I AM SO EXCITED TO PUBLISH THIS CHAPTER!

I started this an entire week earlier than planned, and yet this is still late. :\ But if it weren't for all the reviews the last chapter got, this probably would've been written waaaay later and would've been a month late instead of two weeks. (hint hint)

So a lot of you are mad at Malachi. (It's ok, you're supposed to be.) I wonder how that'll turn out?

I'll just tell you now that there is a bigger picture and you'll see in the end but AAARgh I love being a writer I get to throw all the plot twists at you and watch the chaos that ensues. *evil author face*

Without further adou, chapter 17!

P.S: This is a major fluff chapter. You're welcome.

It's raining today.

The droplets drip down from the gutters, splashing onto the cobblestones below with tiny, steady plunks. There aren't very many people out on the street today, save for the soldiers patrolling the place. Their numbers have doubled after the dragon attack yesterday.

A young woman stands outside of a tavern, shivering in her soaking wet clothing. The sounds of laughter and drinking drift out from the building, suggesting warmth and comfort, but she stays out in the rain. She'll go to join them soon enough.

For now, she's waiting. He'll be here any minute.

A carriage rolls by, clattering down the street and spraying up water. The sound of its wheels on the cobblestone fade away as it once again surrenders the street to the steady drumbeat of the rain.

Finally, she looks up, seeing a tall figure make his way towards the tavern, dressed completely in black cloth. His appearance makes her heart flutter excitedly in her chest, making her forget the feeling of the icy raindrops running down her arms. His strides lengthen as he sees her petite form, and within moments she's in his arms, and he's holding her tight, kissing her in the middle of the street. A single tear runs down her face, almost indistinguishable from the droplets of rain on her skin. It's a bittersweet moment: A beautiful flower blooming in the middle of a hurricane.

Finally she pulls away, never taking her eyes off of him. They're silent for no more than a moment.

"You're okay." She whispers.

"Of course I'm ok. I wasn't gonna be taken out by that fire-breather." He grunts, rolling his eyes. After seeing her expression, he cracks a small uncharacteristic smile. "Come on, shrimp. Have a little faith."

The girl crossed her arms stubbornly, scowling. "How do you expect me not to be worried? You were there. With a dragon. A fire-breathing dragon. The news has spread all over town."

He shrugs. "I wouldn't have gone if I didn't think I could handle a dragon."

"Wait…" She blinks. "You knew?"

"Erm…" He rubs the back of his neck, looking away uncomfortably. "Maybe…."

A loud smack was heard by a few passerby. "Gajeel!"

"Ow!" He complained, even though the red mark on his face barely stung. "...why?"

"You could've died and you knew?!"

"I already told you, I'm not gonna be taken down by a little twerp like Natsu." He scoffs. He had, upon the request of Gray Fullbuster, attended the princess's engagement ball, just as a precaution. Though the princess hadn't known, he had been watching the whole time to make sure everything went according to plan.

"He's not a little twerp. He's dragon." She corrects him, looking over her shoulder as an afterthought, in case anyone heard. Thankfully, there's no one in sight. "And he's your cousin, for goodness sake. Be nice."

"Well, so am I. Quit worrying about it. Let's go inside." He replies. Almost on cue, a young woman with unusual white hair opens the tavern door, poking her head out.

"Levy, are you-Gajeel! You're back!" She exclaims, sad blue eyes brightening just a little.

The couple turns to see their guildmate, momentarily forgetting their quarrel. In moments, several members of the guild have come out to meet the iron dragon.

"Gajeel!"

"What the hell were you thinking! Are you crazy?"

"Are you okay?"

"Is Natsu okay?"

"Don't forget Princess Lucy!"

Gajeel grunts yes's or no's, overwhelmed by the barrage of questions. Within fifteen minutes, everyone has gathered in the basement, sitting around Gajeel in something of a circle to hear his report. The only thing they know is that Natsu busted into the grand ballroom, grabbed Lucy, and flew off. That isn't enough. They want details.

"Look, Natsu and Lucy are fine. Have a little faith, geez. They'll probably lie low for a while, and contact us whenever they can." He says, irritated at all the attention.

Just as the words leave his mouth, a pounding sound is heard from the upstairs tavern. A moment later, a panting MiraJane appears in the doorway, clutching her swollen belly. She's due any day now. Everyone's attention is pulled away from Gajeel as they stared in horror at her terrified face. Laxus nearly pushes over his chair as he gets up, seeing his wife in distress.

"They're…"She gasps for breath. Pregnancy isn't easy. "They're-Aaaaigh!"

She's pulled backwards by a strong arm, belonging to a Fiore soldier.

"Fairy Tail." The officer says smugly. "On the authority of King Jude of Fiore, everyone in this room is under arrest for high treason."

Lucy's POV

We're flying.

When I say flying, I mean Natsu-the-dragon is doing all the work and I'm dangling precariously from his claws, feeling like I'm going to fall to my death.

I don't know how long it's been, but Natsu hasn't stopped. He just stares ahead, glassy reptilian eyes contracted into narrow slits. I don't recognize the land anymore. There's nothing but rocky crags and mountains for as far as the eye can see.

It must be well after midnight. The moon is high up in the sky, and the cool night air fills my lungs with each breath. It's nice.

Without warning, Natsu takes a sharp dive downward, leaving my soul behind in the clouds. My heart is still pounding when three of his giant feet pound into the rock of the mountainside. I scramble out of his hold, mentally exhausted from the past twenty-four hours. All I want to do is find a nice, soft bed, and take a very long nap, but given my current location, that doesn't seem very likely.

I bring myself to my feet, gaping up at the vast expanse of gray rock that seems to go up for miles. Directly in front of us, blending into the side of the mountain, is a huge cave entrance. I never would have noticed it if Natsu hadn't set down right on the doorstep.

Natsu snorts, every scale rippling as he stalks past me into the cave. His tail sweeps back and forth calmly; he barely acknowledges me when he passes. I blink, standing still as a stone. This is the first time I've seen him in like this. Each time before, he's been a roaring, fire-breathing, ferocious monster, defying humanity with his entire being. Seeing him calm and relaxed is unnerving in the least.

After a moment, I command my feet to follow, entering the mountain. My whole body is sore from the events of the day, but while I want nothing more than to lie down and sleep forever, there is the minor issue of being stuck. On a mountain. With a dragon.

The inside of the cave is huge, although it's hard to tell in the dark. When I say huge, I mean it could fit thirty dragons, no problem. There are stalactites hanging from the ceiling, and moonlight reflects off of them from the entrance. Natsu looks at me for a few moments, and for a moment there's a streak of humanity in his eyes. It's gone so fast that I think I imagined it.

Nevermind that, I'm exhausted. My knees don't want to hold me up anymore, and my eyelids are wanting to close.

Without meaning too, I drop to the ground; the cold, stone cave floor. I don't care. I'm too tired to care.

My brain tells me to sleep. For once, I agree.

As my consciousness begins to drift away, I am vaguely aware of the sensation of being enveloped by a giant, warm wing, forming a tent over my head and trapping all the warm air with it.

Natsu.

With that final, comforting thought, I let darkness claim me.

Rays of sunlight shine between the stalactites on the ceiling, making shadows on the walls. Something digs into my side; the stone beneath is hard and cold. I blink my eyes open and find myself staring at a wall of rock.

Oh, no. My joints are going to kill me.

As my mind awakens, it notifies me that there is an arm around my waist and a warm presence against my back. I smile to myself, relieved. He must have reverted back to his human form in the night.

"Natsu?" I murmur. No response. I can hear his soft snoring in my ears, a firm indicator that the big lug is sound asleep. That's okay; he deserves a good rest.

I gently attempt to lift his arm off of me, but he mutters something in his sleep and wraps it tighter around me, like a kid clutching a stuffed animal. I sigh, mildly exasperated. Upon the second attempt to free myself, he wraps both arms around my waist and mutters some incomprehensible complaint.

"Natsu…" I protest. "C'mon, let me up. I want to go check it out."

He responds by snuggling into the crook of my neck. "I'm asleep, I can't hear you."

I roll my eyes. It's hopeless. Not that I can really complain.

As I relax and curl up against him, I let out a contented sigh. Despite the awful situation we're in, it's nice to just stay here for a few minutes. We've both been through a lot.

I place my hands over his, gently playing with his fingers. They're warm.

I don't know how much time passes. But finally, the responsible adult in the back of my mind reminds me that we should probably figure things out.

"Natsu."

"Mmmm."

"We need to get up."

"Mmhmm."

"Natsu!"

The muscles in his arms ripple as he stretches, yawning. "C'mon, Luce, what's the hurry anyway?"

I shift around in his arms so that we're facing each other. "We can't just do nothing."

He grins his signature grin, the one that I haven't seen in weeks. The one that makes his whole face light up, like a little kid at a festival. "I don't see any problem with that."

I shake my head. "You're hopeless, you know that, right?"

He plants a soft kiss on my lips. "Nope."

I crack a smile at his little comment. Typical Natsu.

His eyes hold laughter in them, despite the disheveled state of his hair, the dirt under his fingernails, and the holes in his clothing.

Yes, he is wearing clothing, if you must ask. I'm not really sure how the whole dragon to human transformation works, but somehow the clothes just reappear every time he transforms into a human. It makes no sense, but, hey, I'm not about to complain.

I place a hand on his cheek, looking at him for several long moments. "I love you."

"I love you too." He smiles softly, but his expression soon sobers. He draws me closer to his chest, tucking my head under his chin. "To be honest I...I'd given up. I didn't think we had a chance. Thought I'd die down there, and you…well, you know."

He trails off, leaving the unspoken meaning hanging in the air. I nod slightly, feeling his heartbeat beneath my cheek. "We're here now. We're safe."

A quiet chuckle rumbles through his chest. "You've got that right. There's no way in hell that's ever gonna happen again."

We lapse into silence again. By now, I can see the sun peeking over the mountain tops in the distance.

"Natsu?"

"Hmmm?"

"The rock is getting really uncomfortable." I say flatly.

He gets to his feet, grabbing my hand to help me up. He doesn't let go of it when I'm on my feet again. With daylight seeping in, I can finally make out the details of the cavern. It goes much deeper than I thought, disappearing into the darkness.

"Shall we?" He asks, raising an eyebrow in question.

"By all means, let's." I reply. Together, we make our way towards the back to see what sort of thing lurks there.

We keep it lighthearted, hand in hand as we walk over the stone and navigate around a few pools of still water. Finally, we run into what looks like the end of the cave. Natsu lights his hand on fire, providing a torch, which flickers off the limestone.

"I guess that's it." I say, looking around.

Without a word, Natsu places the palm of his right hand on the stone. To my surprise, lines of glowing ember spread from his fingers, undulating with orange light. Within moments, the rock moves to the side with a loud scraping sound, revealing a dark stairway. He turns to me with a smug look.

I stand there speechless. "Uummm…."

"If my guess is right, this is an old Dragneel fortress. It's been in the family for centuries." Natsu runs a hand through his hair casually. "I, er, may have forgotten to mention that when we first got here."

"Right." I say slowly. "So you've never been here?"

"Nope. I have a sort of honing instinct, I guess. It brought me here." He shrugs, indicating the stone walls. "This cavern is a landing strip for dragons. No sense hanging around."

I nod, running a hand along the smooth edge of the doorway. Without waiting another moment, he starts up the stairs, illuminating the walls as he goes. I make sure to stay close behind him so that I don't get lost in the dark.

It's a long staircase. That's coming from a girl who grew up in a palace. My legs want to give out by the time we emerge into a dim corridor. There are no torches waiting to be lit along the walls; I look at Natsu skeptically.

"Where are the lights?" I ask.

"What do you mean?" He replies over his shoulder, running a finger over a little stone ledge..

"There aren't any torches here. The estate had them."

His eyebrows come together in a thin line as he looks up and down the corridor in search of a way to illuminate it.

After a moment, he grins. "There aren't any, because we don't use torches."

I groan, rolling my eyes. "I guess you can tell this place wasn't built for humans."

He laughs. "That's not what I meant."

The flame in his hand dances, spreading a soft glow over his features. He places his hand in a groove, about three inches across, on the top of the ledge, which I hadn't seen before. It runs all the way down the hallway and around the corner. The flames spread into the groove, moving along until there is a vein of flickering coals lighting the corridor.

"My cousins in Bosco used to light their estate with coal lacrimas. They're kinda like magic coals; they can keep the fire alive for a long time, and they never burn away. You have to relight them every once in awhile, but this groove probably runs through the entire fortress." Natsu explains.

"That's amazing." I breathe, staring at the flickering embers.

Natsu beams. His canines glint in the firelight. "Right? C'mon, the living area is somewhere around here."

He takes my hand in his, pulling me along. We round the corner into another corridor, which soon leads up a staircase, where it splits into three hallways. We stop, trying to gain our bearings.

"What now?" I say, hugging his arm.

He looks down at me with carefree eyes. "Does it matter?"

"If we want to find the our way back out, it does." I point out.

"We'll make it out eventually. C'mon, let's just go straight ahead and see where it leads." He suggests, stepping forward without a thought to the possible consequences.

"Okay. But if you get us lost, you're in trouble." I tell him.

"Oh, I'm scared."

It strikes me then that this is the Natsu that I fell in love with in the first place. Before our world became a crazy mess of running and running and running. I...I could get used to it again.

Three hours later...

"We should crash in here tonight. I'm really liking the pillows." Natsu says, lying on a bed in the bedroom we've stumbled upon during our expedition. I stand in the doorway, fuming. We've been stumbling around the castle all day, and it's nearly time for lunch. We skipped breakfast because we couldn't find the kitchen, which supposedly has a store of food for emergencies, according to Natsu. Lucky for us, this fortress was built for war-so thank the gods we won't have to worry about intruders-but we might starve to death in the meantime.

"I really couldn't care less about sleep right now, that's hours away." I grouch. "We need to find food."

Natsu props himself up on an elbow, looking every bit the fabulous princess. He rolls his eyes a little, not really listening. "Quit acting like we're trying to survive the apocalypse, Luce. We'll be fine. Chill."

I sigh, exasperated. "Natsu, we're lost."

"No we aren't. I know exactly where we are." He declares.

I cross the room to flop down on my back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling forlornly. Sunlight drifts through the skylight in the ceiling, reminding me that the castle, as we discovered, has towers extending outside of the mountain.

We're silent for a minute. I absent-mindedly twirl a lock of my hair around my finger. Finally, I look up, one eyebrow raised. "You have no idea where we are. Admit it."

He grins sheepishly, and I find it impossible to stay angry. Even so, I do my best to keep my facial features locked in a scowl.

"C'mon, Luce. Give me a break. I just went through a traumatic experience!" His grin turns a shade darker, and he leans over me. "Besides, being paralyzed for a week sucks."

I feel my face flush, avoiding eye contact. Partly because of his underhanded comment, and partly because of his close proximity. Even after so long, he still makes my heart beat faster.

"I-I...That wasn't my idea." I mutter, looking away. In all the chaos of the past few weeks, I'd completely forgotten about it. A fresh wave of guilt wraps around my heart. "I'm sorry. I didn't have any options, Natsu. "

"We had options." He hisses softly. His face is suddenly dead serious. "I'd rather die than go through that again."

"Natsu-"

"Do you have any idea what it's like, lying there, fully conscious, and being completely unable to move a single muscle? Knowing that while you're trying to move your pinkie finger, the love of your life is being taken by somebody else, and you don't know when, or where, so all you can do is lie there wondering what the hell is happening outside your bedroom door and whether it's too late to fix it." The unexpected emotion in his voice catches me off guard-weren't we just food just a moment ago?-and he takes a shuddering breath, calming his voice to a whisper. "Do you have any idea what that's like, Luce?"

His hands dig into my shoulders. He's hovering over me, propped up by his arms, eyes filled with unspoken words. I meet them, surprised by the flames burning inside. I can't reply. I don't know.

"I'm sorry." I whisper.

He shakes his head, regaining his composure with a few shaky breaths. "Just-don't do that again, and I won't do anything stupid. Deal?"

"It's a deal." I smile softly, leaning up to kiss him. We lie there for a few moments, until everything comes crashing down at once. I laugh a little. "Hey...we're okay. You're alive and I'm not married."

Just like that, his grin returns, and the air of seriousness evaporates like the morning dew. He laughs, shaking his head. "We're okay."

He looks me in the eyes, reaching up to gently tuck an unbrushed strand of blonde hair behind my ear. His palm is rough and warm against my cheek, where he cups my face in his hand. I know what's coming then, clear as a midsummer night. "We're okay."

He leans down and kisses me slowly, as if we've got all the time in the world-which I guess we do. Warmth spreads out from my chest, running through my veins until my whole body tingles. I return the kiss with equal care. My hands find their way into his salmon locks, and my fingers run through it, surprised by the unexpected softness of his hair. I take a deep breath of him, his smoky, earthy scent, mixed with the smell of sweat and grime, which reminds me that he hasn't bathed in weeks. Somehow, I don't care. I'm in a whole different world, and I don't plan on coming back anytime soon.

I deepen the kiss, pushing into a rythym that matches our rapid heartbeats. His hands slide down to rest in the hollows above my pelvis, withdrawing a small gasp from my mouth. My hands tighten their grip on his hair. He draws me closer, until our hips are flesh against one another. With every kiss, I feel as if my body is going to burst into flames, from the way my heart pounds in my ears and the warm flush in my cheeks.

My hands roam under the fabric of his vest, running lightly over the chiseled muscles on his abdomen. He grunts softly, gripping the fabric around my waist in clenched hands. "Lucy…."

My eyes are half-open, but they widen when he says my name. "Hm?"

He looks at me with all the love in the world. "Marry me."

My heart thuds to a stop. Yes. I want to say. I can't form the words. I open my mouth, wide-eyed with surprise, but what comes out isn't a word.

He laughs softly. "Can I take that as a yes?"

I clear my throat. "What do you think?" My cheeks burn, but I'm supressing a giddy smile. "Just kiss me, you idiot."

He grins, gladly complying.

Makarov Dreyer knew, the moment he heard the screams, that it was over.

He was in his office, in the back of the guild, meaning he had about two minutes before the soldiers found him too.

He put aside all of his panic-right now, his children needed him to be calm. Without wasting a second, he picked up a pen and began to write on a piece of paper. Footsteps echoed in the hall, and the doorknob rattled.

He signed the letter, sealing it and muttering a quick magic spell just as the door burst off of its hinges, shattering the doorframe completely.

"Makarov Dreyar, you-" The soldier began shouting.

"Yes, I know. No sense repeating it twice." The old man grunted. The soldiers had anti-magic shields, he had seen it all before, though had always been lucky enough to avoid this. There was nothing he could do to stop it. No doubt his children had tried their hardest to fight back-he would be disappointed in them if they hadn't. But he knew it was a hopeless battle.

He hopped off of his chair, and the soldiers surrounded him. They were so focused on the short old man that they didn't notice the slip of paper flying out the window.

I have no idea how much time has passed, but Natsu and I eventually drift off into companionable silence. He twirls a piece of my hair around his finger, letting it go and watching it uncurl slightly.

I nestle my head into his shoulder, closing my eyes in contentment. It's warm.

"Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

He shifts, wrapping me tighter in his arms. "I love you too, you know."

We stay like that for a while. I don't have anywhere to go.

Suddenly, something dings right above our heads, and I look up, momentarily confused by a piece of paper floating above our heads. "Natsu-"

"I know." He says, looking up. He doesn't seem surprised by the new item, only confused. He sits up, leaving my arms cold from where his had been.

He snatches it out of the air, unfolding it and scanning the words with narrowed eyes. When he finishes, he curses vehemently and hands it to me. I take it between my thumb and forefinger, almost afraid to read it.

Natsu-

I hope this letter finds you in time. Fairy Tail has been discovered and arrested. It is very likely that we won't be alive by the end of this week. I hope you understand our predicament. You are our last hope, but I want you to keep yourself and the princess safe above all else.

Don't be too stupid.

-Makarov

I drop the letter, stunned. "How did they know?"

"I don't know. Dammit, I don't know." He hisses, standing up and putting his vest back on. I sit on the edge of the bed, watching him with fear.

"Natsu, there's no guarantee that my father will choose to execute them."

"No, you're father will kill them all. It's what he does best." He fumes, murderous light in his eyes. "Do you remember when I told you I was going to barbeque your dad if we ever met face to face?"

"What are we going to do?"

"I'm going to save them. You're staying here." He says, throwing on his sandals.

"No, If you're going, I'm coming with." I say, standing up and straightening my dress.

Natsu's head snaps up. "Not happening. It's not safe."

"That's not stopping you from going." I point out, crossing my arms.

He scowls. "Look, Lucy, this isn't a joke. This isn't some scenario where you walk in and everything is fine and nobody gets hurt. People are going to die."

"I'm coming, Natsu." I insist, crossing to the closet, which is conveniently magic-based, quickly requipping me with a simple tunic and leggings. I turn around to see him watching me sternly.

"I don't have to carry you, you know. It's not like you get a say in it." He says. "Besides, Makarov told me to keep you safe."

"I do get a say in it, if you want me to ever speak to you again." I threaten,

"I'm sorry, you never gave me any say when you drugged me and ran off to marry another prince!" He shouts. I can see smoke rising from his fists.

I turn on him, jabbing a finger into his chest. "That is not fair!"

"Oh, I think it is! You don't really play fair, anyways." He spits, venom dripping from his words. The tension in the room is so thick, you could cut it with a knife. We're both terrified, but what I don't understand is why he feels the need to push me away when we should be in this together.

"Natsu Dragneel-"

"Don't even start! If you come, you'll only get in the way."

"I'll only get in the way?! What am I for then, cooking and looking pretty?"

"I-"He starts to shout, but stops himself, pausing for a moment to keep his voice under control."That is not what I meant and you know it."

"If that's what you think of me, fine. I don't care." I say bitterly. "But those are my friends too. I deserve a chance to help them."

"You'll get yourself killed."

"My father wouldn't do that."

"Your father is a complete asshole! You trust him and that's going to get you killed." Natsu says, taking a step closer so that my nose is just a few inches from his chest.

"And what happens if you leave me here, Natsu? What if you don't make it back? I'll be left here forever, and I'd rather die than be alone for my whole existence."

"I'll come back."

"Oh really? How do you plan on on defeating the entire army that my father probably has guarding the place?"

"I'll think of something."

"You'll die. At least with me, you'll have a bargaining chip."

"Exactly why you're not coming." He growls.

"I'm coming."

"Dammit, Lucy, don't you get that I'm just trying to protect you?" He raises his voice again, turning his back to me and running his hands through his hair to try and diffuse his anger. He faces me again, slightly more calm, but not by much.

"You've done plenty of that."I say quietly. "From the moment I met you, you've been doing that. But now you need to stop protecting me and let me do this."

He shakes his head, opening and closing his mouth, as if he can't find the words to say. He looks down at his shoes, and when he meets my eyes, his are starting to tear up. "I'm sorry, Lucy. I'm just-I'm just terrified of losing you."

"I know." I tell him, stepping forward to wrap my arms around his waist. "How do you think I've felt this whole time? You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Stay back. You're safer here." He murmurs against my hair.

"I can't do that." I tell him.

He sighs. "We'll leave in a half hour." He looks me in the face with a dead serious expression.

"If you die, I swear on my father's body that I will fly to heaven, bust past the guards, and take you back."

I blink, remembering something. "Right, about that…."

"About dying?"

"No. It's about your father." I tell him. I realize that this might hit him hard, after so many years. "You might want to sit down."

"I'm fine." He says, looking at me expectantly.

"Your father-King Igneel-He's alive." I say. "I met him. At the engagement ball."

"That's impossible." Natsu says automatically.

"No, it was him. No doubt about it. Black eyes, dark red hair?"

Natsu's eyes flash. "...there's no way...there's no way…."

"It was him, Natsu. He told me to take care of you, because you're the only one left."

"Dad..."He stands there, stunned. "After all this time….did he leave me alone?"

"No!" I say quickly. "He said something about not having much time, because the guards would notice that he was gone. I think he might've been held prisoner this whole time."

His eyes harden. "If they've been holding him all these years, they've got a few things coming for 'em."

"Are you ready to go, then?" I ask.

"Yeah." He growls. "I'm all fired up."

Cobra paced impatiently in front of the meeting room, listening to the muffled voices on the other side of the door. He looked unusually angry, almost manic in his appearance. As soon as the door opened, he spun around, face to face with the crown prince of Fiore.

"Can we talk for a moment?" He hissed.

A minute later, they were on a balcony, far away from prying ears.

"Mind explaining to me why my princess has once again been kidnapped by that dragon brat?!" He screamed quietly.

"Calm down." Malachi said quietly. "It's all just apart of the plan. Everything went accordingly, so there's no need to worry."

"I'm sorry, since when was a dissapearing princess part of the plan?" Cobra hissed.

"It always has been. Look, the dragon has the princess. We have Fairy Tail under custody. They'll have to return to rescue their friends, so no matter what happens, we'll be able to eliminate the dragon from the scenario."

"He won't bring the princess."

"If he doesn't, we'll just use tracking magic to find her again. She won't have any dragons protecting her this time." Malachi's eyes narrowed. "We will have our empire, Cobra. Just wait."

"Yeah? Well, if you don't make good on that…" He drew his finger across his neck. "It's war."

Malachi smiled. "Of course."

WOOHOO! Heck yeah, end of chapter. 5,000 words, you're welcome. SOOO much stuff happened here. GaLe Fluff: check. ALL THE NALU FLUFF: check. NALU's first real argument: check. Let's not forget that Natsu freaking lowkey proposed to Lucy in this chappie. :]

You are welcome. *bows.*

Two more chappies to go, and then we're done. I'm gonna cry.

So we have a power outage at my house right now, so I've been trying so hard to save power but oh well, It'll be back on in a few days. I really am just waiting for wifi so I can update.

See ya, my dudes!