A/N: Thanks, Infinities Lover, Melon Bread, PrincessK01, Rapunzel3, Demonmiko14, Bentears, Coolanime14, FairyDemonDust and Erza's Cake! Thanks for all of the positive feedback for this and the upcoming story (which I swear is more badass than it sounds so far) and for all the support! Thank you also for the 93 Favs and 132 Follows!

*Searches for Guest Reviewer Starfire for answers to past questions before disappearing into black hole*

Without further ado, here's Chapter 13!

Pyrophobia

Pyrophobia. Noun. –An abnormal fear of fire.

Lucy didn't know how she got here, but then again no one ever remembers the beginning of a dream, nor a nightmare.

What she did know was that she was running, running after a sparkling light in the distance. Running as if her sole purpose in life was to catch it and hold it close and safe forever. A strange sense of Déjà vu surrounded her and she knew she'd been here before. Wasn't it the day before that she was chasing after a golden glow far from her grasp? This time it was clearly different, as she was not in the Celestial Spirit Realm, nor wearing the attire for survival in that world's strange atmosphere. Now she was dressed in the clothing she'd worn to bed and as she rushed through a darkened, dense forest. The cold wind whipped at her and chilled her down to bone in the blackness the cloudy night sky provided. Her slippers were dripping with water from the rain-covered grass she moved across and mud had splattered up the length of her bare legs. Her breath came out in short pants but she never lost sight of her goal. The amount of time she had spent so far chasing blindly was unknown. Her strides remained quick and panicked, yet the darkness was growing around her. It was moving in, seeping into the earth and plaguing it with black beneath her. Don't let the darkness consume you. Fingertips trailed up her arms in teasing, torturous lines that were freezing to the touch. The shadows were forming into figures, slowly following on behind her, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.

She stumbled and fell, letting out a gasp of pain as something metallic grasped her ankle and held with a crushing grip. The darkness was crawling up her legs, licking like blackened flames as they squeezed the life from her and she screamed in pain. She hurriedly resorted to crawling, fingernails scraping at dirt as she felt the shadows tugging her in the opposite direction, pulling her away from reaching her goal. She wanted to cry for help, for someone to get that damned star for her, if anything. "H-Help…" she managed to croak out as the shadows greedily encased her lower half and began dragging her backwards. Lucy flailed about, attempting to punch the darkness which was unaffected by her attacks. "No…" she moaned in defeat, slamming her fist against the ground as she knew this was a battle she was already losing. It seemed hopeless at this point and that she could do nothing but let herself be consumed.

But that was when her peripheral vision caught sight of something glimmering close by and she lifted her head.

The light had floated towards her, a beacon to bring her home, her guardian angel that came when she needed saving. The darkness had stopped its tugging. A dazed smile formed on her lips and she laughed tiredly as the flickering orb hovered closer to her face until she could feel its warmth heating up her cheeks. The binds holding her down slithered away, melding back into the dark shadows, freeing her from her chains. The light reflected in her eyes and made them glow as she reached towards it. She blinked a few times to make sure it was real, yet suddenly the world around her had shifted. The light was far away once more, as if she'd dreamt and imagined the light floating just inches from her reach. Her hands just barely had the time to close around nothingness where her star once was before the illusion was shattered and she awakened from her slumber.

She blinked once, twice and three times before she closed her eyes again. The coldness had left her, the darkness of the night having faded long ago. It was morning, maybe even midday, and she was no longer dreaming. It'd been the second time her subconscious had committed this act, tossing her into an unreal world that seemed so realistic and giving her the same task once again –follow the light. Once again, she'd woken up just as she reached her goal, confusing her. The Stellar Mage opened her eyes. Her arms were stretched out across the mattress, occupying the space the usual pink-haired intruder known as Natsu Dragneel would normally be taking up beside her on certain mornings. Lucy realised she'd been reaching forward in the real world as well as in her subconscious. She stared down at her open, empty hands and wondered if it was the trick of the light or whether she saw a glimpse of stardust shimmer on her fingertips.

"Lucy, are you alright?" Erza's voice came from the bathroom where the elder girl was most likely taking a bath to start off her day. The Celestial Wizard remembered the Weapon Mistress staying the night after the scarlet-haired woman had offered to keep her company after they discovered the letter written in strange runes by none other than the late Layla Heartfilia. Erza had comforted her when the girl became distraught at the surprising finding, holding her friend close and telling her stories of various missions she'd gone on until Lucy had fallen asleep. She smiled faintly at the memory and wished that sometime in the future she could repay the S-Class Mage for doing so, yet she simply sat up and left the warmth of her blankets.

"I'm fine, Erza." She called back in assurance, staring absentmindedly down at her hands again. Her dream somehow felt like it was a symbolic method her subconscious was using to warn her in advance of a future occurrence, yet it just felt like it was exaggerating the hopelessness she currently felt.

After all, she had been following after a glowing light, reaching after trail of sparkling diamonds and chasing after a star that was light-years out of reach.

How silly of her.

LINE BREAK

Natsu arrived at Fairy Tail with Happy in tow in the midst of the morning crowd. The exceed had flown off in search of fish and for Carla, leaving him alone. He searched the Hall for a certain someone for a few moments before heading towards the bar and pulling up a stool. Mira greeted him with a warm smile which he returned before speaking. "Where's Lucy?" He asked, turning around in his seat as he looked for a familiar flash of blonde hair in the Guild. "I was gonna talk to her today..." The Dragon Slayer sighed as he realised she hadn't arrived yet. "D'you think she's alright?" He recalled the scene from yesterday during one of his and Grey's fights and sighed even louder at the memory. Levy, sitting a few stools away, lifted her head at his words as a torn expression graced her features and she gripped her book a little tighter than necessary. This action was unnoticed by everyone, who continued their morning rituals around the members sitting at the bar, choosing missions or simply wandering around enjoying their first hit of caffeine for the day.

"I'm sure she's just sleeping in, Natsu." Mira assured before she smiled almost gleefully. "Come to think of it, neither of you are exactly early risers, per say,so why are you here so early in the morning?" she giggled quietly at a memory of their departure as a group to go 'rescue' the Stellar Mage in question and how Natsu and Happy could barely keep their eyes open when Erza wasn't looking in their direction. Speaking of the scarlet-haired woman, she was nowhere in sight either. Natsu shrugged in response to her question, so she moved on. "Erza isn't here either, normally she's one of the first here to get the best missions," she scanned her surroundings but couldn't find the S-Class Mage anywhere. Levy got up from her seat and moved over to the conversing wizards, clearing her throat, the noise grasping their attention. "Oh, good morning, Levy." Mira greeted cheerfully. Levy offered a weak smile, clutching her book against her chest as her gaze shifted and rested on Natsu. He stared back at her blankly, waiting for her to speak.

"Erza took Lucy home last night." The bookworm murmured. "And that's kinda what I want to talk to you about, Natsu." She said carefully. He raised an eyebrow at her words, to which she hurriedly added, "About what happened during you and Grey's fight." Her eyes lowered so she wouldn't see his face when she spoke. He tensed for a moment and his shoulders drooped at the memory. He didn't comment, so she decided to continue, barely noticing their Guild Mates move closer, interested in the conversation as they'd either seen or heard about the Stellar Mage's reaction to her friend's fire magic. Sucking in a deep breath, the Script Mage began. "When people go through something traumatic, they often develop fears following the event." Levy explained, keeping her gaze down. "And Lu-chan was almost killed by someone who uses Explosive Magic, and she was severely burned by fire, Natsu. Fire." She spoke the last word with a large amount of emphasis, yet it wasn't needed as he'd unfortunately already realised what she was saying the first time around. "It's called Pyrophobia. She saw a mass of fire coming towards her and her trauma returned." She continued. "People have triggers, and for now, Lu-chan's is seeing fire or being close to it." She let out a slow, sympathetic sigh as Natsu's shoulders sagged even more and his eyes seemed to lose their shine.

"So…you're saying she's…scared…of fire? Lucy is?" he asked, his voice gentle and soft, making him seem almost vulnerable. Mira was sure she heard a few hearts shatter at the sound of it, including her own. No one had seen him look so…defeated. Levy silently nodded, unsure as to whether or not she could meet his eyes, which were full of despair. He slumped slightly, unaware of how to process this information. Lucy was his partner, she'd obviously be going on missions with him since it was always better with her on board the team, but most of his attacks- scratch that, all of his attacks were fire-based unless he'd battle with his bare hands. He looked away, frowning. "Then what can I do?" He muttered. Mira reached out and lightly squeezed his shoulder, a comforting gesture that didn't seem to aid much. He balled his hands into fists and turned his head. "What can I do?" he repeated, turning to the Take-Over Mage for guidance. She averted her gaze, unsure herself. She couldn't go ahead and tell him to never use his magic in front of Lucy, it wouldn't work out at all. Those two spent a large amount of their time together, and Natsu was almost constantly using his magic on missions and during fights at the Guild, both scenarios having been frequent occurrences. Telling Natsu not to use his magic or go near Lucy was like telling him not to come to Fairy Tail –impossible.

Fortunately the Guild doors flung open, the presence of the Weapon Mistress seeming to slice through the dreary atmosphere and brighten it up slightly as she entered the Hall with Lucy in tow. Natsu turned his head and saw her features seeming…panicked? Was that the correct phrasing? Maybe rushed? He wasn't sure, but he watched her stride towards Levy as soon as she'd caught sight of the girl. She dropped the large, ancient book in her arms onto the table with a heavy sigh of effort, the action causing dust to fly up in the air from some of the pages that had been untouched for decades, not including the few Erza had flickered through herself. Levy gasped at it but Lucy simply slumped down in a seat beside Natsu, not bothering with the usual greetings before she launched straight into explaining what the strange thing was. "This was put in with the reward I was given for completing my mission." She began, pushing the book towards her friend. "Erza looked through the start and it's all in runes and I was thinking you could help me out." The blonde offered a sheepish smile. "I was up late trying to figure it out, but I just couldn't…" she sighed.

"I don't recognised this type of script…" Levy mumbled, her few words shattering Lucy's hopes in an instant. She stared at her friend with grief-stricken eyes.

"So you can't understand anything?!" she demanded, the sudden outburst catching everyone off guard as they stared at the blonde in shock. Levy shook her head and Lucy held hers in her hands. "This is hopeless." She moaned, willing herself not to cry as her shoulders began to tremble. She'd found a letter, a message from her late mother and she wouldn't even be able to read it if Levy couldn't understand the script it was written in. Erza moved over to her friend and patted her back.

"We'll find someone who can translate," she assured. "Don't work yourself up about this, Lucy."

Lucy lifted her head and took the letter out of her pocket, spreading it out on the desk. "This was also in the bag." She explained softly. "I know you can't read it, but I can make out the first and last lines-"

"Dear Lucy…" Levy read aloud for her. "Love…Layla Heartfilia?!"

"Maybe it's got something to do with the key I found, I don't know." Lucy said sadly. "All I know is, this is the last thing I'll ever get from my mother and I'm going to find out what she wrote if it's the last thing I do." Determination gleamed in her eyes. "No matter what happens, I need to find out what this says…" she lifted up the paper and stared at it. Should I…should I ask Father about it? She wondered to herself. She frowned at the mention of Jude Heartfilia. Their relationship had only worsened since he'd had Phantom Lord attack Fairy Tail, but that was ages ago, surely more than just a few months. It felt like an eternity had passed since then. Still… Lucy grasped the paper and pressed it to her chest. Regardless of our relationship, he's still my Father, he's the only family I have left. She lowered her gaze, recalling the image of her last encounter with him as he finally arrived at Love and Lucky after she'd rushed there thinking he had already gotten there when the Merchant Guild was thrown under attack. Maybe their relationship had improved slightly and they'd left on a good note, but their bond needed a lot of work. "Maybe I could ask my Father…" she voiced her thoughts aloud to see how her friends would react.

Most of them scowled at the mention of the man.

"Maybe he knows something about it." She quickly added. "Or he could somehow find the contact details for Bero, my old Celestial Magic tutor." She smiled fondly as memories of her time studying with the normally shaking elderly man came back to her. Although Jude had employed the man merely for her education, she'd grown up under his teachings and she cared for him and all of the Heartfilia Konzern servants like a second family. "Maybe he'd also have some knowledge on the fact." She reached into her pouch of keys and brought out the newest and strangest addition. Erza exchanged glances with Mira, wondering whether or not to let the girl go. It was Lucy's decision as it was her father that she would be visiting, but none of them particularly liked the idea knowing of the sour relationship the two Heartfilia's had. They didn't know the exact details of Lucy's childhood but they did know that she'd been neglected by this man until he no longer had a company to care for. She felt blessed at the care everyone at Fairy Tail always gave her, they always made her feel loved and appreciated, nothing like how she felt back at her old estate. She knew Fairy Tail was now her home, yet her memories at the Heartfilia estate would always be with her.

"Why would you want to go visit him?" Natsu asked, almost seeming like he was glaring at her, but in reality the conversation they were currently having and the one they'd been having before she arrived had put him into a really sour mood. Lucy let out an exasperate huff of air before she turned to him.

"I just said he might know something about the letter my Mom left me, weren't you listening?"

"Oh, right, that. 'Course I was listening." He looked away and leant back in his chair, seeming uninterested to Lucy. In reality, he was still thinking about what Levy had told him about his comrade's apparent fear of fire and he was concentrating on how he could help her through it. It surely had to be just a phase that would pass, right? Lucy seemed offended by his reaction and also turned away. He was too immersed in his own thoughts to notice her change in moods.

"If you think it might help, I say give it a shot," Mira smiled. "But do you know where you'd be able to find him, Lucy?" she asked. Lucy nodded, smiling back.

"Love and Lucky," she answered. "The Guild my parents were a part of. It's a Merchant Guild a little while away from here. You can get there on foot. Erza, Grey, Happy and Natsu have been there after they ran after me that one time I thought Father was in trouble." She laughed. Erza nodded, recalling the event as well. "Anyway, I think I should get there as soon as I can if I want some answers." She tucked the key safely away along with the precious letter from her mother. "I know I just got back from a mission and all," she giggled softly as she caught sight of the remains from the crazy party only a mere few hours beforehand strewn across the Guild. "But it's still morning so I could just head out now." She stood up from her seat, tucking the book under her arm. "If that's alright with you guys, of course." She said, looking to Erza. "Unless we have some missions planned today." She added.

"No, go ahead, Lucy." The Weapon Mistress said. "Grey hasn't even arrived but if you're back soon enough we'll all go on a group mission if you'd like to accompany us." She offered. Lucy smiled at the proposal. After her solo mission, she knew it'd be nice to have the team by her side again, just like always. It was always comforting knowing they had her back and that she had theirs. Like Mira always said, maybe they were seen as Fairy Tail's "Strongest Team".

"Then I'll be off." Lucy decided. She'd prefer to get her answers sooner rather than later, as her patience levels had never been very high. She needed to know what Layla had left behind for her, she needed to know what this key was. She needed to know what her strange dreams meant…and she needed to know what her mother had written down but never mentioned in the time she was still with Lucy. "I'll see you all later! Bye guys-" The Stellar Mage turned to leave the Hall when a warm hand curled around her wrist. She flinched at the familiar feeling from the dream she'd only awaken from earlier that morning and looked to see who had grabbed her. It wasn't a cluster of cold, ruthless shadows solely focused on dragging her into a never ending darkness in the middle of a nightmare. It was Natsu, staring at her intently, lips formed into a frown and his eyes fierce. He was unhappy, or maybe angry would be a more accurate description. Maybe even seeming furious at the thought of her going alone after he'd seen her so terribly injured the first time around.

She'd returned with a fear of his Magic, saying he was worried she'd come back even worse was an understatement. The great, well-known Fire Mage Natsu "Salamander" Dragneel was scared, whether he liked to admit it or not. Scared that his closest friend would be terrified of him. He'd do anything to stop that from occurring. Anything. "The last time you went alone you got hurt." The Dragon Slayer reminded in a harsher tone than he realised he was using. It wasn't his fault, nor was it hers. It was just the memory of seeing her so heavily bandaged, seeing her crying in pain from her extensive injuries, it was sending him into a slowly growing blinding rage. Lucy tensed at the tone he was using and averted her gaze from meeting his as she tried to tug her way from his grasp.

"Natsu-" Erza warned, taking a step towards them. Mira was at her side, mimicking her actions.

"I'm fine, now, though." She responded, frowning. It felt like he was almost patronising her and she hated it. "Not a scratch. And I'll be fine now." She assured, anger bubbling inside her when he looked like he certainly didn't believe her words and tightened his grip on her. She finally allowed her eyes to meet his and winced slightly at the sharpness in his eyes. "If it was something from Igneel, what would you do?" Lucy countered, finally tearing her wrist from his grip.

He frowned, narrowing his eyes. "I wouldn't go it alone." He said.

Lucy scoffed. "You would and you know it. You're always going off by yourself on missions without telling anyone when hearing the smallest rumour about a supposed dragon sighting-"

"That's because Igneel is my dad-" He moved forward, raising his voice.

"And this is about mine and my mother!" Lucy fired back.

"Natsu, Lucy, both of you need to breathe." Erza said, slowly and calmly pushing the two, whose faces were inches away from each other's, apart. "Natsu, you should respect her wishes. It's her journey and her own decision that she doesn't need our permission to make." She said. Natsu huffed but took a step back under her warning glare. She looked to Lucy. "Are you sure you don't want someone to go with you?" she asked. Lucy frowned, still glaring at Natsu. She shook her head.

"I'll be fine." She assured. "On my own." She said the last word with a bit of venom directed at her pink-haired friend before she said goodbye to the girls and headed out without another word.

Erza and Mira both turned to the Salamander. "She'll be fine, Natsu." Mira reminded. "She took on that Razor Fang Guild, didn't she? Her Spirits will look after her, just like then."

Natsu just got up and grumpily slumped away to find a couple of jobs to distract himself with until the blonde returned.

.

..

…

A/N: Because protective Natsu is one of my favourite Natsu's.