IMPORTANT MESSAGE- READ RIGHT NOW IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!: Hey everyone (over dramatic there! sorry, in the mood! but seriously, keep reading., important stuff here.)! I felt I should say now, I am going on holiday on Saturday, and won't be able to update for a week, because there is NO INTERNET CONNECTION WHERE I'M GOINGGG! :O :( :'(

It depresses me more than you guys, cause I wanted to get this story done before I went on holiday, but that's the way the cookie crumbles!

I've left this at a huuuge cliff-hanger, but I shall try and be nice and update again before I leave... or not. ;) (MWAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!)

Either way, enjoy this short chapter, and I look forward to coming back. Hopefully, I'll find some time to carry on writing on the good old pen and paper while I'm away, so you might find an influx of chapters if I type them up quickly enough! XD May update tomorrow, as a good-bye and to keep you hooked... this cliff hanger shall seem mild to the one I'm planning on leaving you all with tomorrow... I am evil. I know. Love you all! xoxox

One Month Later...

Master's POV

I looked down at my children. After I had explained Lucy's absence a month ago for her training, they had accepted her not being here as well as they could. Many shouted out their support for her trying to get stronger, especially Gajeel and Levy, who'd returned from their mission after she'd left.

Team Natsu were taking it as well as they were expected to; Erza wallowed in her cake more than before, Natsu and Gray somehow managed to find more time to fight in the day, Happy ate twice the amount of fish (though how that was possible I have no idea) and Lisanna seemed to double her efforts at being the cheery girl we all know and love as though she was trying to make up for the loss of our blonde celestial mage.

I sighed heavily, looking down at a depressed Mira as she forced her face into a strained smile.

She felt guilty for keeping Laxus from Lucy for that one training session and was upset that Lucy had left without telling her anything. Whether she was sad about not being told how her "private time" had gone with Bickslow, or for just not telling her when she would be leaving, I had no idea.

I hopped off the balcony railing and walked into my office, shutting the door quietly before slumping into my desk chair.

'Hello Third.' A voice giggled from above me. I turned my head to see First hovering above me, a wide smile spread across her face as she floated down to the ground before me.

My face stretched into an involuntary wide grin.

'Hello First. How are our brats holding up?' She laughed lightly, swooping though the air and performing a perfect summersault before floating stationary as though she was sitting on a chair, her legs crossed and her barefooted toes wiggling with excitement as her green eyes sparkled with joy.

'They're ready.'

No one's POV

Natsu was holding Gray in a headlock as he brought a flaming elbow down on to the ice mages back, propelling him into the ground. It took Gray a few seconds to get his breath back before he leapt to his feet, ready to use his new Ice Make move he'd been working on. This would be it's first test, and he smirked as he tasted victory.

Suddenly, Natsu's head spun to face the closed guild doors, and he sniffed shortly, before frowning and taking a longer whiff. It was then that Gray launched his attack, not noticing Natsu's distraction.

At that moment, Gajeel's head jerked up, and he paused chewing his metal scraps for a second, before smirking and laughing his signature laugh beneath his breath. Levy glanced up from the book she was reading to give him a questioning look, before shrugging and returning to the magical world of fantasy she had been enraptured with.

Gajeel grinned, taking a slow bite out of his iron as he stared at the guild entrance, waiting for the doors to open.

Wendy, who had been sitting in the infirmary labelling bottles of herbs with Charle sniffed sharply, before dropping the bottle carefully on the desk and running out to lean over the balcony, her excited gaze fixed on the door.

Charle had followed her out of the infirmary, knowing that something was up, but not bothering to waste her precious breath to ask, seeing as she had a pretty good idea. Pantherlily also noticed Gajeel's smirk directed towards the door, and grinned as he crossed his arms.

Slowly, the guild doors began to open, before they were kicked back and smacked against the wall with a resounding and echoing BOOM!

The noise was loud enough to shock Erza out of her cake fantasies (which included some pretty kinky thoughts about a certain blue-haired male mage) and to make Natsu and Gray freeze during a fight. It was quite comical in how they stood there, Natsu's mouth latched onto Gray's foot while Gray held the dragon slayer in a complex leg lock on the ground.

All eyes were facing the group who stood at the entrance, swathed in black cloaks with large hoods pulled over their heads, hiding their faces in darkness.

Some members glared suspiciously at them; it wasn't often that they got visits with cloaked strangers, and from past experiences, they were not usually nice visits.

Natsu spat out Gray's foot and ignored the strong urge to retch as he took in a deep breath, before frowning as he narrowed his eyes at the people who stood at the entrance, assessing the guild.

Before anyone could say anything a familiar laugh split through the air.

'Well? Aren't you going to say hello to us? We haven't been away long enough for you to forget us, have we?' As the leader of the group spoke, the hood was thrown back, revealing pale hands with a pink guild mark on one of them.

'LUCY!' Everyone called out simultaneously as recognition finally set in when they looked on the face of their grinning celestial mage.

'Fairy Tail! It's time for a PARTYYYY!' Master Makarov had appeared beside Wendy on the balcony, and shouted out with his booming voice as the members cheered, the drinks already appearing due to Mira and Kinana's quick service; Mira somehow managing to hold back her tears of joy.

'Luce!' Natsu shoved past everyone and threw his arms around his partner, pulling her tightly to him and inhaling her familiar scent as he closed his eyes.

'Hey Natsu. Sorry I had to leave again, but I won't do it anymore.' Lucy whispered, encircling him with her own arms and returning his tight embrace.

'You better not! You're going to have to cook me up a feast to make up for this one!' Natsu grinned, pulling himself away from her as she groaned at the thought.

'Natssuuuuuu! I swear you probably eat more than a real dragon.' He grinned at her, before pulling her into another hug before Erza appeared with tears running down her face.

'LUCY! NEVER LEAVE ME AGAIN! I CAN TRAIN YOU! SEE? I CAN HELP! HIT ME IF I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH! PLEAAASEEE!' Lucy smiled as Erza constricted her into her tight and armoured hug, cutting off her oxygen momentarily before she managed to free herself from the scarlet haired mages grasp.

'Erza, I'm fine. We can train together from now on, just don't ask me to hit you ever again, Bix will have more of an excuse to call me a sadist then.' She muttered, glaring at the now revealed figures of the Raijinshuu and Laxus, who smirked at the other guild members that had begun to swarm the blonde woman.

'Lucy, we missed you.' Gray smiled gently as he grabbed Lucy and hugged her against his bare chest.

'LOVE RIVAL'S RETURNED!' A howl was heard echoing through the guild above the chatter of happy members, making Lucy grimace as she shoved Gray off of her, laughing.

'Clothes Gray.' He flushed slightly before grinning at her and walking over to his abandoned shirt and trousers.

'LUSSSHHYYYY!' Lucy laughed as a ball of blue fur crashed into her chest, making her stagger backwards slightly, only to be caught by a familiar set of hands.

She grinned up at Freed in thanks, before addressing the Exceed that sobbed into her chest.

'I missed you too Happy! How about I buy you a massive salmon tomorrow, ne? As big as my arm, how about that?' Happy's eyes were round and his tears had frozen in place as drool leaked out of the corner of his mouth, before he floated away in a daze, muttering about salmon and arms.

Lucy laughed once more before shouting out to the chattering guild.

'I thought we were having a party!' Everyone cheered, their mugs raised high in the air as the celebration truly began, and it lasted all through the night.

The next morning, there would be an entire guild full of hung-over and cramped mages, who had passed out where they stood from inebriation or sheer delight, and the town of Magnolia knew that Fairy Tail had partied harder than they had in a long while from the large order of prawns Mira placed so she could make her miracle hang-over cure.

Meanwhile, at Lucy's apartment...

Unknown POV

I sniffed around in the darkness, and smirked as I found the object I had been searching for.

That damned woman took so long at that blasted island, training and complaining; but she had finally lead me back to her home before she returned to her idiotic guild.

Now, I had what I needed.

I reached under the disgustingly pink bed, and grabbed the box hidden beneath it, grinning as I felt the burnt wood beneath my finger tips.

I quickly pulled it out, and broke the weak lock before thrusting my hands into the ashes and pulling a handful up to my face.

I drew in a long, deep breath, relishing the taste.

Ahh, the flavours! If only they weren't destroyed... imagine the power I could gain! But still... the detail! The vivid memories! The emotions!

I carefully dropped the ashes back into the box, careful not to spill any as I concealed the scorched container beneath my cloak and snuck out of the apartment.

You have nowhere to hide now Heartfilia, Fairy Tail. You shall be mine...