The spirit glanced her way and gave the sweetest smile Nashi had ever seen. Lucy put out a hand and touched her cheek. Her fingers were real, solid fingers. She brushed away the pink-haired girl's tears with her thumb and turned toward Natsu.

Natsu's face broke Nashi's heart.

He stood with his mouth open and tears burning his eyes. He looked so much younger just then, his eyes brighter and his light smile pushing its way onto his lips. He took steps toward his girls, Arabella forgotten in his mind.

Arabella stood just about the same way, open-mouthed and confused. She looked so angry, but so... Afraid. "No," she mumbled, "You can't be here."

Lucy gave her a coy, challenging smile, raising her hands in a dainty shrug. "Sometimes stuff doesn't go quite the way you'd want it to."

Arabella glared. "Not for me. It will go just the way I planned."

Lucy laughed, putting a hand on Nashi's shoulder and the other on Natsu's. "Not with us around."

"We'll show you a beating," Nashi said confidently, standing straighter.

"Dragneel style," Natsu added, cracking his first cocky grin in some time.

Arabella took staggering steps back, quill falling from her hand. "No. This can't happen. You were dead."

Lucy gave her an almost sympathetic smile before raising her hands at her sides.

Natsu stood on her side, flames burning higher and higher on his arms.

Nashi looked at her parents and followed their lead. Standing on Lucy's other side, she let flames pick up on her hands.

When their three attacks sprung out all at one, fire bordering Lucy's legendary Urano Metria, Arabella hit the floor, laying confused and knowing there was no direction she could go without running into an attack she could not handle. All three attacks hit her at once, leaving her in a cloud of smoke and dust. All around, the fights had ended, with Arabella and her men all lying on the ground still, but breathing.

The Dragneels, the current center of attention (for various reasons), stood panting slightly under the force their magic had taken. Everyone looked from the cloud of dust where Arabella had been to where Lucy, the girl they had all missed stood with her family. No one knew what to say.

Then, Arabella's cracked voice rose from where she fought to stand.

"This isn't the end. So long as that girl is alive," she shouted, pointing at Nashi, "I will come to get her."

Natsu stood in front of his girls and shook his head. "As long as I'm alive, you'll have to get through me first."

Arabella stood just as he said that, her smile desperate but challenging. She lifted her hand and whipped her quill through the air.

Body Link.

Natsu tensed a bit as the magic circle glistened on his chest.

Nashi shook her head. The sounds disappeared around her. Her hands warmed and she pressed her palms together.

She felt heat build, her arms starting to sting from the force as a ball of pure heat guilt between her palms. The ball grew huge and she pressed her feet off the ground, her body a few feet in the air. She raised the ball above her head.

No one saw it coming when she yelled under the force and threw the ball, the miniature sun, straight at Arabella. Natsu leaned back instinctively, dodging the heat as it ran straight into Arabella's chest. The heat grew and engulfed her, and when it cleared, nothing stood in the spot.

Natsu and Lucy turned to watch her eyes fall shut. Her hands fell limp. She began to drop out of the sky.

"Nashi!" Natsu yelled, ready to run her way. Lucy stopped him with a hand on her arm. She nodded her head a little away.

Just as Nashi would hit the ground, a pair of arms caught her and held her close. Storm Fullbuster. He stood straighter, letting out a relieved sigh.

"Geez..." He mumbled. "That could've sucked."

Nashi's eyelids fluttered open and she met his eyes. "Storm..."

He gave her a weary smile, trying to the slow steps towards the others. He could see Natsu and Lucy were worried, but he had stuff he had to say. He looked Nashi over. She was a little beaten up, exhausted, and he could feel the warmth from the blood seeping from the wound on her back. He started walking. He'd get her to the infirmary.

"Storm," she said gently, putting a hand on his cheek.

"Hey, Sparky," he said teasingly, pressing his forehead to hers. "Hold on to me, alright? I'll get you to Wendy and Mira real fast."

She shook her head weakly. "No. I'm fine. Put me down. I can walk."

He shook his head in return. "Oh, no. Not happening. You should see yourself from my angle."

She gave him a teasing smile. "You saying I look ugly, Fullbuster?"

He laughed gently. "Nah. You look just as pretty as ever."

Nashi processed it for a minute. The way he said it was sincere, warm. She felt her cheeks grow a dark red and she got a little smile she couldn't get rid of. She leaned her head on his chest and closed her eyes, letting the exhaustion take her over. They'd have time to talk about that little comment tomorrow.

Sorry this one took so long, guys. I got caught up with life and all. Here you go though. Don't forget to review and favorite and follow.

Thanks for reading ^^

-J