Chapter Five - Hearts

The door to Lucy's office slammed shut after said female. Natsu, Wendy and the exceeds stared at it in shock.

"What had happened to Lucy?" Natsu voiced the question first.

"War," Wendy said, "A war we could have stopped." She burst into tears. Out of everything she was hoping for, a hug from Lucy, her big sister, was all she wanted. After everything - It was all she wanted.

Happy patted the girl's leg trying to calm her down, but, as soon as she was calm, Laxus smashed Lucy's desk. Wendy began crying again.

"Who the hell does she think she is?" The blonde shouted.

"She's mast- head master of Fairy Tail," Carla corrected herself. There was a mask of fear and confusion on her face.

"But what about the old man?" Gajeel finally spoke.

"He," a new voice said, "died the day of the first attack." A man sat at Lucy's desk. He had faded green eyes and cropped black hair.

"Who are you-" Gajeel prepared an attack but found the man behind him instead.

"I'm Bryan, Lisanna's husband, and soon-to-be Master of Fairy Tail in Layla Town."

"Layla Town," a murmur went through the room.

"Yes?" Bryan looked confused, as if this was normal and not a strange occurrence.

"Since when were towns named Layla and not after flowers ...?" Laxus asked.

"Since the war, now they are named after Lucy." Bryan stated proudly.

"Is she like the queen or something?" Gajeel scoffed.

"Almost, the rumor has been going around for a while that she and the king are lovers, but I'll let you in on a secret," Bryan looked around making sure no one could hear his blasphemy, "I thinks she's waiting on the Dragon Slayers."

You could hear a pin drop in the room. Bryan looked at the Slayers shocked faces. He had expected shock, of course, but not the flabbergasted faces of these weirdos.

"Bryan," someone shouted from the doorway.

"Lucy," he kissed her cheeks. Normally she would cringe away from the man's strange traditions, but Lucy was focused on the Slayers.

"Bryan, please tell me you didn't break our last hope of winning this war." Lucy slapped Laxus hoping to wake him.

"What the hell?!" Lucy looked satisfied at his reaction.

"Wait! These are the Dragon Slayers?" Lucy nodded, "And all of them are back!" Lucy nodded though it wasn't truly a question, "And ... And Acnologia?" Fear flashed on his face.

"Yes, we are opening the portal in a week," Lucy paused and pushed a button on a box on her desk. "Kenzie please come in and take notes." After a response from the box, the blonde woman looked up, "Can you please leave this is important business about the war." She glared at the Dragon Slayers.

I heard a quiet click. The Slayers had left. "Kenzie check on the preparations for the big celebration," the brunette nodded scribbling down my demands: make sure that the smaller guilds are evacuated immediately so they could help at Taurus Valley and Maiden Mountain; make sure preparations at Taurus Valley and Maiden Mountain's preparations are completed first; get me updates from every guild; find me books on every legendary weapon ever (report this to the library department in Capricorn City); and make sure the Dragon Slayers have a guide, security, shelter and aren't in the same city as me.

"Don't you think that's a little harsh," Bryan leaned back and relaxed. His eyes watching the screen of his Lacrima.

"What?"

"The whole 'I don't want them anywhere near me' thing," he clarified.

"I see nothing wrong with it," I glare. Was he saying I was cruel?

"Oh but there is, what have they done to deserve this treatment? They just returned to a place far different than they left it, and how do they get treated: like they are the demons we were fighting against the whole time," Bryan shouted. He was a new ember to our group, but he was the only one who could keep my temper down.

"They left me—They left us, Bryan. They left us to fight for ourselves. To run a country, to do everything they were supposed to be doing."

"It sure as hell doesn't seem like you are talking about this country, Luce."

I broke, "They left me, all alone," I sob soaking my desk, "Who else was everybody supposed to turn to? Erza was grieving, Mira was always serving people, Elfman is too convinced everything needs to be man, Jellal was caring for Erza and her escapades, Cana was trying to get sober, Levy was getting over Gajeel, Evergreen, Bix, and Freed were just managing to get on their feet without Laxus, and I was the only one left. The only person who could function," I threw something, a pen, at the wall.

"I never said you needed to forgive them completely, just ... Give them time to adjust. They just came back, Luce. Think about it at least." Bryan stood.

He left ... I was alone ... Why was I always alone? "Mama," I whisper to the heavens, "Why does everyone leave me?"

"She ... Lushe~!" Happy flung himself into said blonde's arms.

"Happy," she whispered much to the Slayers' surprise. Happy began blabbing about their adventures. lucy began to walk towards the Slayers; They backed away.

"Look," Lucy stopped walking towards them, "I'm sorry for being so harsh."

Wendy saw something in Lucy's eyes that the other's didn't: she saw pain when they backed away in fear; she saw the old Lucy. The blunette jumped into Lucy's arms, "Lucy, I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too," Lucy set Wendy down. She looked to the others, Gajeel was holding Natsu back from jumping on Lucy too, "I know you guys hate me, or something, but hear me out," she waited for them to look at her, "I ... I'm sorry I yelled at you, and that I've been cold, but please try to see this from my perspective." Lucy straightened then, her eyes trained at the guild doors. One could hear shouts of joy from behind the large wood fixtures, "Also beware of the fans." Cold Lucy was back.

A/N: Hey-o guys, not so happy with this chapter I must admit, but things are heating up in chapter six so don't fret.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy TAil the wonderful Hiro Mashima does.

Hoots,

Owls