Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, all rights go to Hiro Mashima.

Natsu's POV

Basically jumping on Master, I asked the question that had been bothering me for the past couple of days.

"SO, when does this war thingamabob start?!" I asked excitedly, ready and pumped up for battle after the horribly failed attempt at getting at Kukyo the day preceding.

Master rested his chin in the flat of the palm, striking a thinking pose.

"Well, my boy… I hadn't really thought of that!" master slurred cheerfully, the stench of alcohol rolling off of him. Sweat dropping, I hung my head dejectedly, and went to talk to the first.

Mavis' POV
I had heard the news of Zeref's proclamation, and, to be honest, I was thoroughly surprised. After all this time, now he decides to show up, and with an awfully vague declaration of war at that… I couldn't help but giggle at his reckless behavior. When Natsu came sauntering up to me, though, he only added to my shock by asking a question that i hadn't even considered.

"Yo, First. Do you know when this whole thing will start? I'm rearing for a fight, here!" The fire mage exclaimed, his fists alight. Thinking for a few minutes, I couldn't come up with a firm answer.

"Well, he was awfully vague in his wording, but if you read between the lines, it would appear as if he would want us to attack first," I said, wracking my brain for answers.

"Well, where are we supposed to do that?!" The boy shouted, exasperated, and this time, I didn't have to hesitate in my answer.

"Well, I would suppose that that would be apart of your 'test'." I replied calmly, watching Natsu's expression as it morphed from determination, to confusion, and then finally burst back into a smirk.

"Well then, we'll just have to show him what we're made of!" I smiled at his antics and sighed as I watched everyone's merriment. Fairy Tail was certainly an interesting place. Being the founder, one would've thought that I'd be used to it by now, yet here I am, constantly being surprised.

Natsu's POV
A challenge, eh? Hehe, he's definitely underestimating us. All I need to do is sniff him out. Scoffing, I turned my back and looked around the hall, hoping to find Luce, but was interrupted when I felt a tug on my shirt. Looking over my shoulder, I found a disheveled Lisanna.
"Hey Natsu…" She said slowly, emitting a deadly aura. I shivered.

"H-hi Lis, did you need anything?" I asked nervously, now scared out of my wits at the sadistic gleam in the takeover's eye.

"Well, Dan just rejected me right before pushing me out of the way, and into the river. And since I was in such a bad mood, I thought, why not go shopping? But it turns out that none of my friends wanted to go, so…" Lisanna explained, and I gulped. Whistling innocently, I looked away, hoping to get out of this.

"Oh, would you look at the time, sorry, have to go, Lis!" I shouted, before promptly making a run for the doors, but Lis met me there, and I gulped once again.

"Oh…? Why don't we have lots of fun together, 'kay?" She said cheerfully, and I nodded my head vigorously, cursing under my breath. As she dragged me away, I silently prayed while longingly looked back at the guild, not looking forward to dress up hell.

Lucy's POV

Dazedly swinging my legs back and forth, I didn't even notice when Mira came up to me. When she snapped her fingers in my face, however, I woke up from my trance.

"Oh, hi. What's up?" I said, still a little out of it.

"Better question, what's up with you? Anyways, you might wanna pay a visit to Sabertooth, because rumor has it that Rufus got injured." Mira said, all the while peering worriedly at me. At hearing the horrible news of one of my favorite book buddies, I stood up, before saying my thanks to the barmaid and running out of the guild. What did you manage to do this time, Sabertooth?

. . .oOo.

I burst through the guild, surprising many. Minerva stuttered, and Yukino looked surprised. Sting was shocked, and even Rogue held a similar expression. The others just looked plain confused, but I paid no attention to the stares I got as I scanned the room.

"Where is he?!" I said frantically, worried.

"Who?" Sting asked, dumbfounded, and I lost my patience.

"You know who I'm talking about, dimwit! Where's Rufus?" I yelled, out of my character, but I was worried, since it was rare for the said mage to get injured. So injured, in fact, that the news would happen to spread all the way to Fairy Tail. Sting looked taken aback for a second, but then regained his composure, and jabbed his thumb towards the infirmary. Sighing, I ran, but slowed down, not wanting to awaken him if he was sleeping.

Stepping in front of the infirmary door, I gingerly peeked past it, and was relieved to find Rufus conscious. Walking over, he greeted me with a surprised expression.

"Oh, Lucy! What brings you here?" He questioned, but I almost didn't hear him. I was too busy examining all the bandages surrounding and the wires plugged into his body. Snapping my head up, I said in a slightly joking tone,

"Why, you of course." I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"OH, have you finally come to profess your undying love to me, cherie?" He said mockingly.

"No, just dropping by to see that you're not the one dying." I joked again, and he chuckled.

"Well, I'm always up for the confession, oh, and if you happen to accept, please make it in Shakesperean. You know how much I adore it!" Rufus teased, and I sighed in relief. If he had energy to spare, he should be fine. Still, was worried.

"Anyways, what happened?" I gestured to his jacked up state, something that I had never got to see the always-proper Rufus Lohr in.

"Ehehe, well, you see, there was a pillow fight, and Sting got too excited…" Rufus chuckled, and I just gaped at him.

"Just how hard would you have to throw a pillow to get injuries this serious?!" I exclaimed in shock and awe, and Rufus let out another nervous chuckle. Turning on my heel, I went to face Sting, forgetting what seemed to be awkwardness between us. Glaring, I poked him in the chest. He stared at me, not knowing how to respond.

"How childish can you be! And over a pillow fight, at that! Look at what you've done to poor Rufus!" I said, throwing my hands up in the air to emphasize my point.

"Sorry…" He muttered, looking away while blushing madly at everyone in the guild laughing at him

"Shaddup!" He roared, and I giggled a little myself. Going back, I stayed with Rufus for a few hours, chatting with him while getting lost in a thorough conversation about Shakespeare. When I finally checked the clock, though, I had realized that it was already 5 in the afternoon. Waving to Rufus, I walked out of the infirmary.

"Bye everyone, see you later!" I shouted, but then Sting stopped me.

"Hey, about before…" Sting started but I cut him off with a smile.

"Nah, I'm over it! See you later!" I shouted once again, running out of the guild. Running to the train station, I plugged in my ear buds, letting the music overwhelm me. It was a classical rock song, and I was easily energized by the upbeat rythym. Tapping my foot, I blocked out everything else, waiting for the flashing sign that signaled that my train was coming. From then on, though, everything seemed to go in slow motion. I heard my heart beating, I heard the separate footsteps of every single person, and I heard myself breathing steadily. All of a sudden, my vision went into overdrive, and a feeling of longing washed over me. Not thinking, my feet started to move on their own, taking me to somewhere unknown. I didn't know what was happening; I had no control over my own body. Once I had nearly run into a tree, I started to panic. Scanning my thoughts, I tried to stop myself, but to no avail. Concentrating, I remembered the date, and realized where I was going. To my mate. Screaming as my head almost bashed into a wall, I tried, oh and I tried, to free myself from the spell that I had been seemingly placed under.

Natsu's POV

I don't know what happened, but one minute I was sitting with Lisanna, and the next, my feet were moving, running. Confused, I looked forward, not sure as to where I was going. Probably just me being bored, I hypothesized, but boy, was I wrong. I had stopped in a forest, and once I did, I tried leaving. However, my feet wouldn't budge this time around, and I slumped against a tree. Sitting down, I couldn't help but feel that I would be waiting here for a while.

Lucy's POV

I had been running for an hour, and I couldn't feel my legs at this point, but they had just kept on running. I saw Magnolia near, and I breathed in relief. Maybe I could get help here. Using all of my willpower, I had almost been able to stop in front of Fairy Tail. Almost. I cried once again in despair as I passed the guild in a flourish, my feet leading me to the forest. Oh great, another chance to bash my head into another tree. Clenching my fists and squeezing my eyes shut, I could only feel the wind rushing past me, and could only hear the thudding of my heavy footsteps. I was running so fast, but then I stopped, and opened my eyes too late, realizing that I was falling. Bracing myself for the impact, I looked up when I felt strong arms wrap around my waist. Cracking my eyes opened, I only had my suspicions confirmed.

"Natsu…?" I said, though the patch of salmon was an immediate identifier of my savior.

"Hey, Luce." He said nonchalantly, yet I could also hear a confused undertone in his voice. Realizing that he was still holding me, I started to blush, and this didn't go unnoticed by the highly perceptive slayer.

"Eh? Something the matter?" he asked, his face blank. Fidgeting under his gaze, I breathed out when he noticed what was 'wrong' and immediately let go, a little flustered.

"O-oh, sorry about that…" he said, rubbing the back of his neck, and I cleared my throat awkwardly while adjusting my shirt. My legs were still wobbly from all of the running, though, and I fell into his arms again.

"Woah there, steady!" Natsu shouted, laughing, and I couldn't help but crack a smile.

When I thought everything was normal again, my body did that weird thing again. IT did that thing where it would just move on its own. Lunging for my friend, we fell backwards together, landing in the green grass while Natsu was on top of me, surprised. I blushed at my actions, and tried to apologize, but my voice wouldn't work. So, we just stared at each other like that, flower petals gently dancing in the wind. Gulping, I looked to the side, not understanding what was happening. I mean, I didn't know much about being a dragon slayer, but if this is what I had to go through every mating season, I'd probably die of embarrassment every time. Natsu looked at me, and I finally was able to get a hold of myself, pushing him off of me. Scurrying behind the nearest tree, I snuck glances as he still sat there, looking dazed. When he met my eyes, I blushed and hid behind the tree, away from his intense gaze. I put my hand to my chest, trying to calm my beating heart.

Natsu's POV

When I touched her, I felt electric sparks fly. When I was near her, I smelt her intoxicating scent. And when I was away from her, I would feel a sense of emptiness. I couldn't quite explain it. A bit flustered, I ran my hands through my hair, and turned to look at Lucy, who was timidly hiding behind a tree. Cute…

"Arrgh!" I yelled in frustration, tugging at my salmon locks. She looked surprised, and ducked behind the tree again, and I sighed. Standing up and walking over, I held out my hand to her with a grin. She looked back at me confusedly.

"Come, the adventure continues. I don't know what's happening exactly, but all I know for now is that you should stick by my side." I stated the facts, and took her hand without waiting for her response. I felt her staring at my back, and I could sense how flustered she was. Chuckling, I gripped her hand tighter, and she let out a squeal, only adding to her cuteness. I don't know where these thoughts were coming from, but I do know that they were there, and they were probably there for a reason. So, we stayed like that, holding each other's hands while walking quietly through the forest. As I was about to burst into a run, though, I felt a small tug on the bottom of my shirt. Lucy was rooted to the ground, staring wide eyed at something. I followed the trail of her gaze, and watched in amusement as she bent down, eyes sparkling.

She was studying a flower, awed. Gingerly stroking the petals, I distinctly heard her mutter under her breath.

"Wow, this is beautiful…" She continued to caress the petals gently, taking in the vibrant blue-purple color. I looked at the flower, but was more interested in the irl studying it.

"It reminds me of the galaxy…" She whispered, and looked up, her big eyes so innocent, so fascinated. Voicing my thoughts, I turned to her.

"Why not just pick it?" I asked, stating what seemed to be the obvious.

"No! That would be killing it!" Lucy exclaimed, her trance broken.

"Then why not clone it with you magic?" I put forth another opinion, but Lucy didn't respond as vigorously this time. Her expression was replaced by a gentle, childish one, and her eyes regained that sparkle.

"The reason that it's so unique is the thing that makes it beautiful. It would mean nothing to just have a copy."

Shrugging, I got tired of waiting and started walking a little ahead of her, but not far enough for me to worry about her, or to feel lonely. Fingering my scarf, I boredly watched the trees, and the occasional appearance of an animal.

Mira's POV
I watched as the two dragon slayers walked in, both looking a little dazed, yet neither showing any sign of sporting a blush, nor having any sort of romantic interest. Inwardly sighing, I went back to serving the guild members. Honestly, Natsu couldn't be as dense as to not know what love is, right? But, then again, he is Natsu… My thoughts were interrupted by Fried clearing his throat, and I put on an overly cheery smile.

"Oh, did you need anything?" I asked, though my mind was still wandering in my matchmaking zone. Fried looked at me, his usually calm eyes faltering, before proceeding to answer.

"No, it's just that you seem distracted by something. Care to talk?" He asked in that gentlemanly way of his, and I couldn't help but swoon.

Wanting to vent, I gave him a slight warning before confiding all of my worries to him.

"It's just that… arghgh! Natsu is so dense! And Lucy, I thought that maybe she could do something about this whole situation, but no! And look at where they are, now! They're just two sitting ducks! No romance whatsoever! And now, Zeref just has to waltz in here on his high horse, and this Kukyo bastard is most definitely coming to ruin my romantic schemes!" I whisper shouted so that none of the dragon slayers could hear me. My eyes were gleaming, and I released all of my pent up frustration. Fried, who had looked a little lost, regained his composure, and flashed me one of those rare, though small, smiles, and opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm sure that they'll figure it somehow. I mean, it's not like Natsu to leave something unfinished, is it?" He assured, and I smiled back at him, a real one this time.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." I picked up a glass and started wiping it down with my rag. Calming down, I was in a state of peace. After all, you couldn't rush love.

Gajeel's POV
Grumbling, I walked out of Master's office along with Flame Brain, Air Girl, Lightning Freak, and finally Bunny Girl. Master had sent us to go sniff out Zeref. Cursing under my breath, I reluctantly accepted, knowing that the old man could beat my ass in any time.

"Tch. He's treating us like a bunch of bloodhounds." I retorted, causing Air Girl to whimper in fear at my harsh tone and hide behind Bunny Girl. Flame Brain just scoffed.

"Hah! Nice cover, Iron Head! I bet that you're just incapable of doing the deed!" Flame Brain taunted, and I rolled my eyes at his lunicracy.

"I'm not in the mood today, Salamander." I spat back, and stuffed my hands into my pockets. When we stepped out of the guild, I was about to go running out at full speed, but Bunny Girl stopped us.

"Okay guys, take these ear pieces and these flares. This way, we can contact each other if we spot Zeref." She said calmly, handing everyone the said items.

"Wow, who knew you could be so smart, Blondie?" Lightning Freak mocked, and I let out a chuckle of my own. The blonde ignored the comment by rolling her eyes, and tugging on Wendy's arm.

"Also, I'm taking Wendy with me. She's still only a kid. Anyways, Sayonara!" In the next few moments, she called out this white dragon chick- Grandma, or Granny was it?- and had promptly hopped onto it with Wendy, leaving all the others behind.

I recalled the time she let me meet my dragon, and let me tell you, it was awkward. We greeted each other, talked about fighting for a few minutes, and then he went back. I smirked at the memory. Well, I guess that we were both new to this kind of thing. With that, I began my fast paced run, leaving the others behind in the dust.

Laxus' POV
Blondie and Gajeel had already left, so it was only Natsu and I remaining. He looked out of it, and was momentarily frozen in surprised, and I shrugged, beginning my leisurely walking pace.

"Damn Gramps, always giving me some work to do…" I shuddered at the thought of that one time where the old man had given me tons of paperwork, and man, that was not fun to do. I put on my sound pods, and drowned everything out in the metal rock playlist I was listening to. Following my nose, I started walking in the same direction that Gajeel and Blondie had taken off in. Well, of course we were going to head to the same place, but still. I fingered the earpiece, bored. As I passed by a bush, I plucked some berried off of it, and popped them into my mouth, not even caring if they would be poisonous or not. Not like that I had the time to worry about that, anyways. Muching on the berries, I burst into a full fledged run, starting to take this whole thing seriously. Maybe Zeref could entertain me a bit… I smirked.

Natsu's POV

When I realized that I had just been staring into space like a fool, I looked around, only to find that everyone else had already left. Immediately getting annoyed, I started running, my fists and feet igniting as I ran with all my might.

"YOU BASTARDS! WAIT UP!" I shouted, ignoring the looks that I got from townspeople as I ran into the forest. However, when I was already what seemed to be halfway through Magnolia, I stopped to think for a moment. Striking a thinking pose, I thought hard.

What was I supposed to do again…? Laughing to myself, I imagined Lucy scolding me, and invoulintarily shuddered at the thought. However, my mind then zoned in on the thought of Lucy, and I got a great idea. I'll just follow Luce's scent! Having the best idea ever, I turned on my heel and sniffed out the sweet smell of st rawberries and vanilla, my feet leading me to where I needed to go. Thinking of the mage, I imagined what she would say right now. Good Job? No. Yippee? Nah. Wow, Natsu, you really are the best and most powerful mage that I've ever met! You can probably beat Gray into the ground! I smiled. Probably. However, my thoughts were interrupted when her voice, so clear in my head tat I almost thought she was here, rang through my mind.

Geez, Natsu. Sometimes, your simplicity is going to be the death of me.