All Rights to Hiro Mashima

My sweet and precious cupcakes…I have entered school once again and turns out…there is such a thing as homework and I had forgotten just how much time that takes up in one's day. If anyone would like to save me from this atrocity, I would be forever grateful. But for now, updates will be super sporadic and wild. But we are coming up to the end of the story…and the final clash, so there isn't a lot to deal with there.

BEWARE! IGNEEL SASS AND THE DRAGON CHILD! RECAP!

Chapter 39: Amber

This gem is not truly a gem, but fossilised evergreen tree resin, the oldest of which was 320 million years old; thought to represent the 'Soul of the Tiger' in Asian cultures and regarded as the stone of courage, it was carried as protection for long journeys and to treat jaundice.

"Igneel?"

There was a flurry of movement beside Lucy.

Sting and his father, Weisslogia sprinted at each other and collided into a sobbing, giggling pile of Dragon on the soft grass.

Skiadrum had his hands full with Rogue who protested the poking and prodding of his father, slapping his hands away when they noticed his tiny pony tail. Although, his lips twitched up into a half smirk every once in a while.

Wendy and Grandeeney huddled together and spoke gently, calm and collected, but teary all the same.

But Lucy only had eyes for her best friend, who was finally seeing his long lost father after all these years.

White hot jealousy ripped through her for a moment before she could reign it in. Her heart hurt for all that she had lost. Her mother and father, her Kingdom and the people of Astralis, never to return again.

But that was okay, because her mate, her Natsu, had been through hell and back, and Igneel had returned.

A loud crunch came from her right. Lucy whipped her head around to watch as Metalicanna held his jaw with his hand, grinning while Levy squawked. "Got a little more heat behind your punches now eh squirt?"

Gajeel huffed and bared his teeth. "Bastard."

"That's Papa Bastard to you, idiot."

Lucy left the…interesting…family reunion to see that neither Natsu nor Igneel had moved from their spots. She had no idea what to do in this situation. All her blood relatives were dead and gone, her most recent interactions with reunions usually had her either fighting them (END) or bawling on the floor (Happy) so she didn't think she was the poster child for this kind of thing.

Finally, Natsu took a slow breath in and got to his feet, his knees as shaky as a new born foal. "Igneel."

And then they collided, much like Sting and his father, but stayed standing as Natsu was tucked into the former King's broad chest and enveloped in his skinny arms.

Lucy smiled to herself let her body finally relax into one of passive observance. She would keep on her guard of course, these ten people – not including Levy and herself – deserved this reunion more than anything and she would defend them with her life.

"They look so happy, don't they?"

She hummed in agreement as Levy posed the question, her friend leaning on her side even though she still had her full armour on. She was glad for the company. "That they do. After all these years and all their suffering, I'm glad something good could come of it." She watched all the Dragons and their adopted children hug and sniffle and talk for the first time in over ten years. They had all changed so much, and there was so much to say.

Glancing up at the sky after a rumble of thunder, she realised that the storm that had laid over their battlefield the day before had finally reached Domus proper. Soon there would be rain and lightning, and with it a meal for her brother, but she would prefer to stay dry today.

Not wanting to disturb Natsu who was finally talking with Igneel in a soft voice – which was slightly strange in and of itself, she was so used to boisterous and exceedingly happy Natsu – she motioned for Levy to follow her into the castle, touching her Right Hand on his shoulder as they passed.

"Sting. Gather everyone up and meet us in the dining room. We can speak over lunch."

She didn't wait for confirmation, only nodded to Gildarts as he walked up behind her out of the shadows of the gate.

-ooo-

They managed to fit everyone into the dining room with ease, the room having been built for massive balls and festivities. The upper echelons of the Domus Army could fit inside and still have room to cause a ruckus, as they so often did.

Lucy was the last to join everyone – thankful that Sting had heard her and followed through – as she had gathered up all the Exceeds from where they were scattered across two wings of the castle, as well as Happy who had ended up zonked out in her own bed surrounded by fish bones, and brought them to meet their Dragon Slayer friends.

Tearful reunions abounded for all of thirty seconds before everyone's attention was diverted by the workers – she was as bewildered to see Erigor the Reaper serving tea as anyone else – bringing lunch out.

She sat at the head of the table surrounded by the sounds of eating and joyful laughter and chit chat, and played with her fork. She didn't have an appetite anymore. The next conversation was going to be a painful one for all parties involved, especially Igneel, and it wound her stomach up in unbelievable knots that she couldn't shake.

Prepared to wait until everyone was finished to give everyone a little more time with happiness on their minds, that notion was shattered when Grandeeney spoke up politely from her left hand side.

"And who are you my dear? I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting before."

That jolted Lucy out of her depressing musings, and she realised that she hadn't spoken a word, removed her helmet, was still in her full armour, and not eating at all. It was incredibly rude on her part and her mother would have tutted at her once upon a time. She was raised to be the perfect hostess of course.

She glanced over at Natsu who was looking at her with a fond smile and that more than anything settled the restless energy that had been brewing in her bones for the hour.

"Excuse my manners My Lady."

Lucy removed her helmet first and then her gauntlets to give her a little breathing room. She had been wearing that armour for a long time now. Only months ago she would have felt more secure in it at all times of the day, only stripping out of it when it was time for some shut eye, but now…she relished in the moments that she didn't have to don it. Her braid flowed down her back and she still had the gold she usually wore for war time under her eyes.

The gold of Astralis.

"I am General Nova of the Domus Army. But you may call me Lucy while not on the battle field."

She glanced up to see five confused faces, until Igneel (of course it was him as he had the most contact with the royalty of other Kingdoms in his time as King) hesitantly whispered her mother's name.

It was a bittersweet reality that she lived in. On one hand, she enjoyed the fact that someone still remembered her mother, but on the other, it pained her to think just how much she looked like her. Lucy loved the reminder, however it made her heart sadden to think of the beautiful woman that had left the world too soon.

"Layla was my mother. My full title – until my Kingdom was ravaged – was Lucy Ashely Heartfilia, Crown Princess of Astralis and holder of the Twelve Keys."

Igneel poked Natsu's side and gestured towards her and whispered something to which Natsu nodded with a grin.

Weisslogia rounded on Gildarts and pointed a finger at him. "You said she had died!"

The man in question only shrugged (the crash mage, like his daughter, loved to stir up a little drama and suspense). "No, I just didn't answer your question when you asked."

Lucy held up her hand for silence and to her surprise she received it after only a couple of seconds of grumbling from all sides of the table. "If you would care to listen, I would share the story of what happened that started the day that you left to hunt the White Stag. I warn you though, this will be a very general version of it as we don't have days upon days to really get into detail."

Igneel, who was sitting to her right and looked a little pale and unbelieving as if he was looking at yet another ghost, waved at her to go on. Natsu grabbed her hand under the table for support, he knew this wouldn't be easy…both to hear it again and have his father know what he had done as a Demon.

And there was the fact that Zeref was the one that had started all of this…

She began her story again, one that she had only told three times in her life, woven together from her own memories and the tales from her friends and families.

"When you five left, Zeref was crowned King and Natsu left for a year to look for you, coming back with only a scarf around his neck and new scar. Years later, an army came through and swept everything away. They started with Ignis. Alvarez was their name and they went from Kingdom to Kingdom systematically toppling everything in their wake. They were controlled by a single man called the Black Wizard or more commonly, Emperor Spriggan. At the time, all I could get out of anyone in the castle was that Natsu had been killed, Happy was lost and Zeref disappeared over night. Everything was in shambles and war was in the air. Nix was the first to fall a year later at the hands of Deliora the Demon of Destruction, killing the Queen and having the King fall to possession. He was called Absolute Zero after that. Both of his sons escaped, and his daughter is in our dungeons. No one knew what the hold-up was, only that it gave everyone enough time to build up their defences. We now know it was naïve to think that we could have stood a chance. Caeruleus was wiped out next and the survivors either escaped to Astralis as we were their neighbour or took the long trek to Domus as refugees. In both instances, people were allowed to live as long as they had no direct connection to the army or the ruling family. However, this pattern was destroyed when they reached the Kingdom of Starts. Tartaros and the Oracion Seis took apart everything piece by piece, no one was spared. Astralis was cleansed, and as far as I know, I am the only survivor."

Lucy sighed and dragged a hand through her hair. She hated remembering these things, but it was necessary. "We had many battles and with all the information we received, we're better able to understand our opponents. It turned out that the Dark Wizard was able to take people, and through the use of Dark Magic, mathematics, and science, rip their souls from their bodies leaving them an empty husk with no humanity, leaving them open to be used by the damned. The 'Resurection System' or 'R-system' was built off the coast of Caeruleus. I was nicknamed the Tower of Heaven by the slaves who built it, but then, a young woman led a revolt from inside and brought it down around their ears. You will meet her later today I think, her name is General Titania, or Erza Scarlett. The purpose of this machine was for the Emperor to bring someone back from the dead, but he unwittingly created Demons. This is what happened to Igneel's ten advisors, but we didn't know this at the time. All the other Dragon Slayers were met in battle but gave off obvious signs of possession. Tartaros was relentless and difficult to beat, they could be resurrected and in that way, they were immortal. The worst one, the Lord of Hell, Keeper of the Blackflame curse, a Demon named END was sent out with an order to kill me two months ago, we have since learned that he was the reason for the year gap between the fall of Ignis and the decimation of Nix. He was an experiment, and it went badly."

Igneel looked like he wanted to ask so many questions, but he kept his peace for a little while longer, letting her share the story of the war she wanted so desperately to end. She just wanted a peaceful nights rest for once, one where she didn't feel the need to stay vigilant and wary.

Natsu squeezed her hand again and brought her out of her musings. She shot his a grateful look and nodded.

"END and I…fought to the best of our abilities. We clashed, but early into the fray we both realised that neither could hold out for long. I derive my magic from the stars while he used a curse rife with Hellfire. Naturally, we cancelled each other out. As a last resort, I pulled this sword on him—" Lucy tapped the present from Natsu with a single finger, "—and we came to a stalemate. Something about it made him stop, and it was enough time to see that around his neck he had the pendant that I carved Natsu for his birthday all those years ago. We talked, grappled a while, then he backed off and we went our separate ways."

Gajeel shot a questioning glance towards Natsu, but he sat stoically in his chair and refused to look away from his mate, eyes thunderous and guilty. Lucy knew she would need to have a conversation with Natsu about how all of this wasn't his fault, not in the least. No one knew better than her the weight of killing and how it sat on ones shoulders.

"I convinced END to join our side and we became partners. However, while we were working undercover to try to rip the Black Wizard's operation from the inside out, starting with the Black Fortress, END started to get…flashes, old memories of his human life. So in an exchange, he agreed to help us if we helped recover those memories. We had many missions to complete there, one of which was trying to rescue the other Dragon Slayers, starting with Wendy, whose magic prevented the possession spell from keeping her subdued at all times." Lucy shot the little Slayer a look full of proud approval, to which Wendy preened.

"Another was to destroy Hell's Gate, the resurrection system that was perfected over the years and gave the Nine Demon Gates their 'immortal' abilities. It was there that END found the last of the Exceeds, where I blew apart half of the Black Fortress, obliterating Hell's Gate and killing Jackal – one of the nine – as well as Bloodman and Jose Porle."

Igneel snarled. "He was one of those that opposed you? The advisor Jose? How could he have…he was loyal!"

Lucy shrugged her shoulders stiffly. "I don't know. War and death change everyone, and usually not in a favourable way. Although—" and here Lucy's ears pinked a bit, "—I am sorry about your castle Igneel, it was intact until I…exploded the basement and caused half of it to collapse."

The former King waved the apology. "Honestly, I'm almost glad it's gone. Gives me a chance to remodel and build what I really wanted after all this is said and done."

Nova tilted her head. It was nice to hear something other than despair and incredulous words about the future. She knew she liked Igneel and this only solidified her stance. He was like Natsu…a little more mature, but held that same warmth.

"I see." She grappled a bit for where her story left off before she caught her train of thought. "Oh yes. It was also in the Black Fortress that we found what we were truly looking for, information on who END had used to be. We all had our suspicions, as well as speculations on who the Black Wizard was as well, but they were confirmed after we had all read a scientific journal of sorts detailing the thought process and experimentation that had brought END into this world."

Lucy took a long deep breath, her eyes watering suddenly and her words shaking so much she couldn't quite get the words out.

But she didn't have to, because her wonderful best friend took it upon himself to finish it for her. "END had two forms, one was a Demon, but the second…was entirely human. He had—he had pink hair and green eyes. When that journal was read, the name END was read not as a word, but as an acronym. It stood for Etherious Natsu Dragneel."

The room was silent, painfully silent save for Happy's small sobs. Lucy opened her arms for the small blue cat and tried to cuddle him closer, but realising that she still had her armour on, stood and quickly divested herself of her chest plate, leaving her torso in that chain mail shirt.

Natsu kept going, knowing that if he stopped now, it would be harder to continue. He fingered the scarf around his neck nervously unwilling to meet anyone's eyes. "The Demon that he had unwittingly created was deemed an abomination because he didn't remove my humanity first. I was still Natsu after it was all said and done, but it was all locked up in my head behind a seal. My memories of when I was human started to leak out when I met Luce again. Once we woke Happy up, he gave me back this scarf, and whatever spell that was woven into it, broke the seal on my magic. The Dragon and Demon fought and the Dragon won."

"Is the Demon gone?"

Natsu flinched at the question Grandeeney posed, inquisitive and clinical to the end. He turned to Lucy for help, eyes beseeching. "I don't know." He whispered into the still air and that answer made Lucy's heart clench. He sounded nothing like the Natsu she knew, or the Demon that was once there.

She drew herself up high and flashed him a small secret smile. "It doesn't matter. END was on our side and Natsu's values and humanity kept the Demon from raining destruction down on us. If END is still inside Natsu, then so be it. I fell in love with the Demon and will continue to love every side of Natsu no matter what he looks like. His soul is the same whether his hair is ash white or sakura pink."

Natsu groaned as the elder Dragons balked. "It's salmon Luce. And we both know it."

She had expected a chuckle at her exclamation of love for her best friend, or perhaps a groan of playful disgust from Sting and Gajeel, but the room around her exploded into playful joyous sounds, a very sharp contrast to only moments before.

Igneel was gesturing wildly in the air, doing a sort of jig behind his chair that had Wendy laughing happily along. As far as she could tell, the old King was doing his best to embarrass Natsu, and was succeeding wonderfully if the light blush on her mate's cheeks were anything to go by. Everyone else was laughing or asking all their questions simultaneously.

The one that caught her off guard the most was Metalicanna of all people – with the sappiest look on his face – asking if she knew all along that she loved Natsu, or perhaps it was love at first sight. Maybe their souls recognised each other?

It was then, when Igneel dropped back into his seat, playfully ribbing Natsu about all the grandchildren he wanted immediately, that something seemed to click for all the older Dragons.

Lucy watched in confusion as Igneel stared hard at her, then looked at her body and let out a frustrated sigh. "With all your clothing on, I can't see them. My dear, could you possibly take your shirt off?"

Stunned silence reverberated through the room broken by the quiet thump of Levy's book – which had been propped up in her hands until then – hitting the table in front of her.

Nova cleared her throat and looked at Natsu, absolutely bewildered. Was this a Dragon custom she was unaware of?

Gajeel grunted suddenly with broken guffaws. His laugh low and rolling like stones. "Chill Bunny. He means your marks, not your breasts."

Sting swatted Gajeel's arm when he realised that Lucy wasn't close enough to do the same, accepting the look of pride and thankfulness that she shot her Right Hand.

Sighing with relief, Lucy tugged on her chain mail shirt's neckline just enough to show one shoulder covered in the permanent marks that connected her to Natsu.

Igneel clapped his hands and then slapped Natsu on the back with a brilliant smile lighting his face. "Oh good. This means you can be an annoying little shit and she'll still love you."

Levity and happiness pervaded the room and it felt so good to bathe in that feeling for a while, even if Natsu was beside her squawking indignity about his father's accusations so much that he actually lit his napkin on fire. But it wasn't anything that she couldn't get used to again, he was always over the top and every day, every moment was its own adventure.

-ooo-

Makarov and the rest of the Army – including a buzzed and happy Laxus filled to the brim with magical energy after he inhaled as much lightning from the storm as possible – had filed in just before dinner.

The King and his advisors met with and talked to all the Dragons that had been hidden away for close to fifteen years in that cave.

Lucy took that time bathe and change before the evening meal that was sure to be twice as exciting and boisterous as usual with the influx of strong magic users and heavy hitters. Her family was growing by the day.

It struck her moments into the first course that Igneel still didn't know that it was his eldest son's refusal to let go of the one he loved that had started all of this. Had pitched the known world into such an upheaval that little to nothing was left standing. Perhaps she would tell him later, she owed Natsu that much, not to be the one to tell his father that his older brother – whom he still loved, or perhaps loved the man he once was – had killed him, and turned him into a Demon.

Yes, she would do it for him, and because Igneel needed to know the truth.

Half way through the meal – after watching Erza break up yet another one of Gray and Natsu's brawls – Lucy brought out Cancer to give their newest recruits a bit of a trim. Igneel looked at least ten years younger without his beard, but it showed off the massive cross shaped scar that – if the pained look Natsu gave him when he saw – was obviously new. Well, new to them at least.

Stories were shared, laughs were had and the mead flowed with ease around the room (helped by a certain drunk). Lucy realised that she had never finished with her tale before, but that was okay. There was only so much of it that she wanted to tell at one time. Any more and she would have broken down again. She felt so raw, all these emotions always bombarding her, buffeting her in their wake.

It might have been easier when she had chosen to stop feeling, back when Laxus and she were first coming to terms with each other, stepping around their shared feelings of sibling nature, but this certainly was better for her heart. For her soul.

They had gravitated towards one of the abandoned sitting rooms the castle had to offer, stripping the white sheets off the comfortable chaises and building a sort of…pillow and blanket fort on the ground. None of them – after coming so close and finally seeing each other again – had wanted to be separated into different rooms, at least for tonight.

Especially Natsu and Igneel.

So they had all piled together, Exceeds, Dragons, Levy (she was adamant in her refusal, but was swayed by the most ridiculous puppy eyes that Gajeel shot her only moments later) and Lucy in the middle of it, drifting off and snoring almost immediately. After all, it had been a strenuous day filled with surprises and more than one harrowing story.

As Lucy tried her hardest to just…stop thinking and let her body finally rest, she realized that it was going to be one of those nights of restless slumber, or more likely, one where she had none at all. She hadn't had one of these since END had been alone in the Black Fortress, trying to gather all the information that he could to help them. Usually, when she could feel Natsu's warmth at her back, arms around her as he was prone to do in the middle of the night or Happy's small purrs vibrating her side, she would fall asleep in a matter of seconds.

But not tonight.

Not when she was surrounded by so many people that had finally found each other again. Family reunions were rare in Domus. Especially between children and parents. There were more orphans here than you could shake a stick at. The last one that she could really remember – between the late King Silver and his sons, especially Gray – had been explosive and had led the Lieutenant down a dangerous path of self-hatred. Only Juvia had been able to pull him out of it and dust him off. He had asked her to be his wife the very next day.

So to be cornered by love that she would never receive again, had set Lucy's teeth on edge in a way that she absolutely loathed. She would never lie if asked and say she wasn't jealous, but she was still deliriously happy for the Dragon Slayers. So many things had been taken from them, the highest of those being their freedom – especially Natsu – and she would never deny them their joy.

But it was overwhelming.

As quietly as she could, Lucy extricated herself from the pile of warmth and limbs, throwing open the balcony doors and trying to breath in as much as the cool night air as she could. She could almost taste the hint of coolness on her tongue. It wouldn't be long now that the days would shorten and the leaves would change to brilliant golds and stunning ambers.

Lucy played with her keys, the soft clinking grounding her to the floor, as if it was a tangible thing to be held. It was soothing.

So soothing that she didn't hear the soft steps that came up behind her to stand at her back. She jumped as a hand was brought down on her shoulder. It was warm, and slightly familiar, though larger than the ones she knew intimately.

"Can't sleep?"

That deep voice rumbled out of a strong chest, still vibrant and living and warm.

"No, my mind is still turning. It happens sometimes after battles such as the one we just went through before we came back."

Igneel dropped his hand and fisted it against the railing beside her, slumping down into a tired drape of limbs and quiet sighs. "I can't say that I know what that feels like. I know what it is to stay awake too long due to my thoughts, but this war…this fighting…there wasn't any of this in my time."

Lucy shot the Fire Dragon King…ex-King…a small smile. "I understand. Just because it is my life, doesn't mean that it was wrong to have peace in yours."

"You remind me so much of her."

She knew immediately who he was speaking of. "I miss her too."

"Your mother was…she was truly a very special woman. I knew her for most of my life, as it was with the younger Royals. We all knew each other. Silver from Nix, your mother and I were the best the friends, always getting into trouble with each other. When we were older, teenagers really, but old enough for the crown, we went our separate ways. Jude and Layla were wed first, the man coming out of nowhere and sweeping her off her feet. Silver and his first wife, and then later with Ur. Makarov's son never married, but Laxus was always known to be his only heir and the King doted on his grandson, even if he was born out of wedlock. Ivan was a bastard, and will continue to be one, but Maky did right by that stubborn boy."

"He's a good brother to me, even if I had to beat him into the ground to make him see me."

"He has definitely…calmed down some since I knew him, but he will make a proper King when the time comes."

"Why did you never marry anyone Igneel? All your friends did, and it's what I was groomed to do most of my life."

"I never saw the reason to. I adopted Natsu and Zeref when they were children after I knew I wouldn't find someone to keep my old bones together. Besides…the woman I had loved was married to another man, someone who gave her infinite happiness and joy…and a little girl. No. I was fine, and still am fine by myself. I had my sons, my Kingdom, and my own nest. It was enough."

Recognition hit her like a boulder. "You loved…my mother. Didn't you?"

"Oh yes. Very much so. But…"

"Jude."

"Mmmm. She was happy, so I was happy."

"Was she your mate?"

"No. Just someone I loved, not everyone can be as lucky as my boy can be."

"I know. He told me as much once, that Dragons were a dying breed. How did you get past the fact that the person you loved…loved someone else. Married another man? Had a child that wasn't yours?"

"It was difficult, and it only got worse when she passed."

"Do you ever wish that fate had a different design for both of you?"

"I'm still happy for her, and still love her, even though she isn't on Earthland anymore. Plus, if we had married, I would haven't had found my pride and joy in my sons. No. Fate dealt its cards and I am happy with what I got."

Lucy shifted her gaze to the stars, tracing constellations that she knew by heart. "I know that feeling Igneel. I know it very well. Believe me." She whispered it to the night air, but that didn't make it any less true. "I still miss her."

"I know."

They stood in silence for a while, just listening to the wind creaking through the trees.

"Tell me Lucy. Tell me everything that happened when I was gone. I know you glossed over a lot about your own story, but I want to hear everything. I have a feeling that you're keeping something from me."

"You won't like what you hear Igneel. If you want to listen, then I will tell you. But there are things that will hurt." Lucy's lips twisted into a grimace, a little afraid to be the one to tell him about his sons, but it was time from the whole truth. It would hurt less than the sting of a lie or an omitted fact, just to save him some pain now.

Igneel took his time, but he nodded. "I want the truth."

"So be it."

Lucy spoke to her stars instead of looking at the King's face; she didn't want to see his expressions, didn't want to know what passed through his mind and reflected in his eyes when she spoke the words that had broken her down when she was younger.

"I will start from the beginning…"

She spoke of young Dragons and a lonely Princess, of adventures and blue cats and swords. Of the Colonel and her mother's death. The lessons she learned and the joy she found in her best friend.

"When Natsu left for a year to find you with Happy, I was alone and tried to pull Jude out of his own depression that was left over from my mother's death. I tried everything, speaking about her only resulted in him yelling, her magic – which became my own – was off limits. Their love was met with stony silence. Nothing worked. Six months after he had left, Jude found Natsu's sword and my training clothes. I was ratted our by some soldier, but I wouldn't give up my teacher, so instead, Jude locked me away inside a rune barrier inside my room. Unless it was Happy or Natsu visiting my balcony, I didn't speak to anyone else for almost six years. My spirits were taken by Jude and the sword made by Natsu hidden. My bow was broken."

"He had no right."

"I know, but by law, I was his daughter and what he was doing was for my 'safety' of course. Natsu tried to appeal to Makarov once, but nothing worked. And nothing could be done about the barrier."

"One day, Natsu gave me this—" Lucy pointed to a small silver key on her ring, Canis Minor, "—told me that it was from your horde. That was the last time I saw him or Happy."

Dark depression for a year and a half following the news, then working with her magic to shape it into ways that even her mother didn't know. The stirrings of war on the horizon and creating her first sword made out of Celestial Light.

The fall of Nix.

The decimation of Caeruleus.

The slaughter of the Kingdom of Stars.

"When the runes fell, I was the only one left alive. I took back my keys and the sword from my father's office and left. I have never been back, not yet at least. I think I will once this is all over. Natsu said he would take me."

"Where did you go?"

"I left Astralis barely alive and skinny, running into an astral projection of Mavis Vermillion along the way, who gave clues to find a special bow that my magic can use, and almost died falling into a brawl between Erza, Gray, and Lyon. I didn't know them at the time, but they became wonderful friends and comrades. They took me to see Makarov after Erza saw my weapons and I told him and Laxus my story up until that point. After a few days of rest, I enlisted into the Domus Army, begging both of them to keep my old life a secret. I didn't want any special treatment. They kept their word. After a battle with Laxus – this was when he was still an idiot mind you – I was given the name 'Super Nova' that was shortened to Nova months later. I became General Nova, the youngest in the Domus Army. I was a rogue though, and am very adept at disguises and collecting information."

"You were still alone?"

"I worked better that way. Only had to rely on myself, and it was important that I wasn't seen as myself of course. It was easier too."

"When we went into battle, I was partnered with Titania Erza, even though I didn't fight under the flag of Fairy Tail, or Domus. I have, and always will fight for Astralis. Two months ago, the Demon END was rumoured to been sent into a specific battle, and the King sent me in to kill him. It was lucky that neither of us could get the upper hand on one another. I recognized something in him, a deep weariness of fighting that I knew I had in my own heart. Once he recognized that sword from Natsu – which almost beheaded END at that time – and I found that carving hanging around his neck…I knew there was something strange going on."

"The dragon's head?"

"Yes. I was confused and annoyed mostly that it was with a Demon and not with me after Natsu's death. But he gave it to me for safe keeping and then left without another word. He found me later that night, and I had no knowledge of this at the time, but had his first flash back from when he was human, from before he last all his memories. We came to an understanding. He would turn his back on the Empire and fight for us, and we in turn would fight beside him and try to return those memories."

Lucy spoke of special missions, or waiting for END to return, her own fledgling feelings that confused her and made her feel guilty. END's feelings for her that made her feel something again that she hadn't in a long time.

"I fell in love with him Igneel, with END, with Natsu."

"Does that bother you? That you fell for the Demon first?"

"No. It was still him, still Natsu in every way possible, even after he revealed that his second form looked just like my best friend, I still loved him. I think I always have in a way, even when we were younger. I just didn't know what it meant until recently."

Their time in the Black Fortress, finding the Slayers, freeing them and being together and blowing a Gods forsaken hole in the building, bringing the place down around the Black Wizard's ears. Coming back to Domus and knowing that they were meant to be together. Completing the bond.

"There is something you should know before I say anything else. The man that had started all of this, all of the fighting and the needless killing and the war is Zeref. Igneel…it was always Zeref."

Igneel sagged over the railing, his head pressed to the stone. "Are you positive Lucy?" He sounded so defeated, so tired. Like her words had added hundreds of years to his life.

"Yes. I'm—I am so sorry Igneel. That it had to be him."

The old King stayed silent so Lucy took that as her cue to go and rip the bandage off in one fell swoop as it were.

"The next morning, the upper echelon of the Army all gathered together to hear the translations of Zeref's scientific journal that END and I had stolen from his study. Before this, we had an idea that it was Zeref himself, but this only confirmed it for us. You don't…you really don't want to read it Igneel. I was so vile and clinical that it made my stomach turn. The gist of it was that Zeref had started all of this to heal Mavis, his best friend, after it was confirmed that her accident had all but killed her. In his haste, he over looked the Gods' wrath and was given a curse by the God of Death. The more he loved, the more death he would bring. He is immortal though, and can't be killed by regular means. He meant to give it to Mavis as well, and he did, but killed her when they tried to be together. He preserved her body by magical means and started to look into things that would bring someone back from the dead."

"He's immortal?"

"Yes."

"How did it come to this? What will happen to him?"

Even though she didn't want to answer that, Lucy knew that she had said she would be truthful. "Igneel…he will die. It is the only way to finish this. He wreaks so much destruction and kills without mercy. He will die."

"…is that the only way." His words were tired, but when Lucy finally met his eyes, her was only a man who had found some of his family, only to learn that the other half had been lost for years already. He was in agony.

"As far as any of us know, yes."

"Will it be Natsu?" Lucy could hear the words that didn't have to speak. Please…don't let it be him, not Natsu, anyone but Natsu.

"I think he thinks it will be him, but deep down he probably knows it isn't. It always was going to be me, Igneel. I'm sorry. I truly am."

It took a moment before the old King answered, obviously bone weary. "I won't blame you. I know Zeref wouldn't either if he was of sound mind. I know Zeref, and even I went wrong somewhere in raising him…I know him. I know my son. He would never, ever do this if he was truly in control."

Lucy nodded. "From his notes, we also found out how he made Demons. The first time he made one, made END, it was a mistake, and experiment gone wrong. What he was trying to do, was bring someone back from the dead."

"What…Lucy what does that mean? Please…"

"It means that Zeref killed Natsu then tried to bring him back to see if he could do it."

"No…"

"I'm sorry." Paltry words that she knew wouldn't help nor heal his pain. But it was all she could do.

Igneel collapsed into her arms a moment later, and even though she was strong, she still staggered under his weight for a moment before tentatively hugging him back.

"I'm so sorry this is your burden to bear Lucy. I feel as if I have failed your mother. I should have done something more for you. Should have confirmed that you were the one that my Natsu spoke of every day for years, even if I had my suspicions. Believe me when I say this. I will not blame your, nor begrudge you for what must come. I can't help but feel like this is all my fault in some ways. If I hadn't adopted him…perhaps…?"

Lucy let a single tear escape reveling in the feeling Igneel wrapping her in a large hug. This was something that she had craved as a small child, then knew she had lost it when her father turned his back on her when Layla passed. The feeling of love from a parent.

All at once she was a scared lonely little Princess again and let all her feelings go, open the floodgates and sobbing into Igneel's shoulder. He held her and shushed her, telling her that things would get better someday.

If they had been paying attention, they would have noticed that Natsu's snoring had stopped or the small smile he let curl his lips. They would have questioned the fire in his half cracked bottle green eyes, that resolute hardness in his clenched fist.

They might have been wary of the fact that Natsu possibly did know that Lucy would be the one to kill Zeref, even if it would take her in the process. And perhaps…they would have accepted the fact that that Natsu also knew that he was the one who would face his own brother down in the end, right by her side, even if it killed him again.

:3 HEya, love all you guys long time. Thanks for waiting for this super duper update.

Stay crazy,

LoadedEel