(A/N): CeruShimRu here and I'd just like to give a thanks to everyone single one of you for reading and reviewing this story. I'd espeically like to thank: Footster28, Princess Happy, ShinningStellar, Rose Tiger, and BlueFairy10 for being here from the very beginning of the story offering very good support :)

Natsu hadn't needed any of Loke's help to locate the princess's room. He had decided on just following her scent since he had grown so accustom to the smell. It had led him through multiple different hallways, even causing him to pass a group of people who crying. He could only guess they were some servants that had been very close to the princess and had learned of the news. Seeing them brought on a sense of dread, what if he came to a crying princess? He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to cope with that at all. He had grown to hate to see her cry as he was one of the few that made her smile. And now I've caused her to lose everything.

As he entered another hallway, the princess's scent hit him at full blast, but that wasn't what had caught his attention. It was muffled sound of cries; her cries. Natsu harden his face as he walked up to the door that contained the sound. He hesitated before entering. What if she didn't want to see him ever again? Would she just shut him out? A part of him just wanted to go and follow Loke's orders to leave her alone, but he couldn't bear to leave her like this anymore. Taking in a deep breath, he opened the door and in took in the sight of the pink covered room. No wonder the one back in the tower was this way….

He shook himself to clear his thoughts. This wasn't the reason why he had come upstairs. His eyes fell onto the princess who sat on her bed, unaware of his presence. "Princess?" he called from his place by the door. He watched silently as she looked up at him with her tear stained face.

"Natsu," she whispered before wiping at her eyes. She sniffled as he began to make his way across the room before sitting on her bed across from her. She lowered her head. "I didn't want you to see me this way….I guess…you heard?"

"Only everything," he breathed. That was enough to cause the tears to fall from the princess's eyes again but her sobs were a lot quieter than before. "Princess, I'm so sorry. If I hadn't made that promise with Loke, I would have been killed and you could have just returned home with him and you wouldn't be going through this." He paused before burrowing his face into his scarf so he couldn't face her. "This is all my fault….I'm the reason you're going through this. I promised myself I would never make you cry again and that's all I can do!"

"Natsu stop!"

The pink haired mage looked up at the sound of the girl's orders. Her eyebrows were knitted furiously together as she stared at him. This caused confusion to set in for Natsu. How could she go from crying to being mad at him in just a matter of seconds? "Now I've only made you mad…"

"Stop blaming yourself!" Lucy quickly shouted. "None of this is your fault; it's my own. I rebelled against my father. I caused myself to be locked away in that tower. I allowed myself to become friends with you. I learned to listen to and follow my own heart." She stopped as Natsu glanced up at her before lowering his head again. She scooted herself near him before taking his head in her hand, forcing him to look at her. "But you, Natsu, you caused me to remember magic again. You liked me just for me, not my status. You cared about me more than your own self. You taught me the value of friendship and love….I….I don't….I don't think I could ever wish for any of that to not have happened. You're my nakama; you taught me that, remember?"

"Princess…."

"No, just Lucy." She winked at this before giggling softly.

This caused the dragon slayer to smile. "Lucy." The word was foreign to his tongue. He placed his hands on her's before pulling it away from his face. "I'm sorry…"

"And I'm sorry too…now please, let's stop blaming ourselves and just move on." She held out her arms towards him, offering him an embrace in which he responded and hugged her back. The two of them stayed like that for a few moments before she broke the embrace, smiling up at Natsu softly. "I'm glad that's settled."

Natsu nodded in agreement. "And I have great news!" he exclaimed. "Some of my memory has come back!"

"That's perfect! What was it?"

"It was the name of my guild, Fairy Tail. I feel so happy that I finally remembered something, Princess! Now we both can go there and maybe we could learn about the rest of my memories. Wouldn't that be -" He paused, noticing the uneasiness within the girl's eyes. He raised an eyebrow in confusion before folding his arms. She had just been excited about him getting some of his memory back, so why was she upset now? Suddenly, it clicked to him and he frowned. "You're not happy about it, aren't you?"

"I didn't say I wasn't," Lucy objected as she began to shake her head but realized it wasn't worth her time trying to convince Natsu. He had heard everything her father had said. Sure, she had supported him while arguing with her father but she knew nothing about guilds. What if all the things her father had said were actually true? Then she had put her entire heritage on the line just because of what she believed in. "I….just….I…"

"You believe what your father said, don't you? Princess, you said it yourself, your father is wrong. How can you believe in his lies? "

"I don't know what to believe in, Natsu. And how do you even know they aren't lies either?"

"Because I know I'm not an evil mage," he replied, lowering his head. "And Loke knows about the guild too so it can't be evil, right? He even encouraged me to go back. There must be something good about it." He saw the princess's wide eyes and scowled. "Don't tell me you forgot Loke is a mage too?"

"I didn't forget…." The blonde turned her head away for a moment. "I'm just wondering how he knows about your guild."

"Why does that matter? Princess, I really want you to come to Fairy Tail with me. I know they could help both of us."

Lucy stared at Natsu for a moment before lowering her head with a sigh. "Just give me some time to think, okay?" she questioned as she glanced up at him through her hair. "So much has happened in just a short period of time. I just really need a breather."

The dragon slayer clenched his teeth together before slowly nodding in agreement. As he turned to leave he paused, sticking his hands into his pockets before pulling out an item. Turning back around, he walked over to the princess and placed the object on her bed. Silent, he glanced back at her before walking out her room again, closing the door quietly behind him. Once he was gone, the blonde's eyes traveled over to the object Natsu had left only for her eyes to widen in disbelief. What he had given her was a small set of golden keys; it was only three of them, but each was crafted different with their own symbol at the top. Placing them her hands, Lucy began to gaze at them as she touched each one slowly, tracing over the craftsmanship she had never seen before. How could he manage to get something like this? She questioned herself. We haven't been in town for that long and he hasn't even had time to leave the castle…

Suddenly she froze. There was a part of the keys she had seen! Getting to her feet, she made her way over to her nightstand, picking up the magic book Virgo had given her. It didn't take her long to get to the page about magic related to the stars it had been one she had been studying for a while. Every time she had looked at the pages she was reminded of the times she would spend with her mother learning about the different constellations. After receiving the book she had began to understand a little more about why her mother had been so persistent in her learning the constellations. It wasn't just for fun like she had always thought it had been as child, but instead, a secret way in telling her about magic. Lucy had just been too young to notice…until now. Her hand finally came to a page about one of the zodiacs, their symbol matching well with one of the keys.

"Leo…the lion and leader of the zodiac," she murmured to herself as she stared at the page. Her eyes traveled over back to her bed at the stuff toy lion under the same name before looking back at the book. Was it just coincidental or something more? The pictures didn't give her too much more information on the spirit minus their magic having to do with Regulus. At this, she pulled herself away from the book, backing away from it slowly. She had heard the word before but from who? Suddenly she let out a gasp as the thought crossed her mind and the picture of the boy came into her head. "If he's…then how….but…why?" She turned her gaze into her mirror until her eyes locked with her reflection's own. "Mother, what all have you been hiding from me? What have you been trying to tell me?"

Natsu was just beginning to make his way through the courtyard for what seemed like he hundredth time. He honestly had lost count at how many times he had come across the fountain, but just the thought of it made his entire blood boil. How could he have listened to one of those crazy servants back inside the castle? They had recommended walking around out here would be an excellent way for him to calm down and take a breather when in reality they all needed one from all the tears they had continued to shed. It had taken forever to get rid of the smell of salt from his nose thanks to all of them. They could have at least mentioned to him this place was like a giant maze!

While walking in the courtyard he had come across multiple houses. Plenty of times he thought he had managed to leave the castle's quarters by accident only to find the land still stretched on for a while. If hadn't come to a house he would find a wall of flowers instead. He had almost gotten to the point of just wanting to tear his way through everything to find the exit. He suddenly came to the fountain yet again and began clenching his teeth before letting out a yell of annoyance. "Why does every damn road lead to this fountain?!" he snapped before spewing fire into the air in rage. He was too busy rampaging to hear the subtle footsteps approach him from behind.

"Natsu?"

At the sound of his name and the voice, he froze, stopping his tantrum and turned to face the blonde. "Pr-princess?" he questioned in astonishment. "When did you get here? And how did you find me? And..." He took in the sight before him. She had changed completely out of her dresses, wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. On her feet was a pair of boots. Her hair had been taken down from its fancy hairstyle thanks to her no longer having her crown and was allowed to hang loose at her shoulders. "…why did you change your clothes?"

"Just in enough time to see you sending flames into the sky," she sighed. "And please, Natsu, just call me Lucy, okay? I'm not a princess anymore."

"You'll always be one to me."

At his words, Lucy slightly blushed before turning away from him quickly and began to head down a path she knew so well. "Are you coming?" she questioned without looking over her shoulders. She heard Natsu start after her and began to follow her in silence. She knew what path she wanted to take and why exactly she needed to take it. As they made their way, she glanced back at Natsu who had finally caught up with her was meeting her every step and stride. "I found you thanks to the servants."

"Huh?" he questioned in confusion.

"Your questions," Lucy said. "They told me they had sent you out into the courtyard and you had been gone for a while. It's a good thing I found you before you caused any trouble."

"I wouldn't have destroyed anything…."

A small giggle escaped Lucy at the boy's denial. She looked up as they had finally arrived to the area within the courtyard, staring up at the giant object before them. She heard Natsu stop, letting out a small gasp at the sight of it. She gave him a few moments to recover before lifting her head to face it. "I wanted to bring you here, Natsu," she whispered as she gazed up at the massive tombstone. She silently walked over to the mausoleum, placing a hand over it and the last bouquet of flowers she had put on it. "This is where my mother lies." She looked up as a hand suddenly placed itself over her own, seeing Natsu gazing up at the tombstone with an unreadable expression.

"The queen's been here this whole time, huh?" he said as he closed his eyes. Slowly he opened them before grinning. "I'd like to thank you, Mrs. Heartfilia, for telling the Princess all mages aren't bad like her dad said. I'm sure she'll be fine in Fairy Tail." Pausing, he turned his gaze to Lucy. "Right?"

Lucy couldn't resist but smiling back at the mage before nodding her head in agreement. "I just wanted to say my last goodbyes, if that was okay. I promise I'll be back to visit you really soon."

"We both will!"

Smiling, the princess gave one last look at the grave before turning away with the dragon slayer. The two walked on in silence, Lucy taking the lead as she knew the complete way outside of the garden that would lead them back into town. She knew it would take them a little while to get there, but in the end it would be worth it.

"So was that all your goodbyes?" Natsu questioned as they continued to walk. He folded his arms behind his head. "I mean, I don't want you to come to Fairy Tail if you don't want too…"

"Of course I want to be there!" Lucy exclaimed. She was astonished that he was actually having second thoughts about her coming when he saw the shock expression on his face as well. Giggling, she realized he was only saying that as he was worried about her. She continued on with a smile on her face. "Not to worry, Natsu. I'm coming to the guild because I made the choice on my own. I want to see you get the rest of your memory back too….as for my goodbyes." She paused, glancing longingly behind her. "I was able to find all of the servants, but…Loke, Virgo and Taurus weren't around at all. I didn't want to leave without speaking to them."

Natsu thought for a moment. "Perhaps they didn't want to say goodbye?" Smirking, he continued. "I'm pretty sure Loke wouldn't be too happy about learning you're going to Fairy Tail with me either."

"Natsu!"

"You're only proving yourself to be even more of an idiot."

At the sound of the voice, the two teens turned around to see the familiar strawberry blonde that Lucy loved and Natsu loathed. A growl escaped the dragon slayer as Loke tilted his glasses down so he could stare at both of them for a moment before winking at the blonde.

"Loke!" Lucy breathed in relief. A smile came to her face as he held out his arms and she quickly rushed forward, embracing him. "I'm so happy to see you."

"And I'll be happy to see him go," Natsu muttered aloud much to Lucy's dismay. He caught the eye of the girl before looking away in embarrassment. Clearing his throat, he turned back to look at the two, trying his best to ignore the annoyance Loke gave him. "So…where's the rest of them? She didn't want to just say goodbye to you too."

"I'm afraid that won't be necessary," Loke replied as he broke his embrace with the princess. "You did give the Princess the keys, correct?"

"Yeah, but I don't see what they've got to do with this."

"Stop it you two!" Lucy shouted. She was becoming fed up with the boys' constant bickering. Suddenly, the bag upon her shoulders began to give off a golden glow which caught the attention of Lucy and Natsu. Loke smirked in satisfaction at the bag's radiance. Lucy was just about to take the bag off her shoulders, a shimmering light began to develop around her and more light illuminated from the bag. As it disappeared, two figures stood beside Loke that Lucy knew only too well. A gasp escaped her; her hands flying up to her mouth as she stared at them. "It-it can't be."

"Greetings, Princess," the pink haired woman said as she bowed before her mistress. In response, her companion let out a loud moo of excitement.

"Virgo! Taurus!" Her eyes flittered back and forth between the both of them as she uttered their names. Suddenly everything began to click. These were the servants that had always been close to her. Their names had always stood out to her because of their unusualness. Then there were the keys she had received…"A-ar-are you, what I think you all are?" She moved her gaze across the three while Natsu tilted his head in confusion as he tried to take in everything.

It was Loke who spoke first. "You're beginning to put some of the pieces of the puzzle together, aren't you?" The girl nodded in agreement which caused him to smile. "Lucy Heartfilia, the three of us and more have watched you grow from the small, curious princess that had learned everything she knew about stars and magic, only to have it all be taken away and forgotten in a short period of time. Now that you're leaving this castle, you can finally live on in your mother's wishes and dreams."

"Her mother's?" Natsu echoed as he walked forward. "I remember you guys saying she was a mage before but…what does that to do with the Princess?"

"We used to belong to the queen," Virgo explained. "When she agreed to marry the king, she also vowed she would give up her magic for the sake of the kingdom. "

"It was only fair, really," Taurus added.

Virgo nodded. "Your mother came from a wealthy family despite not being of royal blood, but she was one that enjoyed magic more than money."

"So why did she give it all up?" Lucy questioned. She had a sickening feeling that she already knew the real reason behind it.

"She did it out of love," Loke answered as he stepped between his two comrades to stand in front of the blonde. A tiny smile came to his face as he pushed up his glasses before folding his arms. "I believe you can understand that better than anyone here. Am I right?" He saw the girl's face falter slightly and he could only smirk. "Despite all of this, she still wanted you to know magic wasn't all bad." He paused, a frown coming to his face. "I'm still annoyed with how your father began tainting your mind once she passed but there wasn't anything we could do about it which is why –"He turned his attention towards Natsu. "I give you the permission to take the Princess to your guild, but if and only if, you carry out the Queen's wishes."

"I'm already gonna take of the Princess!" Natsu snapped. "And she doesn't need your permission. Her father turned her away and she can make her own decisions." Growling he turned towards Lucy and grabbed her hand. "Come on, Princess!"

"Natsu wait!" Lucy shouted, tugging herself back before the boy could pull her any further. The boy paused, blinking back at her in confusion. "I….I have to know. Loke, what was my mother's wish?"

"You should know one of them, Princess," Virgo responded first. She saw the blonde's eyes stretch wide in shock before glancing back at her bag. In response, the pink haired maid shook her head in silence with a small smile on her face.

"Then I've been doing one since you were little," Taurus mooed. "You have grown into fantastic lady with a wonderful body so I must protect you."

"Of course…" Lucy chuckled in embarrassment much to Natsu's confusion.

"And that leaves the one your mother asked for me to deliver," Loke said. "Princess, you must teach your father to appreciate magic. The Queen wasn't able to despite being the love of his life and sometimes he blames magic for taking a toll on her life."

"But how can she do that?!" Natsu quickly interjected. "You heard the old man! He hates magic!"

"Which is why you're going to help her!"

"But my father would never listen to me…." Lucy whispered. Her voice was loud enough to catch both of the boy's attention. Glancing at each other with a glare, they quickly turned away in a huff, pushing their differences aside for the girl. This caught Lucy's attention and a small smile came to her face. "I'm sorry…I'm just not sure how that's even possibly, Loke."

"There's a way and you'll find it," Loke replied. "Now…we can't keep using our magic like this so it's probably best if we go." At his words, the three spirits began glowing.

"Remember we're always protecting you, Princess!" Taurus called.

"And we'll always come at your call," Virgo added.

"Thank you, you three," Lucy mumbled, feeling tears coming to her eyes as she saw three of her best friend's shapes beginning to disappear into a glimmer of light. She caught the last of their smile before they finally disappeared from sight. That's when she felt the first tear fall. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the set of golden keys and began staring at them in her hands. "Thank you, Leo, Virgo, and Taurus. I promise I won't let you or my mother down." She then hugged the keys close to her chest, unaware of the eyes of concerned dragon slayer. Wiping at her eyes, she placed the keys back into the bag and looked up at the pink haired mage with a bright smile on her face. "Ready to go?"

Natsu, with his arms folded across his chest, blinked at her in confusion. "A-are you sure?" he stammered. "After all that…you're sure you don't…?"

"I'm ready," she announced, taking hold of his hand. "Besides, I still have to help you get that memory of yours back, right?"

The dragon slayer studied her for a moment, seeing her tear stained face. He had watched her cry too many times for his liking today and he would only be breaking his own promise towards her. He knew he would have to do whatever it took to keep her happy, keeping his promise to her and helping her with her own promises. "I can't forget that!" he exclaimed with his famous grin, pushing away the thoughts. "Now, how about you show me how to get out of this maze?"

(A/N): The journey has been so much fun with you all, but alas, every journey must come to an end, but this story is only the beginning of more. That's right, there's a sequel in the making, actually a mini series so keep your eyes open for the sneak peek that will be added here later. Again, thank you all for reading ^_^