All Rights to Hiro Mashima

To Leomae2.0, hope you're doing okay with that crazy asshole of a storm down where you are!

BEWARE!

Chapter 38: Amethyst

Birthstone of February, it is known as the stone of St. Valentine; used by the Greeks to stave off magical intoxication and as an offering to Bacchus the God of Wine and Fertility; to the Hebrews it was the ninth stone on the breastplate of the High Priest.

"—tsu…Natsu!—wake up you idiot!"

A roar directly in his ear woke him from a pain filled slumber. His limbs felt like lead filled jelly, which made no sense to him, but his mind was awash in phantom pain from his transformation. He jolted up and immediately flailed about, not used to his new form.

He was…bigger to say the least, but would grow with time. At the moment he was stranded on his back rolling around like a turtle, unable to flip over.

"Shit." His speech was accented and growly in strange places and was more aware of his tongue than ever before.

"Gods. Get yourself together. Some Drake you are flopping around on your back like some type of snake. OI! Stop squirming you idiot."

With a heave and more pushing than he would like to admit, Natsu was righted again by his brethren and could finally take in his surroundings. He looked different and felt different, but nothing about that mattered right now because they needed to all be okay and get back to those who were fighting.

Three full Dragons sat before him, gaze lowered for their Drake even if their eyes blazed with their fighting spirits.

"What now Natsu?" The middle Dragon asked – Sting, his brain supplied him with a name after a moment – he was tiny compared to both Natsu and Gajeel, built for speed and maneuverability. He was a blinding pure white that almost couldn't be looked at. At his right, Rogue was his opposite. Small as well, but looked to be made out of coalescing shadows, wisps and tendrils gabbing at the grass around him.

"We fly. Obviously. Domus is expecting us and I don't like being away from Lucy for this long." Natsu almost couldn't recognise his voice, it was so very deep and warm, like tempered flames and hot coals.

Gajeel – a hulking, heavy looking Dragon with a massive square jaw and piercing red eyes who looked to be made entirely out of plates of metal like his father – snorted and shuffled his wings, the sound grating on his every nerve. For a moment Natsu was concerned that he wouldn't even make it off the ground, but he had seen Metalicanna fly before, so hopefully it would work for him as well. "Shrimp as well. Let's stop dicking around and get a move on."

Natsu nodded, which was an interesting experience in and of itself – his damn neck was way longer than before and his center of gravity had changed drastically – but he was only a bit dizzy for a couple of seconds, so he counted that as a win. Without another word he shot off the ground, his powerful hind legs pushing as hard as they could to get him above the tree tops. He almost clipped Sting in the jaw with one of his large wings, but the smaller Dragon dodged easily with minimal stumbling.

If he was with Igneel for this experience, the older Dragon would tell him to follow his instincts because he was made to fly and therefore his mind and body knew exactly what to do. His magic had shaped him and created pathways in his brain for that exact purpose.

But he wasn't and Natsu was infinitely grateful that he and the other Dragons didn't plummet right back to the ground like a bag full of rocks.

That would have been too embarrassing for words to even convey.

They sped off towards the battlefield – albeit a little wobbly, but hey they finally straightened out on the way over – without further ado.

What took the army almost three days to march on foot, took the Dragons a little under two hours to fly at maximum speed. Natsu absently thought that he would love to take Lucy on leisurely jaunts into the world in the future, but for now, time was of the essence, so he coaxed as much speed as he could out of his wings and his tail. Thank the Gods he had favoured his half-Dragon when he was a child or that tail would have thrown him off entirely, even if it acted like a rudder on a boat more than anything at the moment.

The sound of the battle reached their sensitive ears before they could see it and Natsu, as the Drake of his nest, announced their arrival with a roar so loud it shook the ground. A cheer was taken up within the ranks and the Dragons split off to their designated places that they spoke of while flying over the land.

Sting and Rogue sped towards Sabertooth to back them up in their bid against Tartaros. Gajeel left to relieve the She-Demon of her post protecting the Tactician as she turned ideas in her head and planned multiple worst case scenarios.

Natsu watched for a moment as the one called Deliora fell, shattering apart like shards of glass before he tried to find his mate.

He could see Erza locked in a heated battle with Kyouka, her back to the She-Demon and Abbadon who were jointly taking on the task of ridding the world of Seilah once and for all.

A flash of gold caught his attention and his breathing hitched harshly in his chest. There she was, his chosen, dodging and weaving in her Cancer Stardress fending off the attacks of Franmalth. Natsu cocked his head to the left confused. The Demon looked…familiar in a strange way. But as Franmalth shot a ball of pink fluff at Lucy and she grimaced, skipping away from the Demon trying to slice through it instead of attacking directly, he knew something was off.

Franmalth was always a strange one to him, able to absorb the souls of living beings as well as the essence of magical attacks, something Lucy was obviously finding out at the moment. She was probably the last person he would suggest to go up against someone like Franmalth, only because her magic was directly linked to living beings and summoned them from another plane of existence.

True to what his curse was, Franmalth proceeded to absorb Lucy's Stardress from around her, her regular golden armour shining through while the Demon evolved into something new wielding the glimmering daggers that he had stolen from Nova.

He watched her from the air for a moment as her mouth curled up into an ugly snarl as Franmalth absorbed the essence of magic from her whip when it wrapped around his legs she had snapped out in retaliation. But all it did was topple the Demon to the side, stunning him for a moment so that Lucy could get her bearings and puzzle her opponent out.

She abandoned the useless piece of equipment on the ground and brought out the last available weapon from its sheath, the short sword that he had made for her all those years ago.

Natsu was torn in two, both wanting to stay back and witness the glory that she was – for she could fend for herself just fine without him to hover behind her like some overbearing parent – and wanting to go to her side and take any and all blows meant for her.

So he compromised and landed on the ground a hundred feet away – simultaneously crushing half a battalion of Alvarez lackeys that meant nothing to him under his bulk – with a shuddering shake and feral roar. He would fight by her side against this opponent just like he was meant to. Franmalth would know the wrath of this Drake whose mate was challenged.

Reverting back into his Half-Dragon – which made him suddenly aware that Dragons could see an extra colour that he couldn't actually name, and that was so incredibly strange he didn't know what to think – he was careful to remain mostly unseen in the chaos around him so that Lucy wouldn't misstep or become distracted. Although, the roar he had let loose early probably wasn't the best idea, but what could he say? He was a beast now, an Alpha and wanted everyone to know exactly where they stood on the proverbial totem pole compared to him.

He felt a source of his magic that didn't come from him and watched in delight at Lucy poured her magic into that sword and it lit up with Dragon Fire. That sword…had made it through so many things, through battles and long years and a war, but it was still by her side and able to lend her strength when she needed it.

A sword? Are you sure Natsu? Wouldn't she like something pretty like jewellery?

Igneel's words rang in his ears and Natsu grinned to himself as he ducked under the reach of a pike that was aimed at the back of his head. His instincts and heightened senses had sharpened even further, which he was immensely thankful for. It wouldn't do for him to suddenly die because he had been wistfully watching his mate go to town with a goofy smile on his face. But…there were worse ways to go…probably.

No, that sword that he had made her was the perfect present. Sure he had made her a ring, but it was just tradition really. Natsu watched her jab and sidestep and swing that war instrument with precision and grace and was just so proud and maybe a little turned on.

But who wouldn't be? She was magnificent in battle, strong and capable and infinitely exciting.

The smile dropped off his face the instant her confrontation with Franmalth took an unexpected turn for the worse.

He had absorbed the magic out of the sword. He had absorbed Dragon Fire.

-ooo-

"Let's begin."

No more words were exchanged between Titania and herself, both sprinting off to confront Lullaby like a well-oiled machine. It reminded Lucy of days long past when she and Erza worked closely in tandem to bring their enemies to their knees. It felt good to be back in that routine with her partner.

She may be Natsu's mate, she may be General Nova, but she would always be Erza's partner first and foremost.

Lieutenant Fullbuster and Lyon with the rest of Lamia Scale swept passed them towards the bane of their existence on a river of never ending ice, faces hard with rage and uncertain pain. She hoped that they would stow away their unnecessary feelings of resentment and hatred for this fight, but it looked like a large impossibility for Gray. His sister's word was on the line, and the Demon that brought down Nix, his home and killed his mother was before them and could theoretically be killed once and for all.

It was hypocritical for Lucy to even think those thoughts. She had gone into a battle with Jackal and refused help from END because the bomb-cursed Demon had been the one who blew holes in her beloved homeland. If she was confronted by Mard Geer, she would most likely be blinded by a blood lust so powerful, that she wouldn't be able to crawl out of it until either she or the Underworld King were dead. He was the one who had murdered her father after all, and even though he was a right bastard until the day he died, he was still her father and she had a right to be pissed as all hell about his death.

"General Nova. I have an idea."

She was jostled out of her thoughts by Titania holding her back from running any further. "You have a plan I assume?"

"Yes. We don't know much, but we do know that this Demon plays a cursed song. So we must hit hard and fast. He is made of wood…I think. So instead of magical attacks…"

Lucy grinned widely and brought out the sword that had saved her life more times than she could count over the last two months. She poured her magic into Natsu's sword and it lit up with a comforting flame, warming her from the inside out. "We attack with fire."

Erza re-quipped into her Flame Empress armour and nodded. "Precisely."

"Leo, go back, I'll call you if you're needed." He bowed and kissed the back of her gauntlet, to which she smirked a little. He was a silly cat, but loyal.

"As you wish, Princess." He was dismissed in a shower of golden sparks and a sudden flash.

It made no sound, but the light was enough for Lullaby to notice their presence, lifting one gigantic foot above their heads to bring it down in an effort to crush them. But they were faster than the lumbering giant, thankfully.

Erza nimbly skipped up the thick appendage and ran straight for the Demon's head, cutting and slicing with her flaming sword the whole while. Lucy opted to be the distraction, pricking Lullaby with her own short sword enough times in the feet (or massive trunks, whatever the case may have been) that his left leg caught completely on fire and he whined with a beastly sound that grated on every single nerve that Nova had in her body.

"You foolish worms. You shouldn't have provoked the Demon of Death."

The Demon opened its gaping mouth and sucked in a massive amount of air, obviously gearing up for some type of magic.

Erza was one step ahead of her though, and had her hands clamped over her ears suddenly standing beside Nova again. "It's going to sing! This is most likely why it's called Lullaby…"

She was yelling over what Lucy could assume a medium sized tornado sounded like, but she got the message all the same. A panic burst through her heart before she ran through each and every spell, incantation, summoning and the like knowing that she had no way to counteract something like this.

They couldn't fight at all if they were asleep! The Demons would slaughter them while they slumbered on the ground.

She could barely begin to articulate this to her partner – who looked just as stricken as she did – when Lullaby let out an agonizing wheezing cough, and the spell stuttered to a halt, then completely died in its throat.

Its neck and chest had been cut open by Erza's flaming sword and scorched by fire so much that it had so many extra holes in it that it was leaking air.

Lullaby couldn't sing.

Nova grinned at Titania and like they were one mind and body, both swept forward with their respective swords and made the petulantly stamping Demon smoulder and curse, until it let out a single agonizing cry of defeat and shifted into nothing but ash.

"That was…anticlimactic."

Nova snorted derisively. She had barely broken a sweat for that fight. Lullaby…was not as strong as he was supposed to be.

Perhaps they had been listening to rumours for too long. First the exaggerations of END, and now this pitiful excuse for an opponent.

"I agree. But, there are many more Demons running amok. What say you Titania? Think Kyouka would be against a little sparring session?"

Erza smirked and re-quipped into her speed armour and in a flash, she was gone.

-ooo-

This opponent was so odd. Lucy had never faced anyone like him before. The curse he wielded was so unruly and strange, it unfortunately took her too long to notice just what it was. His name was Franmalth, and after a rousing cackle and short monologue he had just stood there on the ground like a lump on a log hadn't moved to attack.

So she had foolishly disregarded every single one of the Colonel's lessons about unknown enemies. The biggest one that he had beaten into her brain—

Do not be overconfident Princess! Overconfidence equals death, and your opponent will not have the mercy that I do. You stand between your enemy and your Kingdom, if you fall, they fall. Be confident, but wary.

—that had flown completely out the metaphorical window in her brain and all she had left was to attack blindly at a Demon who was smiling as if he had all the answers to the universe.

She had lost Aries first when the shy ram had attempted a Wool Wall. Then Taurus next, the bull being absorbed and then used like a tool in a shed against her by Franmalth.

This was something she abhorred. That use of Spirits for one's own gain no matter the consequences. She had no doubt that they were in pain, she could feel it in her own heart and that made her furious.

Her lips curled up into a snarl and she stepped forward to attack with her light sword when the air around the battle thundered and a furious roar that shook her to her bones rippled over them like waves.

Franmalth sucked up her sword from her hand, just like Sting had done only a week before, and absorbed the essence of her magic. It was disturbing and grotesque. Lucy grumbled at the thought that her arrows would do nothing to aid her in this fight either.

Just her luck.

Then something snapped open like the sails in the wind of the massive ships that sailed out of Hargeon port.

She twisted oh the ground quickly to see what had made such a large disturbance.

Hopefully the Jupiter Cannon hadn't been remade, surely a new weapon of that size would take longer to repair? Was it too much to ask for them to have some good luck—

Dragons.

Not weapons of mass destruction in normal sense of the words, but massive flying lizards hell bent on making themselves known.

She would recognize those blood red scales anywhere.

They were not just any Dragons, but her Dragons. Her Drake and her nest had transformed and where safe (relatively speaking, seeing as they were heading into a battle). Natsu was beautiful. Feral and sharp and so red. She imagined that was what Igneel must have looked like once upon a time, all gleaming white teeth and ivory horns sharp enough to slice through muscles and tissue. She could barely look at Sting he was so bright while Rogue was hard to see he was so dark. Gajeel…just looked extremely heavy.

But her mate. Her mate was…

He was magnificent.

A cheer went up through the crowd of Domus allies, bolstered by the thought of reinforcements, while the Demons and their brethren shook in their armour. The army pushed back against their oppressors with new strength, and that bolstered Lucy in her own clash with the Demon Franmalth. She couldn't get distracted now, not with the lives of some of her spirits on the line.

Her headspace of the warrior she had long ago cultivated with the help of her family and the Colonel came back and she started to fight anew. No more jumping in blindly, now was the time to think critically and logically. Everyone had a weakness, she would just have to exploit it.

A harsh blow to her side had her jumping out of the way of Franmalth's extendable arm, but not before she was almost knocked into the mud at her feet.

It was time to make this Demon fear her name and make her mate proud.

Natsu would just have to look around and find her if that was what he wished.

She had a Demon to skewer.

-ooo-

Nothing worked, nothing was helping. She was at a loss even greater than when she had faced END. At least her magic burnt his out, at least she could distract Sting and dart around faster than he was capable of moving.

Her magic was being removed from her arsenal piece by fucking piece and it was if parts of her soul were being torn form her, forcibly. It was a horrible feeling and Lucy couldn't help but let the scowl on her face deepen until it gave her a look of thunder and rage. No one could see her eyes, her helm covered them, but they would see the snarl that pulled at her lips. One that was more reminiscent of her brother than anything else.

She flung aside her now useless whip, the River of Stars dull and lifeless. She should have known better than to try and use magic like that against Franmalth.

What the hell was she supposed to use?

Her hand grabbed the last available weapon on her person that could possibly work.

The sword from her best friend, filled with fire and just itching to sink into this Demon in front of her. His wide grin was getting on her nerves and it was time to wipe it off his smug face.

She poured her magic into it and lit the flames within, Dragon fire burst out and the warmth made her insides feel a little less cold. That blank feeling that she got in the middle of battle, where there was only analytical moves like she was pushing around pieces on a chessboard instead of the heat she felt when he blood roared, was stamped down slightly and her heart seemed to bit just a bit louder.

She was calm and collected. Nova had her sword, she had her brain, she had her training and she had her allies around her waiting for her to strike down this Demon back to whence he came.

That was, until he dug his own grave by absorbing the very fire that connected her to her long lost friend and lover.

"HOW DARE YOU TAKE THAT FROM ME!?" Her rage was blinding, her training fled her mind and all that was left was a singular thought of smiting him down with a sword through his massive eye.

Suddenly she was a whirlwind of movement, strike after strike, sidestepping and blocking and parrying like the soldier she had trained herself to be. Franmalth was no longer smiling while his frustration on being put on the defensive was palpable. He tried using Aries wool against her and even Taurus' strength, but she knew her spirits well enough to know how to avoid their attacks. She had never seen the relevance for the training Leo had insisted upon, but now…now she could definitely see the appeal and suddenly she was ever so thankful to her loyal lion.

Uppercut. Parry. Duck under a well-timed swipe of his arm. Franmalth sneered and jeered at her, but she kept her face as passive as possible. Her anger, while it did swirl under her skin like red-hot magma, could be used against her and she wouldn't let him undermine her again.

Lucy was waiting, as patiently as she could, for that moment. That singular moment where his defensives lowered enough that she could strike her finishing blow against his despicable Demon.

Franmalth stepped backwards to avoid Erza and Kyouka who were locked in a battle of swords and claws—

And there it was, he stumbled imperceptibly over a rock, and he flailed his long limbs a little. Lucy slipped under his defensives in such a way she thought Juvia might be proud, flexible like her friend's water body and silent.

Her left hand came up and she struck Franmalth down with a single magic imbued punch. The Demon, while having a wondrously annoying curse, was quite top heavy and he went down without further prompting.

She placed the sword in the middle of his single, gigantic eye.

Lucy was sure Franmalth wouldn't be able to miss this act of aggression from her.

Between one moment and the next, where the Demon went from mildly surprised to sinister smile, she was looking at Franmalth's face no longer. In its place, was the visage of the shy ram spirit.

Lucy flinched and reeled back—

—right into the warm chest that she knew so well.

"Please Miss Lucy, don't hurt me…"

Lucy's breath skipped in her chest at the sound of Aries in such obvious pain and she was so terrified. Natsu bent down to her ear and whispered a single "steady" and Lucy knew almost instantly what she had to do. She nodded only slightly to Natsu, and he was gone from her again, off to fight beside someone who needed his help. She was fine here, Lucy could handle herself.

"CLOSE, GATE OF THE RAM! ARIES!"

Franmalth screamed as his body started to warp and shift as he was pulled into the Celestial spirit plane along with a grimacing Aries. At the last moment, the Demon let his prize go, panting and glaring at Lucy who only let a sinister grin light her face for a single moment before she let a second key flash out, gold in the grey light of the drizzle.

"CLOSE, GATE OF THE GOLDEN BULL! TAURUS!"

It took only a second before Franmalth let Taurus go as well, and in his haste, he had the upper hand and the element of surprise.

His hand whipped out and smashed her full in the face before she could even think about lifting her arm to block the attack. Her helm was forcibly removed and flew a couple a feet away, rolling in the mud until it came to a stop against an outcropping of rocks.

Lucy growled and spit out a wad of blood, getting to her feet and stumbling through the ringing in her ears and the feeling of being a human gong. "You will regret that Franmalth."

"Oh goodie. Now I can see your face when I rip the rest of your soul to pieces."

Lucy blinked as blood dripped in her left eye. Another head wound. She sighed internally and blocked another one of his attacks to her unprotected face. Head wounds bled so much and didn't stop, aggravating her almost as much as Franmalth's smile.

The traded blows again, neither getting the upper hand, nothing changed while the status quo held.

A shimmer preceded the presence of the one person who could make this situation worse.

"Princess! Aries returned and told me—"

"LEO! GO BACK THROUGH YOUR GATE!"

Franmalth, looked absolutely delighted at this turn of events. He had deduced from her magic that she could control the beings in the keys, but what if one came on its own? She was the mighty Nova and he wanted to be the one that struck her down, and now he had the perfect way to break her.

However, he was overconfident, and it was ultimately his demise.

The Demon struck out with his hand and started to absorb her silly loyal kitty, sucking him into his deformed body just like Aries and Taurus.

Blinding fear exploded out of her heart and adrenaline rushed through her veins.

Not again.

She would not put her spirits in danger again.

Never again.

"LEO!"

Her shout distracted them both and it was enough for her. In two giant lunges, Lucy was level with Franmalth who – to his credit – looked entirely bewildered at the turn of events. Lucy brought down her sword and sliced through the Demon at where his neck should have been and twisted.

Without a single sound, Franmalth melted and spun and shrunk down to size of a…mushroom. Souls and the essences of magic soared out of the shell of his body and flew into the air, dissipating into nothing but smoke and wails.

Lucy sighed, pleased as she felt her magic return to her, the sword still in her hand lighting up with that warm crackle that she had sorely missed. A little ways away, the River of Stars sparkled then dissipated back into its holder.

"Princess? What the hell…"

Lucy turned towards Leo and gave him a once over. "Return to the spirit world and look after Aries and Taurus. I'll call you out later and explain after all of this is done."

Leo said no more and let his gate closed with a small bow.

Lucy stomped up to what was left of Franmalth and impaled the shrivelled bit with her sword, burning it to ash with Dragon Fire.

Only fitting, and incredibly ironic to be killed by someone he once held as a tool in his arsenal.

Nova snorted and breathed deep to try to catch her breath, but there was none to be had as a sword whipped towards her eye, a stray shot from two clashing lackeys from opposite sides of the fight. Lucy dove for her helm, her dented helm – shit – and jammed it over her face as fast as possible. She grabbed her perfectly functional whip again and took off.

She sprinted towards the center of the conflict, trying to find Natsu, or perhaps Laxus, or any one of her nest.

Lucy took stock of her family and allies as she ran.

Gray and Juvia subduing Keyes with everlasting ice and combination attacks.

Laxus and his Thunder Legion trying to fight their way to the center of a tornado that looked so out of place it was almost laughable. Tempester was a force to be reckoned with.

The Gajeel in his half Dragon form standing back to back with Levy, her new dagger out and ready, their skin and clothing soaked with sludgy water, Torafuzar grinning at them with a mouth full of shark teeth. Gajeel was fighting in nothing but a wrap made of an enemy's flag his torso completely bare, which was strange, but she didn't question it.

Ezel, creeping up behind an almost defenceless Wendy. Lucy acted as fast as she could and shot a shining arrow straight between his eyes – which he skillfully dodged – but it alerted Porlyusica and Makarov to the Demon, who immediately took up the fight with Wendy being none the wiser.

She suddenly came upon Sting, Rogue, and Natsu locked into combat with a lazily grinning Mard Geer. The Underworld King batted away their attacks as if they were nothing by pesky flies. She could see Natsu's enraged eyes, his rage was getting the better of him.

Sting didn't look much better than he did, while Ryos was actually scowling.

The weirdest thing was, all three of them had bare torsos like Gajeel and haphazard clothing on the bottom to cover their modesty. Ryos had found boots, but both Natsu and Sting were barefoot. They were all cut and bruised all over, blood dripping from their exposed skin from the many thorny plants that Mard Geer had used to subdue them.

Where were their shirts?

Strange. But she would ask them later.

And then she saw that Mard Geer's mouth was actually moving, but she couldn't hear a word out of his mouth. But obviously, whatever it was, Natsu and the other Dragons with heightened hearing could hear everything.

Lucy wanted to help, to strike down Mard Geer for everything he did to her father, for his pain and obvious torture. For her lost Kingdom of Astralis, she wanted to obliterate him.

A figure darted in front of them all, soft and almost silent as he ran across the ground.

She recognised it as Mystogan, his cape flapping along behind him as threw himself impossibly fast into the fight, dominating from the get go.

The tides of battle turned and it went so fast that Lucy could only remember snippets.

Natsu snarling out "HOW DARE YOU" in a deadly serious voice that she hadn't heard in many weeks while Mard Geer just cackled.

Sting's arms impaled with spiny plants and flowers blooming from his blood.

Ryos catching the Underworld King off guard with a sneak attack that rattled their enemy enough for him to stumble.

She only caught glimpses of Mystogan in his mist form, but he was everywhere and nowhere all at once.

Then everything stopped when she screamed for everyone to get down.

She let loose a single perfect arrow with all the rage and anger and bitter sadness she had ever felt over the death of her father and the decimation of the Kingdom of Stars.

The explosion of light and heat and force was heard and felt all over the battle field. When the rumble and smoke and dust cleared enough for her to see, a grotesque morbid sense of peace stole over her entire body.

Mard Geer's body stood ramrod straight, until it fell over in a single, strange motion.

The only thing it was missing, was its head.

Lucy had blown it clean off with her magic.

Good. That was more mercy than he deserved.

But she wasn't a monster, like that Demon had been. She would give someone a clean death, even if they were her enemy of the highest order.

With the death of their master, as well as the Nine Demon Gates (they would learn in the debriefing the next morning at first light that all the Demons had been wiped off the face of Earthland) what was left of Alvarez's army surrendered almost immediately.

Lucy's world sped up to almost super human speed. Wendy healed her, Natsu guided her back to her tent and stripped her of her armour and clothing, wiped her down with a soft cloth so that she was free of Demon ichor, blood and sweat.

She was in a daze and she knew it, but she couldn't help it.

The Demons were dead, gone. The despicable monsters that had razed her home to the ground would never be seen again. The messengers of Hell had been sent back…finally.

Natsu curled up beside her on the cot set up in the tent – she would later understand Virgo's suspicious behaviour as making the tent big enough for the both of them – and sobbed into his chest. For her father, for her family, for her people. She was relieved and sad and so so tired of fighting.

As she fell asleep to Natsu shushing her softly, rumbling a soft purr deep in his chest that made her feel so incredibly safe, she knew that while the battle had been won, the war wasn't over. But for now, she could relax a little with her Dragon watching over her and let her walls down a little.

-ooo-

"Luce…"

Lucy hummed low in her throat, just enough that Natsu knew she was listening. Wendy had been a Godsend and most of the worst of everyone's injuries were healed up and they were starting their march back to Domus. She was a bit sore but was feeling so much better than before. She just wanted to get back home now and sleep in her bed with her Dragon by her side for days on end.

A quick glance towards her mate, of his drooping shoulders and small yawn told her that he probably felt the same way.

It was nice to think of some place as home again, and while her room in the palace in Domus wasn't necessarily 'home' the people there, her friends and family and Natsu made it home.

And that was enough for her.

The King strode forward at the head of the procession of Generals and Lieutenants. The bulk of the army stayed behind them to clean up and try to right the damage of their confrontation with the Demons. The environment around them was destroyed, and hopefully Droy and some of the other mages could put it right. All Makarov had said was that he had received a very vague communication on his lacrima from Gildarts – explained why he wasn't with them during the fight – and that they needed to get back to Domus as quickly as possible.

They had been away from the castle for long enough and all they wanted to do was to go home. It was one of the only stable things in their lives and the members of the army were very protective of it. Considering the overkill of the last fight – just the mention of someone coming to try and take their only possible home away from them had sent most of the mages under Makarov's care into a strange type of blood frenzy – it was obvious that they would go down swinging if it was for Domus. For the last free Kingdom.

Natsu sidled up to Lucy's side while they walked. She was trying to find something in her bag – it turned out to be her water flask after she gave a pleased exclamation once she had found it – but turned towards him with a tired smile. She had fought so hard and so bravely, and he was just so proud of her. She had kept her armour on now as they walked – one too many times they had been ambushed with no warning had made her wary – but had packed her helm.

He tugged on her arm gently. "Luce. Do you want to ride me?"

Natsu could admit to himself that he could have probably worded his question a little better in hindsight, but the look on Laxus' face (pinchy and annoyed) was absolutely priceless. Lucy, however, gave him a very confused stare as Sting wacked her on the back as she hacked up the water she had accidentally inhaled.

She spluttered a bit before nodding gratefully at her Right Hand. "Alright. I'm going to assume that you didn't just ask me to mount you while in the middle of a group of our friends."

"Technically…"

"Oi. Please don't finish that sentence Flame Brain. No one wants to know about your…intimacy with Nova." Gray grumbled from behind them, his hand locked with his fiancé's. Juvia looked well, although the bright blue eyes with no pupils were still a bit disconcerting. Gray on the other hand, looked paler than usual. The battle against Deliora, while not physically taxing, had wiped him out mentally.

Lucy held up her hand before an argument could evolve between the two and pinned Natsu down with a quelling glare before he could shove his foot up his ass or somewhere more unpleasant. "Natsu…"

"Okay. Fine. I meant I wanted to fly back, with the nest. We've all been itching to spread our wings again. I want you with us up in the sky."

Sting shot his best wounded puppy-dog eyes at her – to which Lucy snorted and rolled her eyes – and Ryos nodded while shifting anxiously on his feet. It was true; they could feel their scales wanting to come out again and it was getting harder to ignore every passing minute.

Lucy gave them a brilliant smile that would have melted even the most hardened person's heart. "Alright Natsu, as long as Makarov approves."

The Dragons dispersed as fast as they could in all directions. Gajeel picked Levy up by the back of her tunic (You can still read on by back Shrimp, don't be stubborn) while Sting and Rogue melted away from her side, presumably to find an area large enough to shift in, while Wendy (while still too young to fully shift of course)was dragged along behind them. She could hear Natsu's excited exclamations and sudden whoop of joy before he was bounding along back to her.

"He said we could, but he had this really wired smile on his face. So let's go Luce. You'll love it."

Lucy joined hands with him and they took off running towards where the others had gathered. She was grinning widely and felt absolutely giddy in her heart. It wasn't often that she felt this excited for something, but she remembered the feeling from when she was younger and Natsu would take her on their adventures. The ocean made her feel like this once upon a time, and she couldn't wait to see it again.

Now, she was more than happy to be included in this unexpected jaunt back to Domus.

She watched enthralled as first Rogue, and then Sting (both were small enough that they could transform relatively close to one another without the danger of poking an eye out on an errant tail spike) as they shifted form. It was quick and Lucy hoped it was painless, but they were elegant and swift as they jetted into the air with Wendy astride Sting's shoulder blades.

Gajeel was next after he handed everything but his underclothes to a very curious Levy, armoured plating bursting out of skin before lethal spikes of iron ripped across his backbone. A single Solid Script 'Bounce' and Levy was jammed between two of the spikes with her book closed in her hand, forgotten for the time being, while she hounded Gajeel with question after question about the transformation. Gajeel's laugh sounded like two boulders rubbing together and it made the ground shake a little. He lifted off with two powerful sweeps of his wings, the sound of his metal plates hitting each other like wind chimes.

Then Natsu was grinning at her while stripping completely done to nothing while Lucy watched enraptured by everything that was happening. She hadn't known this was the path that her life was going to take, but it was still amazing even if it was strange.

He caught her watching his abdominals move and bunch under his tanned skin and winked at her. Lucy's face flushed a little, but she hid that well by jamming her helm back over her head and opened her satchel at her side, motioning for his clothing.

"You have no shame Natsu." Her eyes flashed with a possessive nature that she didn't realise she could feel, but she kept her tone light and teasing.

He shrugged, completely unperturbed by the fact that almost sixty odd mages (including a King, a Prince, and an assortment of other ex-dignitaries from long lost Kingdoms) that were standing behind them could see his bare ass. "It's just skin. Everyone has it."

"So, if I was to do this" She gestured to his body and had to physically rip her eyes from his body and his manhood that was making her feel a little hot under her collar "because it's just skin—"

She didn't even get to finish that sentence before a possessive growl cut her off. "Don't even think about it sweetheart. You're all mine."

She smirked, her point made. "So then get to transforming Dragon Boy. You're mine and I don't like the stares you're getting from Milianna."

His laughter as scales burned their way onto his face and arms changed into a bone jarring rumble that shook her to her core. He was massive and incredible and terrifying. Lucy ran her hand down one of his haunches, marveling at his warmth. Sharp feral yellow eyes watched her every move.

"What do you think?" His accent was strange, elongating some words in exotic ways that were both foreign and new.

"You're beautiful Natsu." Her voice was low and breathy with awe.

He shuffled his wings on his back, the sound like rustling parchment. If he still had skin, Lucy was sure he would be flustered and blushing. He would probably be pouting too if his jaw would allow it. "Also very scary. I'm so glad that you're fighting on our side of the war." He preened at that, even though her voice made her sound like she was patronizing him.

"I know. I'll terrify the pants off Zeref then eat him whole. Then the war would be over before we knew it and then I can kidnap you again and take you to the Shinning Pools in the Red Plains."

Swiftly, Lucy climbed up one of his back legs and tried to get comfortable. "Will my armour be a problem? Will it hurt you?"

He chuckled again and leaped into the air, more graceful than she thought he could ever be. END was a powerhouse and Natsu liked to punch first and ask questions later, just like he had been when he was a child. But this side, this Dragon side was beast that used exactly the right amount of energy in every move. It reminded her of Erza fighting, her swordsmanship was the best in the land after all. She danced a deadly dance every times she went into combat.

"Dragon scales are harder than the metal you're wearing. Hang on tight!"

And they were off, their backs to the late morning sun as they sped their way towards Domus again with the wind at their backs and their Nest flying around them.

Lucy whooped gleefully and shot a look towards Levy who she could barely hear cackling over the whipping wind. They were flying low enough that the blue-haired girl wouldn't get too cold. Hopefully Gajeel was warm like Natsu was.

The reality of what Lucy was doing slammed into her chest all at once. She was riding a fucking Dragon, who happened to be her mate, best friend, Demon and love all rolled into one person. She flying back to a castle that was filled with her friends and family and she was surrounded by love again on all sides.

"Shit." Her eyes started to water. She was so incredibly lucky her life had taken this turn. That Natsu had come back, that Happy was alright, that she hadn't lost as much as she thought she had.

"Luce?" She smiled at Natsu's tone. Of course her silly Dragon could smell her tears. "What's going on? Do your wounds hurt? Did I do something wrong?"

Oh Gods, and he was just so compassionate. So Natsu, even though he had lost himself to the whims of his bastard of a brother. "No Natsu. You did something perfectly right."

"Then why are you crying?"

"Because I'm happy. So incredibly happy."

"Alright…weirdo. Who cries when they're happy?"

Laughter burst out of her chest, wet and bright at that unexpected response. He had said that once, so long ago when had given her that sword filled with Dragon Fire.

They had come full circle and she was so blissfully happy, even if it didn't last, just for this one moment she felt like she was six years old again and her best friend had just dumped her into a lake. It was exhilarating.

She would never take this for granted.

Never.

-ooo-

"That was amazing Natsu, I can't wait to go back up again…"

She had handed back his clothing to him, the same being done with a blushing Gajeel and Levy, while Sting and Rogue had a pair of pants each from Wendy's satchel. The little Dragon had covered her eyes and Lucy was happy to see that her innocence came with her off the battle field. Nothing would have been worse than Wendy changing after seeing so much carnage over the years, but she was still a bubbly, entirely too cute little girl.

Their backs were to the castle, having landed one at a time just outside the gates.

Lucy couldn't wait to get back inside, take a well-deserved bath and relax with Natsu for as long as possible. Perhaps spar with her nest – Sting was giving her that 'Right-Hand' look again that usually had them rolling around in the dirt, play fighting in a way she hadn't since she was a child – or possibly give Wendy a joint lesson with Titania, the possibly was endless.

But first…a wash, then maybe some food, then they would sleep for a thousand years.

Natsu gathered her up in his arms and nuzzled her exposed neck – her armour was unfortunately still on so he couldn't reach her mating marks like she knew he wanted, and her helm was still on her head, which was unacceptable really – purring as he reveled in her scent.

"Any time Luce. You know that. You also know that I love it when you ride me."

Lucy was in the process of politely and gently beating her heathen of a mate when suddenly Sting choked on his breath beside her, a heavy thump came next and Wendy sent out a very concerned and shrill trill.

Gajeel was kneeling on the ground, his eyes wide and unbelieving – that had been the thumping sound – while Sting looked like he had swallowed his tongue. Rogue, as was his want, was frowning again, but that more than anything put Lucy on her guard.

Lucy whipped around, notched a blindingly bright arrow ready to let it loose at who ever had made her nest this—

…a hand stopped her.

Natsu's hand stopped her from making a grave mistake – thank the Gods – as she later learned.

A scraggly bearded man, with a flaming red mop of long hair stepped out from the small crowd that had gathered at the base of the gate.

Lucy dropped her bow onto the soft grass at her feet, utterly lost. Her brain just couldn't put together the image here in front of her, with the pictures of him when he was a decade younger and well groomed.

But, Natsu apparently had no trouble what so ever. He stepped forward one tottering step and wilted to the ground.

In a single breath, barely loud enough for Lucy to hear, her suspicions became true.

"Igneel?"

You wouldn't believe how hard it is to write anything coherent when you're riding the wave of dental surgery.

Hint…it's stupidly hard.

But, here we are my precious cupcakes. :3 Dragon confrontation incoming!

Stay Crazy,

LoadedEel