Alright guys, there you have it, this is the end of Act 1 of Golem! There are only THREE acts in this fic, unlike in Parallels where we had four! This chapter marks the point where we set up the plot for the rest of the fic! I hope you guys get ready for a fun ride! Also, Kytrin and I have a short fic in the works that I hope you guys can look forward to! It's a fun one to be sure, I think it's going to be less than ten chapters.

Anyway, thanks again for being patient with us as we get you your updates! Hope you all have a great day!

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CHAPTER 16

Changeling

a child believed to have been secretly substituted by fairies for the parents' real child in infancy.


Lucy wanted nothing more than to stay asleep forever. Sleep sounded better than okay. At the moment it sounded like the most heavenly thing in the world.

Sunlight, however, had another plan. It decided it wanted Lucy to wake up.

Reluctantly she caved to its demands as wakefulness slowly crept back up to the forefront.

Groaning she forced herself up, but found something caught her before she could go far.

Natsu's blurry face came into focus, as did the arm that connected to him.

"Easy," He soothed, his big hand cupping hers and cradling closer to his face. It was as if he were sniffing out her pulse for himself.

"What ha'ned?" Lucy mumbled as she tried to make sense of what was going on. Where was she? And why was Natsu looking at her like that? He never had before.

"You had the magic sucked out of you by Aria of the sky is what happened." Porlyusica told her sternly, and nudged Natsu aside so she could shove a cup of something at Lucy's lips.

"Honestly, you're lucky to be alive." The old healer grumbled, "If Jellal hadn't collected your magical energy still lingering in the air you would've been sicker for a lot longer. Drink up girl!"

Lucy blinked and hastily downed whatever concoction Porlyusica had shoved at her, and immediately felt better as the fog in her head started to clear in record speed.

The healer nodded approvingly, "Much better. You're free to go, but you're to stay out of any fights for the next couple of days. You understand me?"

Lucy nodded as Natsu helped her get out of bed, and could tell right away why the healer wanted her to relax. She felt pretty good, but she was definitely not at her best. At least this meant she could go home and rest.

"So what happened to Phantom after I was hit?" Lucy asked as they headed back towards the bar above, "Is Levy alright?"

"Levy is fine, Gajeel has been super annoying about it," Natsu responded. His eyes lingered over Lucy and he walked on ahead of her.

There was a stiff line to his shoulders she didn't quite understand. It was like something was bothering him.

But as far as she could tell, there wasn't much that could bother him. Especially not about the fight.

"After I dealt with Jose, I got you and came straight back here to get you help," Natsu said quietly, "It took a while for Jellal to find all your magic."

Lucy's intuition flared at his mumbled response and she realized he was struggling with the idea of her being so close to death.

For a golem whose life was attached to hers, she realized how close she must have been to bring such a reaction to the surface.

"Natsu." She said softly, and reached out to curl her hand around his arm and bring him to a stop, "I'm sorry I scared you so badly." She murmured and stepped forward to wrap her arms around him in a gentle hug, "I didn't mean to. I didn't even realize they had me in a trap until I was already there."

There was a long moment of hesitation before suddenly Natsu's turned, arms snapped around her and he buried his nose in her hair.

"I felt it when you were hit." He mumbled into her hair, "I just knew you were in danger, and I wasn't by your side where I should be. And then..." His breath hitched a little, "It hurt and all my power came back. I knew you were alive because of the bond, but..."

Lucy hummed softly as she gently rubbed her hands over her distressed demon's back, "I'm sorry Natsu." She breathed into his neck, "I'm here. And I'm alive. You saved me and that's what's important."

She guided him carefully to the steps that lead further into the guild and didn't resist when he pulled her firmly into his lap, "It's alright Natsu." She murmured soothingly, "I'm alright."

Natsu didn't know what was happening, but with every soft word she uttered the pain in his chest loosened a little more. Was that fear? If so, it was a horrible feeling, and he hated it.

"I can't lose you Luce." He mumbled. Just the thought made that sick feeling come back.

"You can't wrap me in cotton either Natsu." Lucy replied gently, though she didn't stop her ministrations, "Like it or not we're going to have more fights ahead of us. Fights you and others will need me for."

She gently tugged his eyes up to meet hers, her heart clenching a bit at the slightly lost look on his face, "You can't keep me from all danger." She continued softly, "Just like I can't keep you or Levy or Gray from all danger."

She combed her fingers through his hair, "But I promise this... no matter what I'll keep fighting with every last breath in my body." She smiled, "And I'll make you the same promise I have to my spirits. I'll watch your back as much as you watch mine. We fight together. As partners. Deal?"

Natsu frowned at Lucy, not liking what she was saying but also knowing he didn't have a real choice.

At best he had the illusion of choice, and that would be to fight alongside Lucy. Ironically, if he had his way, his mistress would be locked in a box for protection. Her choice just as strangled as his own. He didn't like that either.

He wondered if they would ever truly find a balance between them. Because Lucy could say whatever she liked, but Natsu was not an equal like Gray or even her spirits were.

He was an instrument for his mistress. To be used for her protection or defense however she wanted.

Natsu had gotten so caught up in learning and feeling, he had almost forgotten all that. He glanced down at his hand.

There was no way he could ever be like the others. At first he had enjoyed the experiences of feeling and learning and laughing...

But now that he had been introduced to the emotion of fear, Natsu wasn't sure he wanted to uncover anything else. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure how to go back to sleep. Jose's sneering face flashed back into his mind, a stark reminder of how he had reacted. Without thought or impulse, he had ended his life in a second. Fear was powerful.

"Jellal and Erza have some of the members of Phantom, they've been questioning them to find out how they knew about us," Natsu answered evasively.

Lucy noticed the evasion, but let it go for the moment. Natsu was new to feelings of any kind, so it would probably take him a while to come to terms with what he was experiencing now. He hadn't had the luxury of growing into them as a kid after all.

"Did they find out anything?" She asked instead.

Natsu shrugged, "I don't know. I was with you most of the time, and no one's told me anything yet."

Lucy nodded and smiled as she crawled out of his lap, "Well then, why don't we go find out?" She said as she extended her hand to him, "We can get something to eat while we're at it. I'm starving and you probably are too."

Natsu blinked as he slid his hand into hers and let her pull him to his feet. She wasn't going to say anything about his evasion?

He knew she'd noticed. Lucy noticed almost everything, and he could tell by the look in her eyes that she was paying sharp attention to him. So why was she letting it go?

He didn't understand, but he would accept it with both hands.

"Yeah." He managed with a ghost of a grin.

Lucy's smile widened as she tugged him up the rest of the stairs and into the bar. There was a loud, happy, greeting as she appeared with Natsu, and she quickly found herself on the receiving end of several female hugs.

"I'm so glad to see you're up and about Lucy." Juvia said with a relieved smile, "We've all been very worried."

"Thanks Juvia." Lucy replied, "I'm sorry I worried everyone. I understand I have Jellal to thank for my quick recovery?"

"It was nothing." The blue haired man demurred, but Lucy shook her head.

"No, it was quite a bit." She replied, "Thank you."

She looked around at the guild that had saved her life three times now, and made a decision she never dreamed she would make.

She took a breath and walked over to where the aged Master Makarov was sitting on the counter watching the whole thing with shrewd eyes, "Master Makarov," She said respectfully, "I owe Fairy Tail a debt I won't soon be able to repay. I know I didn't get off to the best start here, but you've all shown me what a guild should be. And, with your permission, I'd like to ask if I could join you. Officially."

Natsu blinked in surprise that was reflected by everyone present. He edged closer to Lucy and frowned at her.

"Are you feeling okay Lucy? You're acting weirder than normal, we should see the cranky medicine lady again," He clapped a burning hand against her forehead.

Lucy sighed and waved his hand away, giving him a glare for his efforts.

Considering Natsu's own body temperature, his scale for a fever was probably measured on a huge curve.

"I'm fine," She mumbled, a little embarrassed by all the attention she was receiving.

Makarov gulped back a swing of his ale, breathing out a refreshed sigh.

"Dunno! It's fine by me missy, but I'm retired! Erza's the Master, ask her," Makarov chuckled in response to Lucy's baffled look.

"I'm just an old fogey that doesn't know any better," Makarov cackled, "I've left all the decision making to you youngins."

"The Master has been retired for only a few months and he's been taking enjoying his new status," Erza sighed as she came up behind Lucy, "He's been taking shameless advantage of our bar."

"You brats are the ones who have driven me to drink," Makarov huffed and got his mug topped off.

"Come Lucy, let's get you marked," Erza guided her to the side, "Natsu, would you like to join as well? You two would be our first Knight and demon in our ranks!"

Lucy's cheeks burned with embarrassment as she let Erza guide her over to Mira, "Sorry." She apologized, "I thought..."

Erza just smiled and shook her head, "It's perfectly understandable." She replied, "You haven't been exposed to us enough to know, and we kept it very quiet for obvious reasons. The council didn't need to know about the shift in power, despite Makarov still carrying weight as an advisor."

She dropped a hand on Lucy's shoulder, "The important part was that you meant what you said. And I, for one, am honored to have you become a member."

Lucy smiled back, her embarrassment receding as Mira held up the infamous stamp, "So where would you like your mark?" She chirped.

Lucy thought about it and held out the back of her hand, "There." She replied firmly, "I want to be able to see it always and remember why I joined."

Mira nodded and pressed the stamp into the back of her hand, "What color do you want it to be?" She asked as the magic tingled into Lucy's skin.

Lucy thought about it for a moment and smiled softly, "Pink." She murmured, "It was my mother's favorite color. I think she would really like Fairy Tail."

There was a brief surge of magic and Lucy stared at the mark in mingled awe and excitement. It was both terrifying and exhilarating to make such a complete break from her previous life, and she was pretty sure she would never properly be able to express just how much this meant to her.

Instead, she looked up at Natsu and grinned broadly, "How about it Natsu?" She asked, holding up her mark, "Do you want to join too?"

This was one thing she would not, ever, order him to do.

Natsu blinked at the mark standing out so striking against her skin. Was he allowed?

He had seen how fiercely Fairy Tail protected one another. It made him happy that Lucy would be a part of something so strong in case he failed again.

And in part, he believed maybe that was what was bothering him the most. That the one thing he was supposed to excel at above all things, he had stumbled at.

When he was lifeless, he had been so much better at it... accessing the depths of his magic was a snap and so was tearing apart anyone who looked at her the wrong way.

Was this a distraction he could be allowed?

He looked longingly at the stamp, a small whine bubbling from the back of his throat.

"You can do it if you want Natsu," Lucy said patiently.

There was that word again. Want. He wasn't sure what it was supposed to even mean.

But maybe... it would be okay? He was also learning a lot about what made his mistress happy thanks to his feelings. And Fairy Tail would always help wherever he stumbled.

Catering to his mistress' desires as opposed to her protection.

He could do both, couldn't he?

And Lucy was happy when he was...

Before he realized it, Natsu was showing his right shoulder where the marks of his tattoo split wide enough apart it left room to squeeze in a guild mark.

"Red," he said immediately.

He didn't know where the color sprang into his head, but it was like a distant memory was bringing it to his mind.

The color he had in mind was unique, a dark crimson that glowed with brilliant flames. Natsu wasn't even sure he had ever seen such a color before.

Lucy smiled broadly at Natsu, "It looks good!" She complimented, pleased that he'd decided to join, and gently pressed her fingers on his shoulder just outside of his mark, "Does the red mean something in particular?"

Natsu blinked and then grinned at her, "I dunno!" He told her cheerfully, "It just felt right!" He cocked his head curiously, "Wasn't that how I was supposed to do it?"

"Oh definitely!" Lucy hastily agreed, "I was just wondering if it had special meaning."

Natsu's eyes flicked down to where she was gently rubbing at her own mark, and he shrugged, "Not like that." He replied quietly, "But it's a good color anyway right?"

"It's a fine color. They both are." Erza told them proudly, gently squeezing their shoulders, "And we're proud to have you both join our family."

The rest of Fairy Tail bellowed out a roar of agreement, and in moments a loud party had erupted in celebration. Lucy grinned at Natsu, feeling the same exhilaration she'd felt when she'd first joined the Knights. But this time it seemed that much more real. There was no great ceremony, no speeches, just her doing what felt like the right thing.

A smile spread over his face in reflection of hers and Natsu reached out to grasp at her hands enthusiastically. He swung them in his grip and dragged her back with him to the center of the guild.

There he hoisted Lucy up onto Gray's shoulders and cheered wildly as Elfman plucked her up and rejoiced in his own loud way.

Erza ventured over to the bar where Makarov was still seated, Jellal waiting there. His expression looked torn, worry flashing over his face.

Erza watched as Natsu ended up getting swallowed in the hoard of bodies while Lucy was trapped crowd surfing on the shoulders of her guildmates.

"What did you find out from our guests in Phantom," Makarov asked quietly, his expression neutral even as he hid his face behind his mug.

"Aside from information about Jose's taking Lucy before?" Jellal asked. He huffed out through his nose, "It's bad. Worse than we could have thought."

"Phantom Lord was employed by the demons of Tartaros to take END and kill Lucy," Jellal kept his voice low, "They were not after his power on their own."

"Then it's true. The demon's have finally stretched their reach within Magnolias walls," Makarov sighed.

"And who knows how many other towns. The council's power is strongest here in Magnolia because it's the capital, but their influence is everywhere too," Erza looked deeply worried.

"Which means it's not safe for our newest recruits in town." Makarov growled softly, "Especially for Lucy. Even if her life wasn't in danger, I dread to think what other nightmares the demons might throw at her to get their hands on Natsu."

"Yes." Jellal agreed quietly, "We got lucky this time." His expression hardened, though he kept his eyes fastened firmly on Makarov, "We were able to prove to her that not all guilds are evil, but for all that she's grateful to us she doesn't really know us yet outside of Gray, Juvia, and Levy."

"You're thinking of your own experience and how easy it might be to turn her before her convictions have firmly re-settled?" Makarov asked shrewdly, "Yes, I agree that could be a problem. She's young, and she means well. That's a good place to start, but Magnolia is getting too hot for her to actually do anything here."

"What are you suggesting master?" Erza asked curiously, "A job outside the city?"

There were certainly no shortage of such jobs.

"Not just a job." Makarov contradicted, "That won't be enough to deal with the underlying problem she and Natsu face if the demons are involved."

"A long term mission then." Jellal said, drawing their looks, "With a team."

"What kind of mission could we possibly give them?" Erza asked, "I agree that getting them out of Magnolia for a while might be best, but there's little they can do about the war or the demons leading it even if Natsu is END."

"I believe Natsu being END is enough to gain us allies," Jellal frowned, bracing his weight against the bar top.

Erza didn't catch on immediately to what Jellal was hinting at, but Makarov certainly could.

"Careful Jellal, a mission like that could easily result in their deaths," Makarov said with quiet consideration. He placed the mug to the side, his eyes flitting over to the group celebrating.

"The dragons have reclused themselves from this war for centuries," Jellal responded without backing down, "They may hate humans, but I believe they won't attack Natsu!"

"Dragons. You wish to ally with the dragons? Why do you think they'll spare him?" Erza spoke up, finally catching onto the thread with a soft spoken curse. She gripped the edge of the counter hard, "Because of Gajeel's claim?"

Jellal hesitated and his shoulders stiffened, "With or without END, we can't win against the demons. We've lost too much ground."

"Putting our desperate need for allies aside, where do you suggest they go?" Jellal asked her. There was an urgency to his voice that had both masters looking at him.

"The moment they step out these walls they are a target for the demons," He lifted a hand to gesture around him, "And the moment we send them to another city the council will close in on them."

"As much as we hate them, the council's strong presence here has prevented the demon's advancement on Magnolia," Makarov admitted.

"Who is to say they would be safer in an outlying town as opposed to a nest of dragons?"

"Depends on the nest you pick." Gajeel rumbled beside them, causing the three to jerk a little in surprise.

"Somethin' like that... you'd have to aim for the top." He gulped down a long swing of ale before turning to pin them with an intense stare, "I'm talking about old Igneel."

"The dragon king?" Erza breathed incredulously, "Why him? Wasn't he the one that declared dragons wouldn't help either side of this war? Why not your old nest?"

Gajeel scowled a little, "Because Metallicana might be willing to stick his neck out for a human hatchlin' lost in the mountains, but he ain't gonna go against Igneel's orders just because we ask nice. And asking nice is about all you've got to offer a dragon."

He shook his head, "No, you wanna try and win the dragons over you can't mess around with a lesser drake. You gotta go straight to the top. Igneel and his queen."

"And how likely is Igneel to listen to our case?" Jellal asked carefully. Gajeel didn't often talk about dragon dynamics, he tended to claim it didn't matter, so he was going to take the chance to get as much information as he could.

Gajeel shrugged, "No tellin'." He admitted, "Humans pissed Igneel off really badly back when the war started, and dragons can hold a grudge for a lot longer than just four hundred years. That said, he's been the dominant drake since the end of the dragon civil war an' he's got a reputation for bein' fair. All things considered I'd say whoever shows up might get chased off, but he's not too likely to kill them out of hand."

"It seems like going to the King himself is the safest option," Makarov spoke up in the silence left after Gajeel's somewhat terse explanation.

"Where can we find him?" Jellal asked Gajeel, the broad man gripping the handle of his mug with more force than was needed.

"Can't say," he grunted, red eyes flicking towards Jellal. The man's eyes narrowed over the mystery, but Gajeel's lips twisted into a devilish smirk.

"I'd have to show the way," Gajeel gave Jellal and Erza a smug look, "They ain't goin' anywhere near dragon country without an escort."

Erza sighed as Gajeel kept his closely guarded secrets to his chest. The man didn't say much except for growls and insults, so she knew when he spoke up like this it was best to listen.

Still, she was glad they had a guide. Because even if they made it to the dragon's territory, they would no doubt be killed or turned away.

It made her question why Igneel would even give them the chance.

"Gajeel," She spoke up, attracting his attention.

She waited for him to grunt in acknowledgment, which was Gajeel-speak for 'go ahead.'

"What did the humans do to anger the King so badly?" Erza asked him, her voice quiet.

Her attention was sharp on the suddenly rigid back of Gajeel. A muscle in his jaw twitched but he took exceeding care not to look at her.

His gaze was straight ahead, fixated on a crack on the wall above the bar.

Then, in a voice that was much too casual, Gajeel shrugged and stood up.

"Who knows?"

The man walked off without excusing himself, no doubt to find Lucy and Natsu to tell them about their plan.

Erza felt a chill work it's way down her spine as Jellal brought life to the thought she didn't voice.

"It must have been terrible."

END ACT 1


What's that? Plot? In this fic? Seriously? We're not just gonna have Natsu screw around for thirty chapters? Indeed not!

SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED! You guys are seriously the best! You make producing this story an absolute pleasure! I'm also a little surprised by how happy you guys were that Natsu FRIED JOSE'S FACE OFF. Ya'll are something else.

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Lucy groaned softly as she felt consciousness slowly returning to her. She was snuggled up against something firm and comfortably warm, and she didn't really want to wake up, but her stomach was wrapped around her spine and wouldn't let her stay asleep.

She blearily blinked as she lifted her head and opened her eyes only to widen them when she realized she was snuggled up quite intimately with a snoring Natsu.

It wasn't really an odd thing by itself. Natsu had curled up with her back before he'd awoken, and had only done so even more now that he was awake. However, she wasn't used to being pressed against him like they were in a post coital nap.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind she instantly blushed brightly, and suddenly became acutely aware of a hundred little things. Like the feel of his muscles pressing against her chest, or the way he had one leg slipped carelessly between her thighs.

No! This was bad! She and Natsu were barely friends, and he was bound to her! She should not be thinking of stuff like this around him!