need to search and destroy. That is until Levy found tid-bits of information about Dragons and their habits from an ancient tome when team Shadow Gear had helped excavate a newly found temple deep underground in the mountain ranges near Capital Crocus. Levy had managed to save a few of the works, but the cavern had collapsed before much more research could be done on the area. So she had spent the last few days translating those manuscripts she had saved while Jet fetched Wendy and Droy joined in the attempt to contain Salamander. Only one of the texts proved to be truly useful about Dragons and Dragon-Slayers.

Levy marched over to her regular table and dropped the thick volume in the centre of the wooden surface, the thumping sound of the leather bound cover smacking the wooden surface drawing everyone's undivided attention. "I believe I may have found a reason as to why Natsu's behaviour and mannerisms have altered."

"Is he sick? Like, is it some sort of disease?" Kinana asked.

"No, nothing like that. It's much easier to solve than a sickness, mostly because we already know what we need, but the hard part is actually going to be locating where it is. To start the process of straightening Natsu out we need Lu-… umm I mean-" Levy's determined face fell to one of sadness.

"She means to say we need Bunny Girl." Gajeel had taken up residence just behind the bluenette, peering over her shoulder to get a look at the book. "That's a Dragons crest on the front." He frowned, reaching around Levy's slender frame to caress the aged cover, running his calloused fingers over the indented spikes and curves of a dragon twining around the trunk of a tree. "Fitee Kusrus Dragonis?"

"You mean 'Vitae Cursus Draconis'."

"Yeah, that." Gajeel mumbled.

"There wasn't much inside about the origins of the text, its author or its crest, but from what I was able to gauge from the translations I've made, this text is like a collection of observations from the times actual dragons were in abundance in Earthland about the life cycle and regular habits, wants and needs a dragon had. Basically a generalisation of what all types of dragons went through as they grew and aged, as there were probably too many species to keep track of, in one life time at least."

"That's a lot to go through. Have you been able to find anything specific to Natsu?" Erza stepped forward from the bar, bringing her strawberry cheesecake with her to stare down expectantly at Levy and the book.

"I did find this one section that I think may be what Natsu is experiencing… but I'm not too sure…" The bluenette lifted the cover and began flipping through the pages until she was about three quarters of the way through the thousands of pages that the text had to contain. "Ah here it is. It's called the 'Pubertatem Cupido in Aestus'."

"You have got to be joking." Laxus mumbled from his slouched position at the bar.

"How do you know anything about Dragon-Slayer things Laxus? You weren't raised by a dragon."

Wendy gasped quietly and whispered, "Carla, don't be rude."

Laxus just grunted in response and closed his eyes in irritation. "The Dragon-Slayer lacrima within my body revealed some dragon-related things to me when I was learning to control the magic that came with it. Not a lot in detail but enough of the basics to know how to keep myself in check." Well that was news to everybody. The Raijinshu smiled proudly for their leader.

"There is no way that knuckle head is experiencing that at this point, Levy."

Confusion sprouted over her expression. "Why not Gajeel? It's a plausible explanation for his destructive behaviour and disregard for everything." Her cheeks began to bleed a light pink.

"Because, Levy, there's no way that thick-headed flame brain even understands what he can do with a woman. For the love of Mavis, he may as well be asexual, Levy." The large Iron Dragon-Slayer crossed his arms and looked away from the now surprised and flustered resident bookworm. And from what everyone else could see, the large man also had a slight blush on his face. "And besides that," he mumbled, "he would have hit puberty several years ago." All the other mages sat at their tables and watched the scene unfold, some with surprised expressions, others also blushing at Gajeels brash justification and others still, the older generations specifically, with amusement playing across their features. Cana was the first to break the silence with a bout of laughter that was loud and long, finishing on a wheeze as she clutched her bandaged shoulder that was still bouncing with left over mirth.

"Got that right. Natsu may not openly go after women but he certainly matured some years ago." The Tarrot-Card mage turned to Macao and Wakaba at their table to the left of the entrance. "You geezers remember when Natsu's boys finally dropped and his voice started cracking?! HAHAHA he used to sound like a wee little lass," She sighed and wiped a tear from her eye, "but nowhere near as bad as the lady Gray." Cana turned and leered at said Ice-Make mage before turning back to nursing the barrel of alcohol now in the grasp of her good arm.

"HEY! I am so much manlier than that girly, ash-faced dweeb. And where the hell did you get that barrel?!"

"Oh, Mira just handed it to me. It's to ease the pain." She sighed dreamily and grinned.

"There are such things as late bloomers, you know…" Levy mumbled and sat down on the bench seat in front of the book.

"Besides all that Levy, the Pubertatem Cupido in Aestus only affects male Dragons and their Slayer counterparts during the pubescent stage of their life. It involves major mood swings and excessive amounts of lust and hormones." Laxus paused and looked around, frowning at the blushing faces of the women and younger mages. Still scowling, he continued, "The scent of any woman would get the blood boiling and drive us insane until we would sate ourselves with the warmth of a woman." When everyone's eyes flicked away from him to talk amongst themselves about this new information, Laxus' gaze subtly flew to Mira and away again.

Gajeel picked up the enlightenment. "The act would be rough, but it wouldn't matter to us whether we hurt our... selected partners or if we killed them. It wouldn't register till after our bodies completely adjusted to adulthood."

"Would that mean that the level of violence and destruction that Natsu presents is higher than that experienced during this pubescent transition?" Laxus and Gajeel both grunted in agreement. Wendy just sat at Levy's table looking lost.

Erza swiped a finger over her now clean plate, picking up the last few crumbs and licking the digit clean. "Okay, so if this… uh whatever it was, is not the answer, is there another possible explanation that could be Dragon-Slayer related?"

"There is a similar development that happens later in a male's life that can involve a specific person and provoke aggression, which are signs Natsu is showing too. Possessiveness, desire, aggression, protectiveness and affection are all instinctual signs of finding an 'Amor Vitae', a love for life, so there should be something in that book about mating rituals, yeah?" A hushed whisper went around the room.

"Hmm, give me a sec." Levy began gently flicking through the aged pages. Her face brightened with triumph, and then turned a shade of red that stood out in stark contrast to her blue hair as her jaw practically hit the table, eyes riveted to the page and pupils as big as dinner plates.

"Levy?" Jet and Droy asked coming up to the table.

"What is it shrimp?" Gajeel stepped up behind her, large hands placed protectively and comfortingly on her willowy shoulders. The little bluenette jumped up with another squeal and covered Gajeels eyes, shrieking "Don't look you perv!" With her sudden weight thrown his way, slight though it may be, caught the Iron Dragon-Slayer off guard and was enough to send both of them to the floor. "What the hell do you think you're doing shrimp?!" This was followed by both Jet and Droy passing out with bloody noses, but not before one of the boys hands touched the page as they slumped to the floor.

"No! Don't touch it! There's a projector spe-" Too late. An image was projected out of the page that, after a moment of stunned silence, flickered into a film. The vision was of a very handsome man who was covered in dragon scales and fangs, a man who was obviously a Dragon-Slayer, in a very imaginative position with a gorgeous woman. They were both naked and writhing in obvious pleasure. All the mages in the guild sputtered, turning all the different shades of red known and unknown to mankind. Several of the women fainted while the majority of the men followed Jet and Droys example of either passing out or profusely bleeding from the nose. Gajeel was eventually able to wrench Levy's hands from covering his eyes. The projection presented before him had his body stiffening against hers, his eyes wide as his hands slid down to her waist to hold her frame tighter to his.

"Levy, you need to turn it off…" When the little pixie looked up, she gasped. Gajeels eyes were unwaveringly focused on hers and full of something unknown to her. Was that the hungered gaze she had only ever read about in the smutty books she borrowed from Erza? Surely not. There was no way someone like Gajeel would look at someone like her like that. The Solid Script mage knew that the Iron Dragon-Slayer preferred bustier women than her. That didn't stop her from tingling all over, her eyes from drooping or her lips from moistening themselves. His eyes darkened further and his lips parted, his own gaze travelling to her lips.

Gajeel groaned, slamming his head back on the floor. "Levy…" She nodded and stood. Averting her eyes from the projection, she reverted it back to a detailed drawing of the scaled man and his lover intimately joined together on the page.

"What the hell was that?!" Gray shouted, blood dripping from hands that covered his nose. Juvia was out cold and slumped over his lap on the floor. It seems Gray had jumped up to catch her when she fainted.

"That, I believe, was a visual aid to help readers understand what the uh, mating ritual entailed." Levy couldn't help but blush again.

Makarov couldn't help himself. "Put it back on! Woooo hoo hoo!"

"Master!" A scarlet Erza threw her sword hilt first into Makarovs head, efficiently knocking him out. The Re-quip mage then proceeded to sit in a corner, knees pressed to her chest and a finger drawing squiggly circles on the floor with her face turning a darker shade of red than her hair, if that was even possible.

"I bet she's thinking of being with Jellal in that position," Gray whispered to Cana, both of them bursting into a fit of snickers and giggles. Both mages ended up following Master Makarovs example.

"What does a m-mating ceremony have do with Natsu and our Celestial mage?" Inquired a still flushed Lisanna.

"Gajeel was insinuating that Natsu has pegged the blonde as his intended mate, which explains the way he is acting now and I agree. His scent has been all over her since her first day at Fairy Tail and has only gotten stronger in their time together." Laxus clarified. His eyes roamed over the members of his guild, seeing some comprehension settle into their faces as they thought about how much time the two spent together. His golden gaze eventually settled on Mira's prone form again.

"Um, the text here says that during the adulthood of a dragon's life, or perhaps a Slayers adulthood, the male would search out his perfect female who would become his mate. If the male does not search for her or purposely avoids trying to find her for whatever reason, she would be destined to one day cross his path instead. The male would then begin the 'Capto Rituali', where he would court her and fend off any other males who would intend to claim her. To assist the male with claiming his selected woman first, he masks her in his scent and enters the 'Amicos Rituali'. This is a lovers ritual where the Dragon or Slayer and their female counterpart engage in the act of coitus, during which the male would place a visible mark of his claiming somewhere over her body to complete the joining and allowing them to become 'Nec habetur amatores vitae'. In other words, this act and marking allows them to mate as lovers for life." Levy paused, her eyes flicking up to meet Gajeels before returning to the book, another blush heating her cheeks and shoulders hunching down over the text. "This mating ritual, known as 'Coeuntibus Sollemne', links both male and female irrevocably. If the connections are made incorrectly, it could severely damage or impair the female and possibly harm the male. This is the main reason only one true mate can be taken." Levy's eyes skimmed over Gajeel again and she couldn't help but wonder if he had thought about a mate or if he was actually searching for his perfect mate. A depressing thought for Levy.

"Wait, so are you saying that Natsu and Lucy have mated?!" Mira squealed. Everyone's jaws dropped in astonishment. How could the couple not have told them?

"I can't believe Salamander got a chick before I did!" Gray shouted unbelievably, then groaned as Erza smacked him upside the head.

"I suppose it is time to have a serious chat with Natsu." Erza's dark proclamation had every man in the room paling and squeezing their legs together as a cohesive gulp had all their adams-apples bobbing in their throats. The last time Erza had had a 'chat' with a man when he began dating a woman from their guild, it held more physical violence to certain masculine parts of the body in threat of something far worse to come if they mistreated said woman.

Laxus, never one to hesitate, though haltingly, said "Salamander and the Blonde have not mated as of yet."

"How can you be so sure?" Cana asked suspiciously. "Don't tell me you spy on Natsu and Lu-chan?!"

"Laxus would never fall so low you drunkard!" Evergreen screeched at the Tarrot-Card mage. Laxus just glared at the tipsy brunette.

"That's not what Laxus is getting at. Being that Laxus, Gajeel and I are the only other Dragon-Slayers here, only we would be able to tell. The difference between a mated or unmated couple is the pheromones that each produces, right?"

"Not quite Shorty. The difference would be that even though Bunny Girl smells like the flame brain upstairs because they hang out so much, she doesn't truly smell of him. Like, she could wash it off now because it would only be on her skin. After the 'Coeuntibus Sollemne', his scent would permanently be imprinted on her. The whole thing would practically make them two separate entities of the same being, if that makes sense." Wendy nodded along with the rest of the mages who were still conscious.

Makarov was the first to awaken. "Levy, is there any more written on the extent of this mating ceremony?"

"There is one last section here that explains the bonds formed, if that's what you mean."

"Yes, that will do."

Everyone could see how her eyes tried to avoid the central image of the entwined lovers to reach the appropriate portion of writing. She delicately cleared her throat. "The connection between male and female to become mated forms four parts; the first is an emotional link which occurs during the courting stage at which point both parties would become affectionate towards each other. The second and third are the physical and spiritual links which are completed during the joining act of coitus. These three links are the base connections that then make way for the 'Mentis Amatores', or lover's mentality, where the male and female will be able to experience each other at a higher level sometime after their joining. Some signs of this final connection may include sharing thoughts and emotions, becoming hyperaware of each other or always having a general idea of where their other half is, basically becoming two sides of the same coin."

A pained rumble rang through the hall, making everyone look to the stairs leading to the second floor of the guild and to where they could find the shell of the man they knew as Natsu. Wendy gulped down exhausted tears. "What's paining him? No one is up there, and when I went up there to see for myself he had no injuries I could see…"

"It must be an emotional turmoil from being separated from Lu-chan." Mira said sadly, tears also sparkling in her eyes.

"Hey Gajeel," Levy thought out loud, "is it possible for the links to connect the other way around?"

"You mean for that 'Lovers Mentality' to occur before the mating and marking?"

"Yeah, is that even possible?"

"I don't know. I was never concerned with that stuff when Metalicana was around." The way he said it gave the bluenette the idea that he may have thought about the mating ceremony now more than he had back then, and with the way he was looking at her it made her hope that he included her in those thoughts, as incredulous as that very thought was. "As far as I know, that comes after the actual mating and marking, like the book said. But I suppose it could be possible. I'm just not too sure if ever happens or has happened at all before…"

"Well, for now we will have to view it as a possibility, won't we? Because that's as close to an answer we've gotten for Natsu's behaviour." Makarov shook his head sadly. "And unfortunately, his reaction could possibly mean that our Celestial mage is in grave danger…" He inhaled and exhaled slowly. "So starting tomorrow we will begin a proper search expedition for our lost nakama, especially now that Natsu is locked away for the time being instead of annihilating the country."

"Why do we have to wait for tomorrow Master? Why don't we start as soon as possible?"

"That would be because all our friends, our family, need to rest now after their ordeals, Romeo, and time to heal. By tomorrow, some of them will be fully restored and able to travel, pick up the trail our Celestial wizard may have left behind during her mission in Gallowstown."

"Master," Erza had finally slunk out of her corner thanks to Mira's bribery of a large strawberry shortcake, "may I suggest that we start our search in the direction Natsu had been taking? If they are truly connected, he may have subconsciously been heading in her direction."

"Good plan Erza. You and Gray may begin that mission tomorrow. I believe I will also send team Shadow Gear with Gajeel and Pantherlily to Gallowstown to question the locals about when and where they had last seen Lu-chan."

"I just hope she's not in too much trouble, Master."

"If she were in danger though, wouldn't she send one of her Celestial Spirits to us?" The anger Gray expressed was mirrored in several mages faces.

"If she could have, she would have. We need to keep in mind that she may be unable to, son." Everyone looked down and away sadly, some on the edge of tears others on the brink of frustration. Mira leaned against the bar near Laxus, so close that her side was pressed against his, a show of support. Gray absently caressed Juvia's hair, as he was still seated on the floor with her sprawled over his lap also still unconscious, while he began formulating plans to track Lucy. Levy turned her now tear streaked face into Gajeels chest, (or rather his upper abdomen, whatever you want to call it) as the hall began to empty itself as mages began to make their way home, or escort those unable to travel home to the smaller downstairs back room-turned-infirmary.


A mere few days had passed since Natsu had overheard that discussion on Dragon-Slayers, and as far as he knew no one had been successful in finding Lucy yet. His fists clenched and unclenched. He was connected to Luce? Awesome. That's all he cared about. But no one would let him out to go find her, no matter how much he yelled or roared, threatened or destroyed. He'd already torn up the entire upstairs infirmary. So since then, each hour that passed had felt like an eternity of being trapped within a continuous torture of envisioning Lucy on the receiving end of severe physical, mental and emotional harm and it was just ripping him to shreds. Natsu had given eventually up beating on Frieds Runic Barriers because there was just no use banging away on something that wouldn't break without the correct standards being met. He didn't care about those standards of course, but it was wasting his time when he could be out there saving his Luce.

At least the guild seemed to have wizened up to the fact that Lucy was actually in danger, they just didn't know it was too late to prevent said danger from doing damage. He growled. The Fire Dragon-Slayer continued pacing, prowling the perimeters of his prison, dragging his claws along the Barrier to make it shimmer and crackle with the force of keeping him within its boundaries. After a few frustrating circuits, he swung out and punched the barrier. Not that it did much good. It only caused the barrier to ripple, shimmer and crackle again. Then he froze in place, coming to a complete standstill. It was almost as if he had become one of the stone statues Evergreen produced with her magic. He just stopped the pacing, stopped the rumbling growls that shook the building and stopped breathing. Then he took a deep, chest swelling breath, his nose in the air. The faintest scent drifted to his keen nose, so faint he would have doubted even the other dragon slayers of Fairy Tail could scent it, but he would recognize it anywhere, no matter how much it changed. He felt his eyes expand, the irises almost fully devouring the whites of his eyes before they narrowed to sharp slits as his lips parted and pulled back to reveal his fangs in a feral snarl. All his muscles bunched and tensed, the muscles gripping his bones so tightly it felt like they would shatter.

With a wild, ear-splitting roar that fragmented the air, the Salamander savagely launched himself against the barrier and put all the immeasurable power and force his being contained and then some into his fists that he was hammering away on the barrier. With another thundering roar he rammed the barrier just as Erza, Gray and Fried rounded the end of the hall, expressions transforming from alarmed to horrified. The Runic barrier bubbled out with the force of his weight, softened and then finally gave way with a soft ripping sound, causing Natsu to fly out and crash into the opposite wall in the hall with a loud crack as the wooden panels lining the wall snapped and shattered.

Their friend was unrecognizable as he stood from the crumbling ruins of the hallways wall. All that could be seen was the monster that now dwelled within his body as rage and something strictly primal overtook his being. Natsu turned and stepped forward, his face hidden in shadows, eyes and fangs glinting in the light filtering the air from the lacrima lining the walls. An animalistic growl reverberated off the walls, the only warning the three stunned mages received before Natsu bolted towards them, going low and taking Frieds legs out from under him before delivering a sharp uppercut to his jaw on his way to the floor. Natsu then flipped over Gray as the Ice-Make mage charged him, proceeding to distribute a precise spin kick that threw Gray face first into the wall. Without pause the Fire Dragon-Slayer ran at Erza and unflinchingly tackled her, the force throwing them through the air to crash through the banister of the second floor and fly out over the guild hall. They crash landed with a grunt into one of the tables below, smashing the table into splintering pieces that forced the other mages loitering in the hall to back away with shocked cries. Natsu stood slowly, dragon-like eyes grazing over the once familiar faces of his guild mates. Were they a threat? If they attempted to stop him, they were.

All the mages of Fairy Tail stood back in stunned horror. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. What followed was probably the vilest act they'd ever see Natsu commit.

Erza had moaned, struggling to sit up from her sprawled position on the floor beneath him and had reached a trembling hand out for Natsu with frightened tears in her eyes. "Why are you doing this to us Natsu…?" She whispered. Natsu, what was left of him stared down at the scarlet haired mage. For a moment, just a moment, she thought she saw a flash of regret before he slapped her hand aside. A cold look crossed his dark face along with another snarl. "For what's MINE." Was the gravelly, near unintelligible response before he struck her with a flaming fist. The pinkette repeated this a number of times until the Re-quip mages armour cracked and broke apart, until the floor ruptured beneath her and Erza lay still and bloodied, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and blood trailing over her cheeks and chin from her lips. The display of uncaring wrath was horrifying.

Natsu released a savage howl and took another deep breath, causing his nostrils to flare with that faint scent again. He stalked towards the entrance panting with the strength of his fury. He growled with vehemence when both Gajeel and Laxus made to stand in front of the large oak doors that would lead him out towards his Lucy. Luce… A flash of fear spiked at the back of his mind, along with a worlds load of pain again. He growled a groan and clutched his head, roaring with the pain and anger the feeling brought with it. Natsu barrelled into the Iron Dragon-Slayer, taking him in a spiralling flight over another table and threw him into Laxus, sending the two Dragon-Slayers into the far wall left of the entrance. Natsu tucked and rolled on landing, shooting past the last few mages blocking the entrance and finally, burst out the large oaken doors.

Once those doors had been thrown open, the salmon haired man received a face full of air fragranced with her scent, still too light for the others to pick up on but more than enough for Natsu and his heightened senses as he burned a path through the centre of Magnolia. He could hear the local's frightened hysteria as he ran by, practically a blur in his haste to reach Lucy. He could also hear the shouts of his guild falling far behind him, but still following his trail. None of that mattered now. He could sense her, his Luce, closer to him than she had been in almost two weeks. The wind was the only thing left to slow him, gripping at his hair, pulling at his clothing and playing amongst the contours of muscle on his torso.

And suddenly, there she was, standing on the horizon. Relief washed over him at the sight of his Luce, but the details that slowly became clearer the closer he came drew him back into a rage and he ran harder, sandaled feet pounding the ground in a thundering rhythm.

She was injured and bleeding. He knew that, could smell it and feel it and that enraged him already, but what drove him to near insanity was the blonde man beside her. He had his arms around her waist, her body pressed tightly to his and covered in her blood. All he saw was red as he began snarling, lips pulled back in a feral show of teeth. MINE. The man's eyes finally settled on Natsu, perceiving the frenzied Dragon-Slayer as an immediate threat. The blonde man spoke to her in a rushed voice, gently but hurriedly lowering his Luce to the ground before backing up several paces, hands up in the air in the universal sign of surrender.

"Natsu, I know what this looks like but please listen to m-" Natsu socked the guy in the stomach, causing him to double over and cough up blood before following through with a flaming spin kick with enough power to make him airborne, flying across the field and into the forest, knocking down tree after tree on collision and producing a trench from the sheer amount of force still emanating from the blow in a wide circle around him. The stranger kept flying through trunks of trees and brush until Natsu could no longer see him, though the sounds of snapping vegetation and crunching of the solid dirt beneath continued to boom through the clearing. Panting hard, Natsu made his way to Lucy's side where she had completely collapsed.

Damaged. Hurt. Bleeding. Her scent was… Tainted. Yes, tainted by others - males. He roared loud, the sound filled with pent up rage and helplessness. A slight whimper reached his sharpened hearing. Snapping his gaze down, he looked at the Celestial mage, HIS Celestial mage.

MINE.

He carefully reached out, caressing her cheek softly, barely brushing the tip of his index over her pale skin but froze in a heavy moment as she flinched away from his touch, fear shining in her eyes. His heart skipped a few beats. That fear was directed at him, HE who would never hurt her.

A growl rose up his throat and he punched the patch of earth beside him, slamming his fist so hard into the condensed soil that the earthen surface cracked almost a meter in diameter. The salmon haired man rose, eyes never leaving that of his partner as he watched her pant and wheeze. One of her arms was slung under her breasts across her ribs clutching her other arm to her side as it draped over her stomach, as if attempting to hold herself together and cover herself as much as possible, as the clothing she wore barely concealed her essentials. His rage intensified, eyes narrowing to sharp slits as they slid to the ditch trail leading into the forest, trees split, cracked and broken making an easy path to follow to the target who had clutched his Luce only moments before.

His senses narrowed, completely focused on the object at the end of the kilometre long trench of carnage. The snap of a twig here, a crunch of dirt there as if someone had fallen hard on their side, followed by a pained groan. His lips pulled back over lengthened fangs in a feral snarl. He bolted down the trail, moving so fast not even the breeze whizzing past him could grip and whip at his clothes. His entire body was heated and steaming in the cooler evening air.

He reached the end of the track in mere seconds to see the body of the man who had had his arms around his Luce now on his knees, one hand clutching his stomach as the other braced his weight while he choked up blood. The man halted himself, eyes sweeping to the fury ridden Dragon-Slayer and widening as they locked onto Natsu's stockier frame stalking towards him like predator hunting his prey but with so much more wrath. The man wiped his mouth and held up a hand to ward Natsu off. The rage filled slayer simply batted the offending hand away before gripping him by the scruff of his already torn shirt, lifting him off the ground, bark chips and rubble dropping to the ground.

"Why were you touching MY Luce?!" Natsu snarled into the man's face.

"I-I was helping her! We-" The Salamanders fist embedded itself in the strangers jaw as he growled.

"There is no 'we' for you and my Luce. She's MINE," he snarled, slamming the blonde stomach first into his knee before dropping him to the ground and kicking him into the nearest tree. The outsider coughed and gagged on more blood, the red substance also rushing over his face and neck from a new gash across his cheek.

"I swear I haven't hurt her, I would never do that to her! I was helping her, bringing her back to Fairy Tail."

"Then why is she marked by you?" The salmon haired man asked darkly.

The blonde man paled further. "It w-was the only way…" He trailed off, climbing to his feet and wincing. "I bare her no ill will." He began backing away. Natsu growled and followed him menacingly, one step forward for every step back the blonde took. His fear was becoming palpable, especially was he tripped over a fallen branch and only scrambled back in time to barely miss Natsu's flaming fist that sunk into and cracked the rock between his legs.

The stranger's form began to waver in and out of focus, making Natsu scowl and pause for a moment. The younger man completely disappeared then and Natsu scanned the area, narrowing his senses to focus on the slightest movements or sounds and located the now invisible man only a few more paces back from where he had been on the ground in front of the salmon haired Dragon-Slayer. Natsu stalked up and whipped his arm out, one hand clamping tight around a slim throat. He suddenly reappeared with a face full of shock.

"Who are you?" The blonde choked out, his own hands gripping Natsu's wrists.

Natsu's smile was all fang. "I'm Lucy's partner." Fire engulfed fist poised at the younger man's face, the pinkette swung only to freeze a mere few centimetres from crushing the stranger's skull and his fire to go out with a hiss.

"Natsu… Please stop… don't… don't hurt him…" was the raw, barely audible, whispered begging that drifted through his mind and caressed his slightly pointed ears from over a kilometre away. He growled and socked the man in the jaw again before dropping him to the ground and sprinting back down the trench. Natsu landed hard on his knees beside Lucy's fragile frame, one hand immediately cupping her cheek. He pulled back a bit when she flinched away from his touch again.

"Luce…" The Dragon-Slayers expression softened as he gazed down at her. She stared up at him with wavering eyes that barely seemed to focus on him before they filled with tears and she began to cry. "Please don't cry Luce, I've got you." He scooped her up into his lap as gently as possible, but she still whimpered in pain. He just held her to him for a while and rocked back and forth as his own tears started spilling over his cheeks while continually whispering "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry I couldn't come to you, I'm sorry I couldn't save you, I'm so sorry Luce, I've got you now, I'm so sorry…" He stayed there, holding his Luce in his arms until she finally slept.

There was a crunch further down the hill and his eyes snapped up, narrowing on several members of his guild who all stood there crying and obviously wanting to come forward, but refraining to avoid setting Natsu off again.

With no sense of a threat, Natsu returned to looking down at his Luce. After a few moments he stood with the Celestial mage clutched to his chest, her head resting on his shoulder, and began the trek down the hill with a shadowed expression. He gave the mages on the hillside a wide berth and walked through the town of Magnolia, a few colourful cherry blossom petals floating past and giving Natsu a faraway look. Tears continued rolling down his cheeks as he held onto his Luce.

A/N: I hope you guys are really happy with this chapter. It was only supposed to be a filler that became a writer's block, but it actually came out a lot longer than I expected. You're welcome by the way, because it's like one of the longest chapters so far hahaha, and completed on Otaku day! I'm so happy :D

Please don't forget to R&R :3

P.s. if your confused about any of the explanations cause I haven't made it clear enough or if I've just made it sooooo confusing, don't be afraid to ask for some clarification. I may bite but I promise I don't take fingers off :3

P.p.s. check out this link for the map im using (no spaces ofcourse) :

static4 . wikia . nocookie _ cb20120124181629 / fairytailfanon / images / 5 / 58 / Map _ of _ Fiore . jpg