All Rights to Hiro Mashima

Fluff has been asked for! Requested! Demanded! So I wrote something fluffier than a baby lamb wrapped in a blanket of cotton balls sleeping on a fucking cloud. Blame 12RedSky34 for this… :3

BEWARE! EXPLANATIONS! ANSWERS!

Chapter 26: White Danburite

Crystal form opens the crown chakra to attune it to the heart chakra to activate higher consciousness and intellect; Promotes self-love; found in Danbury Connecticut in 1839 and is a very hard stone that surpasses that of quartz in its durability; sometimes encrusted with Druzy made of quartz; mined almost exclusively in Mexico, specifically San Luis Potosi; its vibration has been said to be completely pure and sweet, but the energy contained within is powerful and gentle.

Smoke gently drifted up towards the ceiling in lazy spirals as Makarov silently contemplated the six mages kneeling prostrate on the ground before him. His thoughts turned to what they could possibly want, why now of all times to defect?

"Because we fucking couldn't take it anymore old man."

The King raised a single eyebrow at the one-eyed with maroon hair and a mischievous quirk to his mouth. The fact that the man had answered his questions he was thinking about was not lost of the elderly monarch, but that wasn't the most important issue at the moment.

"Soul listening pops, that was my primary magic before Brain shoved a lacrima into my chest at the behest of our benevolent ruler. I can hear your thoughts…"

Makarov nodded. I see…

Cobra only smirked, but his face adopted a sneer as Jellal stepped up to the front, his wife limping behind him. Celia's healing magic to her ankle could only do so much. It had healed the brake well, but Titania knew not to push these things lest she permanently damages her ankle.

The King turned towards the powerful couple, noticing the strange glances that Cobra was giving them both.

"You were in the tower as well?" Cobra's whisper was rife with disbelief. Obviously, he could hear something in Titania's soul. Only select people knew of Erza's upbringing, namely the King, Laxus and her husband Jellal, who was ironically her friend-turned-oppressor-turned-friend-again-turned-husband after the Black Wizard had possessed him as a young teenager.

Erza could only nod with a haunted look in her eyes.

The question was directed at Erza but Jellal, as well as the five other members of the Oracion Seis, flinched at the mention of what could only be the R-system that the Black Wizard created. The one that Erza had escaped from when she was but a child was affectionately dubbed "The Tower of Heaven" by the slaves that built it.

Makarov squinted at the six mages. Watching their facial features. If they knew of the Tower as well, then that would mean…

"Yes. We were also there, but we were unlucky when the Tower fell. Brain found the six of us and kept us under his thumb ever since."

Jellal addressed the kneeling mages. "Who is this Brain? Before the war, none of us had ever heard of him."

A meek-looking woman with a vicious glint in her eyes and pure white hair answered. "Ever heard of Commander Zero?"

The air in the room went dead. "Of course. Everyone knows of that heinous man who disappeared after the downfall of Edolas. What does he have to do with Brain?"

Locks as bright as snow swished as the woman threw back her head and laughed the sound chilling. "Brain was Zero's alter ego. We six sealed the raw power behind the man known as Brain so that he could be controlled. The Oracion Seis existed to keep Zero in check."

Makarov looked sharply at Jellal who had pinched his nose between his fingers. "So you mean…?"

Cobra laughed maniacally. "Yes. When you and that man," He pointed at the ever silent Mystogan who stood stoic in a corner of the room, "Found us and defeated us single handed…"

"…I inadvertently released one of the most destructive mages ever to grace Earthland."

"Precisely." Cobra ginned, sharp teeth glinting in the low light. "I could hear his thoughts. It was only chaos and killing and destruction. There were things that he was going to do with us…to us because we had agreed to seal him away…you understand I couldn't let that happen to my family. So ripped his heart out before he could fully turn." His grin was feral now with restrained rage and bloodlust.

At that word, family, Makarov grunted and leant forward suddenly interested. "What do you mean Cobra? What do you know of family?"

The Slayer snarled viciously at the question and pointed one after another at the mages around him on the ground.

Angel. "My sister."

Hoteye. "Brother."

Imitatia. "Sister."

Racer. "Brother."

Midnight. "Brother."

The King cracked his first smile of the evening seeing the conviction and steadfast resolve in that single eye. Cobra wasn't lying when he said these people were his family and he would obviously do anything to help them or keep them from danger.

An idea struck the old man in that moment and Laxus groaned seeing the face of his Grandfather and just knew what he was thinking. "Dammit, Gramps! First END? Now the Seis? What next? Invite the Reaper up for tea and ask him to join as well?"

Makarov actually liked that idea, but put that on the back burner for the moment as he watched understanding and a truly amazing amount of confusion dawn on Cobra's face as he heard the ideas flitting through his mind and soul. He watched as his idiot grandson just rolled his eyes but never raised more objections.

"You turned END? And now…you are asking us the same? You would place your trust in us, the Seis, without another thought? After all, we have done?"

Makarov emptied his pipe and replenished the herbs inside. "It wasn't us who turned END, he approached General Nova after the last battle and she asked him and he said yes. He is an invaluable asset and both are currently off trying to liberate the free world in the Black Fortress. So…Cobra, Midnight, Hoteye, Angel, Imitatia, Racer…will you follow in END's footsteps? Will you help us?"

The six mages stared in wonder, but they stood as a unit and pledged their binding allegiance. Makarov couldn't be happier, they had new allies and these misguided children will be shown the way of the light. "What are your names? We will call you by your given names here in Domus if you would allow?"

Again Cobra pointed around the circle of his small family. Angel became Sorano, Racer to Sawyer, Midnight to Macbeth, Hoteye to Richard, and Imitatia to Michelle.

"And you Cobra? What is your name?"

Reluctantly he spoke. "Erik."

"Very well. Titania and Jellal will show you to your rooms. Make no mistake, you will be watched closely by my family…but you will have the freedom to move within the castle. Nothing is off limits unless you are specifically told not to intrude on a meeting for the Generals. You will be reinstated to Lieutenants and split between the contingents. Cobra…because you can hear everything and I know you were the leader under Brain, you will be given the rank of Lieutenant for now and serve under Laxus until he deems you ready for the rank of General. Then when that happens, you will all serve under Cobra to keep your family together. Are we clear?"

"Yes Master Makarov."

Makarov waved his hands in the air. "Do I look like a Master? No! Call me Gramps. Or Makarov." He eyed each mage in turn, watching their tentative happiness burst forth. "If you step out of line there will be punishment, and it will be doled out by either Laxus or Titania." The Seis' faces blanched at the mention of Erza. "But you will do fine, I have faith."

Laxus chuckled. "I wonder what Nova will say when we tell her that we befriended the Seis."

The King hummed in thought. "We might need Freed to set up runes to keep her from shooting them full of starlight on sight."

"Why would Nova have a grudge against us? We have barely met in battle at all. Usually, it was the Shield that would go after her, well until END was contracted to obliterate her." Sorano seemed confused but watched as Erik's blood drained completely out of his face, his tanned complexion turning a sickly green.

"…No. Nova is truly…her?"

Laxus cackled imagining all of what Lucy would do when she found the Seis in her home. "You idiots are fucked!"

"Erik! Who is she? What's going on?" Sorano shook her brother by the shoulders wary of the laughing Lightning God.

Makarov took pity on the distressed ex-enemies. "General Nova has recently revealed who she was before the war began in earnest. She was known as Princess Lucy Heartfilia, Heir to the throne of Astralis, and is the last known survivor of the Star Kingdom."

Erik whimpered, he couldn't believe that he had made an enemy of one of the most notorious mages known to Earthland. But he hoped beyond what he knew possible that her sense of justice would win her over. The Seis was trapped under the thumb of Brain, skipping from one Master (Jellal) to another (Brain) since they were just children. The shackles they wore as slaves had been removed only in appearance when they had been "liberated" by Brain.

As if Sawyer was the one that could read thoughts instead of him, his brother grabbed his shoulders before Erik could pass out from hyperventilating. "We will tell her the story. The whole story. She would probably like to know what actually happened in those days when we helped to destroy her whole Kingdom with Tartaros."

Laxus' laughter stopped abruptly and Makarov nodded. "She will listen, have no doubt. Do not fret too much on this issue and get some well-needed rest."

The Seis filed out lead by Titania and Jellal after mumbling their thanks.

"We should be prepared to scrape them off the floor in pieces. You know that Lucy will hear them out, but that doesn't mean that she won't still want to tear them limb from limb for their part in the genocide…"

Makarov shrugged and blew a smoke ring at the circle. "Whatever happens will happen. There is nothing we can do but wait this out. But I think that Lucy will continue to surprise us. She has fallen in love with a Demon that used to be her best friend of all things. She has many layers, my boy."

"What! In love with END?" Laxus scoffed at the ridiculous notion. "My baby sister would never fall in love with a Demon, even if he was once Natsu. No man will ever be good enough for her."

Makarov cackled in delight. Who knew his grandson would ever sound like an overprotective parent? "Well my boy we will just have to wait and see, but the way he looks at her and she at him…there is love there, whether it is only familial or blooms into something more is not up to us."

He watched Laxus pout and continued to laugh.

The King truly loved his family.

-ooo-

Wendy woke with a gasp, her eyes shot open as she writhed on the bed. She could feel bodies next to her, one soft and comforting, one muscular and warm.

Arms descended onto her and tried to hold her down. But she didn't want to be restrained anymore, she had to fight. Lucy and END had given her a chance to throw the Emperor's oppression off and she would take it, even if it was small.

That was before she heard voices.

Then she recognised those voices and realised they were speaking to her, tone soothing as claw-tipped fingers sifted through her long hair and someone was rubbing circles on her back.

She relaxed, slumping in a boneless heap against the softer body – which she now realised was Lucy clad only in her undergarments – as she let END soothe her anxieties with his warmth.

Wendy couldn't remember when she had last felt so relaxed, or if she ever had. It was a wonderful feeling being here, protected between two people that she could pretend loved her beyond anything, just like a mother and father, just like a family she had never known.

Her life had been a hard one so she soaked up all the good feelings in this moment and hoped beyond what was reasonable that it would continue for as long as possible.

"Wendy? Are you alright? How do you feel?"

As an answer, Wendy sighed in contentment and nuzzled closer to the wonderful scent of Lucy. She truly did smell amazing, like stardust and cherry blossoms. Like a spring night and gentle breezes. She hummed happily, her voice trilling in the back of her throat softly.

Lucy looked over at END as Wendy snuggled closer towards her bosom and uttered that adorable little noise. She hoped that it meant that the blue-haired Slayer was no longer under the influence of possession and was truly herself again.

Then she saw how the Demon was watching Wendy. Fierce protectiveness blazed out of his eyes as well as a softer emotion, something like love or devotion. Something that connected them beyond Demon and Slayer.

They were truly family. A soft pang of loneliness triggered through Lucy's heart. She missed her own family, even her father and wished that the world could have been different, but alas, this was the card she had been dealt and she was a strong one. She would get through it. She now had another family full of her friends and comrades.

And END. She had END as well, and from the way Wendy was snuggling against her, this little girl would worm her way easily into her heart as well.

The trilling from Wendy triggered a soft purr from END, the sound reassuring and thrummed through the air full of strength and affection. Somewhere deep in Wendy's subconscious, she recognised that noise and she smiled.

Her Drake would be watching over her as she slept, he would keep her safe.

Lucy watched bewildered at the interaction between the two. It seemed to put Wendy to sleep again, this time of her own volition, which Lucy was thankful for. Her light magic had worked and the Dragon Slayer would obviously be alright now.

She gathered the young girl into her arms more securely and started to hum a long lost song, remnants of her memories of her mother and times that were happy. It told the story of Stella and her Dragon, of love and friendship, of loss and acceptance, of the stars and the night sky.

END laid in silence listening to the soft humming of the woman beside him and was immediately struck with a vision.

But this one was different from the others that he was used to.

There was no pain. No blinding white lights or shattering colours.

It wasn't of his past, of something that he had lost and wanted to reclaim.

This was a wish that he desperately wanted to happen in the future.

END watched a woman with golden hair sat and rocked in a chair beside a white crib. Her arms were full of a bundle of blankets as a blue cat snored softly on her lap.

She was humming a song, beautiful and sad, happy and delightful all at the same time.

He reached forward and parted the blankets and he could feel is lips curl upwards as a tiny fist waved out and grabbed hold of his finger in a strong grip.

Brown eyes glimmered in happiness. "Our son is a strong one, isn't he? Must have his father's strength."

END chuckled at her whisper and kissed the woman's hair.

The trance broke just as fast as it had come.

Never in his life did he hate being a Demon more than in that moment. He had never thought about children, or of having his own family one day, not until Lucy had come along.

He lived a cursed life, not alive, but not dead. In between this life and the next. He didn't think he could have children, and most likely never would.

But as he looked down to Wendy curled up beside Lucy, the girl's head pillowed on the woman's chest as both fell into a peaceful slumber, and he thought that perhaps he could be Lucy's family. He knew that she had none left, and neither did he. Neither did Wendy.

So…perhaps they could be each other's family? He let the Demon form go and watched the ash shift away into the air. He wanted to curl around Lucy and not hurt her so that meant leaving the horns and talons behind.

He wrapped himself around Lucy, spooning behind her and loving the way her body felt against his, soft and pliable but strong at the same time. He watched them sleep for hours. END couldn't fall back asleep with all the thoughts jumping around in his mind.

In the early hours of the morning, he finally succumbed to the tiredness in his limbs as the bed's other occupants soft breathing sent him into a pit of deep relaxation.

He had made one decision right before his eyes closed.

When the war was all over, whether or not he had all of his memories intact…he was giving that ring to Lucy.

-ooo-

The Black Wizard sent Aria of the Great Sky out of the throne room. That weepy man did have a set of strange morals, but he could tell that the behemoth was loyal to Jose, and to an extent, himself. There was no need to worry about him.

He tapped his fingers on the black stone that made up his throne, his scowl hidden behind the hood of his cloak.

He finally gestured to Brandish. "Bring in the next one. We need to finish off these inquiries before nights end. The morning will be upon us soon and we have much to do."

A woman with wavy blue hair and blank eyes swept into the room with surprising elegance. He recognised her and smiled tightly, she was relatively new to his forces compared to his Shield and would interrogate her even more harshly than he had done with Aria or Totomaru. She had just…shown up one day and Jose had taken an instant liking towards her.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that she was a water wielder, and he already had three out of four elements in his collection. Maybe it was the fact that Juvia was a beautiful woman.

But that was not a question now. None could sway him, save for his love, his Mavis. The embodiment of pure innocence and beauty to him.

So the questioning would be harsh, the use of his magic gruelling. If she refused, he might have to call Kyouka away from Hell's Core or possibly even Dimaria – who was also skilled so much in battle with her swords that the title "Valkyrie" had been well earned and could rival that of Titania's impressive displays of strength – who would put her Blessing from the Time God Cronos to good use.

But that was only as a last resort, for now, he could be amicable. He could be polite.

"Welcome Juvia of the Deep. We have much to talk about."

-ooo-

Lucy was never a morning person, even when she was a child. Even now, when she had been waking with the dawn for many years to train and expand her magic, she would much rather be sleeping in. Especially now when she had a little Slayer purring in her neck and a deliciously solid warm body on her other side stroking absentminded circles on her hip.

She blamed Natsu for this predicament. He had always come to her during the night – she knew it had to be that way so she wouldn't be caught leaving the castle – and she had always been tired in the mornings due to him.

But she knew it was all worth it, especially if they could go on adventures as a child.

She remembered the first one, then the last one. The tales he would tell her about his family, of Igneel and the Dragons, of his magic and the fact that they rode in carriages to get anywhere instead of flying. What it felt like to fly in the sky with the sun beating down on his wings.

What it felt like to be free, with no restrictions, no one telling you what to do or how to be.

Before she had been locked inside that rune cage, he had wanted to take her to an oasis in the Red Plains.

When she was finally released from that prison, without her friend, without anything but her twelve keys and a shoddy bow on her back and Natsu's sword on her hip, she had never thought about visiting that place.

But now she yearned for the adventures that she missed out on when Natsu was taken from her, she wanted to explore the world now, but instead of with Natsu and Happy by her side, END had taken that place.

No, that wasn't quite right, was it?

END hadn't taken the place of her dear friend…but enhanced him somehow. He wasn't purely Natsu now, but he wasn't just END either.

He was both. The immaturity and playfulness of her Natsu that had never faded even when he had grown into a teenager had mixed quite nicely with END's strong, sensual side that seemed to slip out every once and a while.

But what surprised her most was the fact that both sides of Natsu, Demon and Dragon, seemed quite alike. Determined. Fiercely protective. Passionate fighter.

She was learning to love and accept both sides, all sides really, of Natsu. It wasn't that Natsu was now chopped up into little parts and easily distinguished as Dragon Natsu or Demon END. Every side flowed and wove together into his personality that she couldn't deny that she liked very much.

It was confusing but at the same time, it wasn't. He was END. He was Natsu. He was both.

Lucy jolted out of her musings as Wendy stretched in her arms, a tiny yawn leaving her mouth in a cute growl. The hand that had been on her hip – belatedly she realised that Natsu had switched sides from when he was sleeping earlier to spoon into her side away from Wendy – slipped up her stomach and laid flat just below her breasts, warmth seeping in from his palm unknotting the anxious knot that she hadn't realised had formed.

END's head popped up from the crook of her neck and he grinned down at Wendy as she blinked into the waking world. Lucy was surprised but grateful to see sakura pink and onyx instead of silver and red. She did truly like seeing Natsu's visage. It gave her great comfort to know that Natsu was somewhere in there and hopefully they would bring him out again.

But she didn't wish END away either. She wanted them both.

Gods she was selfish.

"Morning Wendy! How ya feeling?"

The little girl grinned up at END with a small smile and stuttered a bit. "Good morning Lord END. I feel much better."

END laughed, his voice lighting up the room. "Just call me END Wendy, alright?"

Azure hair bounced as Wendy nodded enthusiastically. "Okay!" Then she gasped and grabbed Lucy's hands. "Nova! Are you hurt! There's so much blood!"

The events of the day before screamed through Lucy's brain, images flashing quickly.

Natsu crying blood.

Holding his head on her lap as he went through a trance regaining memories his eyes a blank black.

Cocooned within a tent of END's velvet wings, his strong arms banded around her naked torso.

Leo's confusion and incredulity at the bite on her shoulder.

Wait.

She hadn't washed after yesterday, so that meant…

…she was still only in her undergarments covered in END's blood cuddling with Wendy and END spooning her from behind.

Yes, she was very warm and comfortable, and she appreciated all his hard muscle and tight stomach that she was pressed very intimately against, so she Lucy just sighed massively and threw a quick smile towards the fretting Wendy who was trying to find her injuries with her magic a light green sheen covering her small hands.

"It's not mine. It's END's. It's a long story. We're both fine."

Wendy nodded and bowed her head. "Thank you, Nova, for everything! Did you help my brothers?"

END felt a pang in his heart at the mention of brothers. But he knew it would take time for Wendy to see him that way as well. He would work hard for it.

"Just call me Lucy Wendy. But here in the Fortress call me Layla until we are back in Domus. And yes…I freed the other Slayers from their mind prisons but I had to leave them in that room for a while longer, until we leave at least, just to keep them safe while the possession is totally purged from their system."

END's hand twitched on her skin as his chin rested on her bare shoulder.

Right. She was bare.

Half naked.

In a bed with END. Again. Heat swallowed her whole pooling somewhere in her abdomen.

Nope. Not now. Wendy was a Slayer and could smell better than most as well as the Demon behind her with his stupid enhanced senses. It was not the time nor the place to become aroused by just how much skin END was actually touching.

It was definitely time for a shower, contemplation about what the hell was happening to her, and perhaps she would call on Virgo to get her another change of clothes.

Perhaps ones guarded against shredding claws and Hellfire. But she didn't think that last one was possible, but one could hope.

"I must wash this blood off. Behave while I'm gone. Wendy…watch him closely."

She didn't miss END's grin at her words or the glint of something in his eyes as she stood and swayed off to the bathroom.

No, she wasn't swaying her hips more than normal.

Well…not on purpose.

Wendy caught sight of the bite mark on her shoulder and nudged END with her tiny pointy elbow. "So…Miss Lucy is your chosen then?"

"Uhm…what?"

Wendy shook her head at that as she watched END's soft look as he stared at the bathroom door.

She didn't realise that Demons could feel things like love and adoration, but she was happy to see those emotions on END's face.

"You love her…don't you?"

"Yes."

She wasn't expecting him to be so candid, but Wendy appreciated. She was lost when people played games, but this exchange between her and the Demon was easy to follow.

"Does she know?"

"Not yet."

So END was going to tell her. That was good. She could feel that Lucy was so kind hearted and deserved everything she wanted in life. She had heard of Nova and the way she fought. It was easy to love her and Wendy hoped that she would one day be a big sister.

Wendy and END sat on the bed in the early morning light staring at the bathroom door just waiting together in silence for one of the most important people in their life to walk back out and greet them with a smile.