Thank you for the feedback, everyone! It means so much to me!

I definitely feel like I should have waited to bring the spirits back until next chapter, but I was too eager. I love Leo to death. Oh well, though. Too late now. I really need to plan out this story better, but I'm just too excited to write and post.

Anyway, hope you all enjoy! Let me know what you think!

Tears were streaming down Lucy's face, her hands covering her mouth.

"L-Leo," she whispered shakily. He smiled. Before he could say anything else, though, she had scrambled off the bed and thrown herself into his arms, and he returned the gesture. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too, Lucy. It's been so long. I worried I would never see you again," he said, holding her tightly, as though she might be ripped away from him once again.

"I'm so sorry," she cried against him. "I-I should have found a way to get the keys back. I'm so sorry."

"Shh, it's not your fault, don't apologize. None of us hold you accountable for what happened, okay? Don't blame yourself." Of the eight years that had passed since Jude had thrown the zodiac keys into the Calm Sea, Leo wanted nothing more than to find a way to get to Lucy and tell her not to blame herself. However, all he could do was watch through a projection in the celestial world as she cried herself to sleep countless times and blamed herself about what happened each and every day. "You were only ten at the time. There wasn't much you could do."

"I-I could have done more than just standing there and letting it happen, Leo… I could have done something." Leo pulled away and held onto her shoulders at arm-length, making her look into his eyes.

"Lucy, we all saw what was happening. There was nothing that could have been done. We know that. You should know it, too." He lift a hand to wipe away her tears and offered a soft smile.

"We've all missed you, Lucy. We're all very excited to have you back." Lucy smiled happily, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Also, I'm very touched that I was the first you summoned."

"Oh, be quiet," she said with a watery laugh, nudging him with her arm. "So how are all of the others?"

"They're all pretty great. They got restless at times, but we got through it. Aquarius and Scorpio are still going strong."

"Oh, crap… Aquarius is going to hate me for losing her key…" The water-bearer, Lucy knew, was rather ill-tempered when it came to Lucy, and she knew that since she was so much older now, the spirit would only be more harsh. If Lucy were being honest, though, she couldn't wait for it. She wanted to see all of the spirits again.

"I don't doubt it," Leo said with a laugh. He then looked around the room. "So, where are we, exactly?"

And just like that, all hopes of Leo possibly understanding the situation and having further information for her completely vanished.

"You mean you don't know?"

"Am I supposed to? I mean, I only really know what he told you earlier."

"But aren't you able to see into this world from your world?"

"As spirits, yes, we can, but since we are contracted to you, we can only see where you are."

"Damn… Well, then shouldn't you have been able to see me being kidnapped? Can you tell me what happened?"

"I'm not sure how you're going to take this, but the man who took you flew away with you… well, he showed you his dragonoid form, so you know that, but what you may not have seen was that after being shot at, he transformed further. Into a full-fledged dragon."

"A what? But how?"

"It's rare, but possible. Dragons still exist, you know this. They just aren't sleeping like everyone thinks they are," Leo said. Lucy groaned, sitting on the edge of the bed and burying her face in her hands.

"I was afraid you were going to say that… This is awful. He really is a dragon."

"Are you saying that it's less assuring to know that he's a dragon rather than some psychopath claiming to be one and keeping you here in this tower?"

"Nothing is assuring right now, Leo, other than the fact that I got all of you back. I don't know what he wants from me. He's saying that I harness great power and he has to protect me from someone. Other than that, I know nothing."

"Well, I can tell you he's not lying. You do harness great magical power," Leo said, sitting next to her on the edge of the bed. "And we spirits are only part of it. Your mother wanted us to teach you should you ever need it, but believed your father was against it. Now, of course, we know he was."

"Do you know if someone really is after me, then?" Lucy asked, and Leo nodded.

"Unfortunately, yes. Your mother knew it, too, which is why she hesitated in telling you about your power, but left it up to us spirits to teach you if you were ever in need of it."

"Leo…?" she asked shakily, eyes widening. "How do we know that Natsu isn't the one I need to be protected from?"

"That's the worst part. We don't know. I'd like to think that if he is, then he would have just forced you into learning your powers now, but I realize that he cannot force you to summon us, nor can he force us to teach you other magic you hold." He put his arms around her when she seemed to grow more fearful. "He said our magic won't work against this tower, but it can work against him. If it comes to it, know that I will be right here fighting for you, Lucy. We all will."

"But he's a dragon…"

"We'll find a way. Don't worry, all right? Besides…" Leo leaned in closer, lowering his voice, "he doesn't exactly seem like the kind of guy to have some major diabolical plan, anyway." Lucy couldn't help but laugh a little.

"I guess you're right. Maybe that's why he's so snarky."

"So! Now that things are settled the best they can be at the moment, how about you get to seeing the others, yeah?" It seemed to lighten her mood, and she smiled up at him before standing up and giving the spirit one last hug before closing his gate. With a flash, Leo had gone back to the celestial world. Lucy looked at the keys on the ring, smiling at the one she looked at first. She remembered how this spirit would flirt with any maid or woman that passed by.

"Open, gate of the golden bull, Taurus!" Another bright flash materialized as a giant bull

"Hello, Miss Luuuucy! My, how you've grown! How about giving me a little smooooch!" he said, clasping his hands together and grinning widely. Lucy rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Maybe I shouldn't have summoned you."

"You've filled out mooovelously!" She laughed, but went to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"I've missed you, Taurus. I'm glad you're back." He lift her as he used to when she was younger and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Me too, Miss Lucy."

"Ouch! What was that for!"

"You know exactly what it was for!"

"Ugh. For someone so small you pack a mean punch," Natsu groaned, rubbing the top of his head. The pixie flittered down into the dragon's line of sight and, in a flash of white light, was transformed into a normal sized woman. Well, as normal of a size she could be.

"I can't believe you!"

"Levy, relax! Everything is fine now."

"Except for the fact that guards have probably been sent out with trackers and dogs to hunt you down," the blunette said.

"Do you really think they'd chase after a full-on dragon right away?"

"If it means getting their princess back, yes! And you weren't supposed to go full dragon! We talked about this - it's too dangerous. They're supposed to think you're sleeping!"

"And when do I get to wake up, Levy? Three thousand years of waiting for this prophesied princess - I'm bound to get restless."

"You did get restless, Natsu! And you nearly took out an entire country!"

"That was well over two thousand years ago, when will people drop it?"

"How easy do you think it is to forget a dragon terrorizing your homes and families?" Natsu groaned and fell to the grass, closing his eyes. Levy looked up to the tower, seeing bright golden lights flash every so often in one of the windows. "What is she doing up there?"

"Talking to the spirits, I suppose."

"You gave her the keys?" she asked, voice rising.

"Was I not supposed to?"

"Natsu, you only just kidnapped her, and now you're giving her the power to kill you?"

"She's not gonna kill me. She's a bit of a spitfire, but she's still an innocent princess. She'd never kill anything."

"Maybe not her, but what about her spirits?"

"She doesn't have it in her to order the death of someone."

"And what about escaping?"

"Magic won't work against that tower. Igneel gave specific instructions on how it should be built."

"It seems that's the only thing you did right," the pixie said under her breath. Natsu opened his eyes to glare at her.

"I think I'm doing just fine."

"You'd be doing better if you had told us you were leaving to take her last night. I'm telling you, Erza's going to kill you once she gets word of it."

"I'm not afraid of some fairy," he muttered.

"Natsu."

"Okay, I'm sorry. I just get tired of always waiting. Please, don't let her hurt me," he said, sitting up.

"I can't stop her from doing anything. Natsu, I thought we had a plan? We were all willing to help you out."

"I know, but this is my duty that Igneel trusted me with. It could get you guys hurt, and if you did, it'd be my fault," Natsu said, looking down at his hands. Levy kneeled next to him, running a hand over his long hair hanging over his back.

"Natsu, we know you've been waiting for this for centuries, but we're your friends. Not only do we want to help, but if she turns dark, it affects the entire world, not just you."

"I know that, Levy. That's why I need to protect her!"

"If you know that, then you should also know that we want to keep destruction from happening, too." Natsu was quiet for a while, then sighed, nodding slowly.

"Okay, you're right. Now," he said, getting up, "I should probably get back up there. She's probably gonna be getting hungry."

"What are you bringing her?"

"Well, I saw some pigs in the forest earlier, so I could probably get one of those. Maybe find some berries, too."

"Oh, no. Natsu, you don't know how to cook. You either scorch it, or eat it raw. Come on, I'll help you get something together."

"Why? She can't keep eating like a spoiled princess."

"No, but she should at least get to eat like a person."

Lucy was holding the keys in her hands, smiling tearfully at them. She had missed all of her spirits and was sure she would never have been able to see them again.

And now, eight years later, she held them all in her hands again.

The door suddenly opened, and she jumped, turning to see Natsu walking in with a steaming wooden bowl.

"Natsu! You could have at least knocked!" shouted a voice.

A woman's voice.

Lucy looked around, but couldn't see anyone other than the man.

"It's not like she's naked," Natsu said, setting the bowl down on the bedside table.

"She could have been!" The woman shouted. Suddenly, there was a small flash of white that grew, and dimmed to reveal a petite, blue-haired woman who offered a warm smile to Lucy. "You must be the princess."

"Okay, seriously, you should really stop with the staring. It's rude," Natsu said, and Lucy suddenly realized she was looking at the woman's translucent wings. She blinked, then glared over at the man.

"You're one to talk about rudeness!" she shouted. The woman in the room laughed softly.

"Don't worry, it's okay. Staring is to be expected when you've never really seen anything other than the mundane." The wings seemed to disappear into thin air, and the woman stepped forward, her hand out. "I'm Levy."

"Lucy," she said, shaking her hand. "You're…"

"A pixie," Levy said with a bright smile. "Also the one who saved your stomach. I made you some pork stew."

"Hey, I helped," Natsu said, but Levy rolled her eyes.

"You caught a pig."

"And started the fire, which was used to cook the pig."

"Oh, of course. Bravo, Natsu." Lucy laughed softly.

"We only just met, Levy, but I think we're going to be great friends." The pixie smiled brightly.

"Oh! Hey, Lev, come here. Check out this record!" Natsu was sifting through the book he had taken from Lucy's room. When he found the page he wanted, he held it out to her. She read it quietly under her breath, and Lucy could tell that it was the passage Natsu had read out loud earlier. Lucy saw the other woman's face flush light pink as she smiled softly.

"He takes too much pride in being intimidating," she said with a shake of her head.

"Wait… so you know who that guy was talking about?" Lucy asked, and Levy turned to her, a smile on her lips.

"I do - er, we do. He's another dragon, like Natsu." The man scoffed, and both turned to see him with his arms crossed.

"He wishes he was like me," he muttered. Levy rolled her eyes and turned back to Lucy.

"Natsu's a fire dragon. Gajeel, the man mentioned in that record, is an iron dragon," Levy continued.

"An iron dragon? Is that a thing?"

"Oddly enough, it is. His father was the great Iron Dragon King, Metalicana."

"I think I've heard of him in those records. He wasn't mentioned as much as Dragneel, though. You know, since he didn't attack our country," Lucy said, side-eyeing Natsu. He threw his arms up in exasperation and stalked over to the window, looking out it broodingly. Levy suppressed a laugh.

"Well, Gajeel has had his moments, especially when he was younger. Luckily, in the time we've been together, he's calmed down. Of course, he can still come off as an iron-hearted jerk, but he isn't as bad as he used to be."

"Wait… you two…?" Lucy asked. The pixie smiled happily.

"Yeah. We actually started out as sort of enemies, but got past it over time."

"That's really sweet," Lucy said, smiling warmly.

"I like to think so. Speaking of, I should probably be heading out. It was great meeting you, Lucy. I'll be sure to stop by again soon," Levy said, standing. She gave a wave to Lucy before heading to the window after Natsu stepped away from it. "Beware of Erza, Natsu. I can't be sure when she'll be hearing about your stunt."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. See ya, Lev," he said. She smiled and climbed onto the window sill. In a flash, she became small once again and flew off.

"She was nice," Lucy said, taking the bowl of stew into her lap. It smelled delicious, and her mouth salivated as she lift the spoon to her mouth.

"Yeah, she normally is," Natsu said, still looking out the window.

"Perhaps you could learn a thing or two from her."

"Excuse me! I am nice!" Lucy looked at him with a raised brow. Instead of responding, though, she just took another bite of the stew. And another. It was too good not to keep eating. Natsu glared at her. "Well, anyway, the closet and this dresser is full of clothes for you, so-"

"You got clothes for me?"

"Yes?"

"That was certainly unnecessary. A man should never pick out clothes for a woman unless he knows her well enough to."

"You're kidding me."

"No, I am not. It is rude and-"

"Hey!" he shouted, making her jump and look at him with wide eyes. "You are not royalty here. You're a person I need to protect. I don't give a shit about what's necessary and polite."

"You make it sound like it's such a burden to you - I never asked you to protect me!" she shouted, setting the bowl aside and standing.

"You don't seem to be understanding something. I am not protecting you for your sake; I am protecting you for the sake of the world. I couldn't give two shits about what happens to you, just as long as whoever is after you doesn't get you."

"Oh yeah? Well then why didn't you just kill me?" Lucy shouted. Natsu suddenly stalked towards her, shoving her against a nearby wall. She swallowed thickly.

"Is that what you want? Because I certainly can," he growled, canines sharp and menacing. Lucy cowered, lowering her eyes and looking away. Natsu stepped away. "That's what I thought."

However, Lucy wasn't going down.

"I can assure you, I won't be a burden to you for much longer. My father will send someone after me." Natsu scoffed.

"I thought you said he would rather I keep you?" he muttered. Lucy crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly.

"Under any other circumstance, yes, but I am a princess and the only heir to Fiore. Not only that, but I… I have a fiancé. And I'm sure he will want me back, even if it's just so that he can rule Fiore as king."

"You don't have a fiancé," Natsu stated as he picked up the empty stew bowl. Lucy furrowed her brows, appalled at his blunt accusation.

"Excuse me? Yes, I do."

"No, you don't," he said, turning around to face her. He was across the room, but Lucy still pressed herself against the wall further.

"I-I do, too. His name is Lord Bora of Crocus."

"He's a suitor. Not a future husband. You only just met him yesterday."

"H-how would you know that?"

"Because I was in the palace. I could hear the conversations all over, even the one between the meeting of you and that pompous ass."

"How dare you! He is not-"

"Yeah, whatever. He's not your fiancé, and even if he were to come and try to take you back, I can assure you, he wouldn't be able to get past me." Lucy glared at him.

"Why couldn't you have just left me at the castle? If your senses are so great, you could protect me from there. Why do I have to be here?"

"Because whether or not you like to hear it, princess, you have some people working within the castle walls who are also the enemy." Lucy's eyes widened.

"What? Nobody would… Who?"

"I don't know who, exactly, but I know they were working as a part of Avatar, a group that works beneath whoever is trying to use you to destroy the world." Lucy wracked her brain for who could possibly be an enemy to her in the castle. Immediately, her mind went to Plue and Michelle, but she quickly shook her head, forcing the thoughts away.

No, they would never do something like that. It has to be someone else, but who?

"Who is after me? Who is this Avatar group working for?" she asked. Natsu sighed, shaking his head.

"That's something I'd like to know myself." He looked uneasy, as though there was something he wasn't telling her, but whatever it was, it seemed like something he didn't want to talk about, and she figured she had already angered him enough earlier. He gave a sigh, shaking his head. "Well, anyway, it's getting late. You did sleep a majority of the day. What I was trying to tell you earlier, there are clothes in the dresser and closet for you to change into. They may not be as gaudy as what you're used to, but you'll just have to deal with it for a while. As I said, this tower was built to accommodate you, so there are other rooms you can check out if you don't want to be holed up here the whole time."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to sleep, and since you will now be staying in the room I used for myself for a long while, I must find somewhere else to rest." Lucy flushed bright red, remembering the pink hair she had found on the pillow when she had awakened.

"Y-you stayed in my bed?"

"It wasn't technically your bed until last night. Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of sharing the princess's bed with her in it." She narrowed her eyes at him, and he gave an amused smirk. "Anyway, I wouldn't bother trying to find a way out. I may be asleep, but as I said earlier, I have great senses."

After he had left, closing the door behind him, Lucy sighed heavily, her shoulders dropping. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and only then remembered that she was wearing her sheer slip from the night before. Her face bloomed with heat.

"I can't believe I was wearing this the whole time!" Lucy cried out, rushing to the closet and yanking the doors open to find something else. "Ugh, no wonder Taurus was so handsy…"

She pulled out a light green nightgown that, surprisingly, was her size. She wasn't sure how he managed that, but she decided to just let it slide for now as she changed into it before slowly walking over to the door of the bedroom and opening it. Natsu gave her the go-ahead to explore the place, so she may as well take advantage of that.