Author's Note: Hey guys! Really quick, I had a reviewer ask why the links on my profile weren't working, and I honestly have no idea why. :( If you want to find me on tumblr, my username is the same. Until the link works, I guess you guys'll just have to manually search for me. Sorry this chapter is late. Labor Day weekend was crazy, and school has been pretty busy for me. I'm excited for you guys to read this chapter, though, because this is where the story starts to pick up. Same as usual, I do not own the story... yet. Enjoy!

Lucy was trapped in a sea of red. It was everywhere she turned, with no foreseeable end. The air was unbearably hot, and it was stifling. Destruction was everywhere, and the lively city of Magnolia that she'd only just come to know was being ravaged. Lucy watched as the crimson and gold flames licked up buildings and swallowed everything whole. The world was on fire, and there was no escape.

She ran. Trying to find a way out. Trying to find another living soul- Someone. Anyone. She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard a roar in the distance. The deep, rumbling sound rattled the buildings, sending one of them tumbling down. A chill crawled its way up Lucy's spine. Never in her life had she heard something so terrifying. Her heart hammered in her chest when the flapping of wings grew louder, and she realized that whatever creature she'd heard was coming towards her.

Before Lucy could will her paralyzed legs to move, a dragon crashed into the asphalt right in front of her. She ducked down, using her arms to shield herself from the debris. When she looked back up, she found a pair of dangerous reptilian eyes boring into her very soul. They were filled with deadly intent, which only became more apparent as the scaled monster moved even closer towards her.

"Lucy? What are you doing here?"

Lucy jerked back, startled, before turning to see who'd spoken to her. Not like she didn't already know. While she hadn't known him long, Lucy knew she could recognize Natsu's voice anywhere. He stared at her with wide eyes, seemingly more shocked by Lucy's appearance rather than that of the three story-tall dragon that stood before her. He ran to her, and Lucy took notice of the sword in Natsu's hand. Was he going to try fighting this thing?

"Natsu? Where is everyone? Why is everything-" On fire. Lucy wanted to say it, but the words snagged in her throat. Natsu caught her meaning without the use of words.

"It's this goddamned dragon's fault," he snarled, moving to stand in front of her. Lucy fisted a hand in the back of Natsu's shirt, looking over his shoulder to see this gleam of his sword. He swung the blade haphazardly at the beast, setting his shoulders when it only spit a gust of fire in retaliation. He was protecting them, even though Lucy could feel the tremors that raked his body and shook the blade he held. Lucy felt something foreign twist in her gut. There was something about the way he guarded her with trembling hands that shook her to her core. Natsu was scared. But despite this, he would face this dragon head on and keep Lucy safe.

"I'm gonna fight this thing, Lucy," he said, voice low. "And you're gonna run."

"No," she bit out, fist tightening in his shirt. "I'm not leaving you alone."

"Lucy-"

"Natsu. I. Won't. Go."

He groaned, looking as if he wanted to rip his hair out. He wanted to turn to her- to shake some sense into her. But he couldn't afford to let his eyes leave the dragon. If he did, they'd both be dead. The dragon loomed over them, opening its mouth as if to swallow them whole. But right before they were about to be eaten alive, a chirping sound made itself known.

"What's that," Natsu asked, confused. He looked around, trying to find the source. Lucy's eyebrows pulled together.

"That sounds like my ringtone," she murmured. The sound only grew louder, as if it were coming closer. Why-

"Dragon breath! Wake the fuck up! Erza's gonna be on our asses if we're late!"

Lucy jolted out of bed, damp hair plastered to her forehead. She could still feel residual heat in the air around her- could still smell the smoke and ash. She looked over to her side table to see her cell phone going off. Incoming Call from Levy McGarden.

"Hello," Lucy mumbled, voice groggy. "What's up?"

"Lucy? Where are you? School starts in fifteen minutes. Please tell me you're not in bed right now."

Oh, shit. It was only the first day of school, and Lucy was already screwing up. She must've set her alarm an hour late by accident. A quick glance at Lucy's alarm clock confirmed that, yes, school started in fifteen minutes. Wait, fourteen. And time was only getting shorter.

"LevyI'vegottagoI'llseeyoulaterbye."

"What? Lu-"

Lucy hung up the phone and got ready at the speed of light. She silently thanked the higher powers that she'd had the good sense to bathe and brush her teeth the night before because it certainly wasn't happening that morning. She got her clothes on in two minutes flat, throwing a hairbrush and makeup in her backpack before sprinting out the door. No breakfast today, she thought grimly.

After leaving the quaint little cottage on Strawberry Street that Levy had guided her to days before, Lucy made a mad dash to the academy. The school was about a fifteen minute walk away- which would hopefully translate to an eight minute run. She practically shoved aside several poor pedestrians in her haste to get to school. Crap, crap, crap. I'm so gonna be late.

"Slow the fuck down, Ice Bastard! My shoes are still untied!"

"I'm not facing Erza's wrath just because you're a dumbfuck. Hurry up!"

Lucy glanced over to see Natsu running alongside a boy with black hair and… no shirt? She could only catch glimpses of them as she ran; too many people were between them for her to get a clear view. Almost as if sensing her stare, Natsu looked over and met her eyes. For a moment, it felt like time had stopped. The crowd blurred, and the only face was Natsu's. But the horde of people refused to be ignored, and soon enough Natsu's face was once again obscured from sight.

Lucy thought about the dream she'd had the night before. Natsu protecting her from a full-fledged dragon? The whole thing was ludicrous, really. Natsu said the last dragon died forever ago. The city of Magnolia was clearly fine- not decimated by fire like it had been in that nightmare. It was obviously something that her brain had thrown together in boredom while she slept. But why did it feel like it really happened during the brief moments she had looked in Natsu's eyes?

This was not Natsu's morning. Waking up late and having to run to school was not a rare occurrence. In fact, that was the only thing that made Natsu's morning relatively normal. But the strange dream from the night before sent his head reeling, and the glimpse he'd caught of Lucy almost made him trip over his own feet. In Natsu's defense, it wasn't every day that a pretty girl popped up in the recurring nightmare that had been plaguing his sleep without change for the last five years.

He had been prepared to face his end in battle with that wretched beast as he did every night when a pair of startled brown eyes changed the world as he knew it. Even after entering the classroom, Natsu was distracted by thoughts of her. Lucy was wreaking havoc on his mind with her wide eyes and shaking shoulders that he just wanted to wrap a comforting arm around. And don't get him started on those quivering lips that he just wanted to-

Where in the hell is that thought coming from? Natsu shook his head back and forth, trying to clear his mind. Sure, the girl was pretty. But Natsu knew a lot of pretty girls. Lucy Heartfilia was not a novelty- at least, that's what Natsu tried telling himself. Every bone in his body, however, screamed otherwise. Pay attention to her, they said. She's special.

His thoughts were interrupted when his teacher, Nab Lasaro, cleared his throat and started calling role for first period.

"Yukino Aguria."

"Present."

"Cana Alberona."

"Morning, teach'."

"Rogue Cheney."

"Here."

"Natsu Dragneel."

"Yo."

"Laxus Dreyar."

"Whatever."

"Sting Eucliffe."

"Here."

"Gray Fullbuster."

"Here."

"Lucy Heartfilia."

Natsu almost choked on his own spit and started frantically thumping his chest while trying not to hack up a lung. Gray just looked at him like he was crazy, the bastard. Gajeel outright laughed at him across the room. If Natsu wasn't coughing like he'd contracted the plague, he would've cussed the fucker out.

"Lucy Heartfilia? Is Lucy Heartfilia here?"

Just then, the door was yanked open, and the girl in question appeared. She looked out of breath, like she'd just finished running a marathon. The cherry red of her face was probably from more than mere exertion, however. All eyes were trained on her; despite being in a room full of supernaturals, Lucy felt like the freakshow.

"Sorry. I," she paused, catching her breath. "I woke up late and got lost, and this flying cat I know made off with my lunch and-"

"It's fine, Ms. Heartfilia. Take a seat."

Lucy gave an embarrassed nod before scanning the classroom, trying to find someone she knows. Damn. Levy and Mirajane aren't in here. Finally, her eyes rested on a tuft of pink hair in the back of the class- and the convenient open seat nearby. Bingo. She made her way to the back row, ignoring the questioning glances she received as well as the rising heat in her cheeks. First days are always so embarrassing.

"Good morning, Natsu," she whispered. He grinned.

"Good morning, Luigi."

He gave an evil cackle while defending himself from Lucy's furious fists. He caught her wrists with a laugh, flashing a smile that made her heart race. And Natsu, with his damned super-hearing, could totally tell. His face flushed a shade of pink that rivaled his hair, and his grip unconsciously tightened. The moment only grew more awkward when Gray cleared his throat, and the two realized that the entire class was watching them. Lucy squeaked, yanking her hands away, while Natsu rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. The entire exchange left the whole class wondering how Natsu had already gotten so chummy with the new girl. Most people dropped it soon after. The answer? He's Natsu.

Cana Alberona, however, did not drop it. After Professor Nab dismissed the everyone to the senior class's opening ceremony, Cana decided to wait by the door and snatch the new girl up while Natsu was distracted. As expected, Natsu and Gajeel wound up fighting before they even left the room, giving Cana the perfect opportunity to strike. She wrapped an arm around the confused new girl's shoulders, hastily getting her out of Natsu's sight.

"Lucy. New girl. Walk with me. Talk with me."

"Um," Lucy stammered, unsure. "Sure?"

"I'm Cana. I like money, booze, and dirty secrets. I'm the best person to get info from in the entire school, and I'm a prophet. So even if no one tells me, I still know," she said with a wink.

"A prophet? For real," Lucy asked in awe as they entered the auditorium.

"Yup. I get visions, read palms and tarot cards. You know, all that jazz. But it doesn't take magic powers to see that you and Natsu clearly have something going on. Spill."

"Um, I-"

"Lu-chan! Over here!"

Relieved, Lucy looked over to see a familiar face waving at her from across the auditorium. Levy gestured to the free seats on her left, but Lucy couldn't help but notice the seat currently occupied on Levy's right. She recognized the guy from class earlier. He was tall, dark, and intimidating with an eyebrow piercing, a lip ring, and long black hair. But despite his scowl, it was obvious from all the surrounding free seats that he'd sat next to Levy by choice. Strange. The two were complete opposites, and not just in looks. Levy's happy smile and sunny disposition were all the brighter when compared to Gajeel's grimace and gruff attitude. What an odd combination.

"You know pipsqueak," Cana asked as the walked over to Levy.

"We met at the library the day I enrolled," Lucy explained.

"Hey, Lu-chan. I'm glad that you got to school okay," Levy smiled as they sat down.

"More or less," Lucy grimaced.

"Well, I see you met Cana. This antisocial oaf is Gajeel," Levy said, gesturing to the man on her right. He scowled even more, if possible.

"I ain't antisocial, shrimp. And I can speak for myself," He protested. Levy raised a challenging eyebrow.

"Then do it," she said haughtily. He huffed.

"I'm Gajeel. Don't get too close or I'll bite you," he grumbled, giving Levy a 'you happy?' look. She rolled her eyes while Lucy eyed them in confusion.

"Did I miss something?"

"Gajeel's a vampire," Cana explained. "But his bark is way worse than his bite."

"The fuck did you say," Gajeel hissed. "My bite is deadly!"

"Sure it is, tiger," Levy said, patting his head. Gajeel gave up, groaning and slumping in his seat.

So. Vampires were apparently real, and Lucy was sitting mere feet away from one. No big. She also knew a prophet and a dragon. Why not a vampire? Lucy herself was a succubus- a fellow creature of the night, if you will. She wasn't exactly able to judge someone for being one of the scary monsters from bedtime stories. Even after spending hours pouring over the books she'd borrowed from the library, she found that there was no way of escaping her dietary needs. She would have to-

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, trying to dispel the thought from her mind. She had plenty of time to think of that. Now, she had to focus on something else. Like making friends. Getting to classes on time. Surviving her senior year in this crazy school. Lucy made small talk with the others, finding out that Levy was a pixie and Cana was a borderline alcoholic. Everyone in the room grew silent, however, when a crimson-haired student made her way up to the podium. She heard murmurs of Erza, Titania, and terrifying. This was a girl that was supposed to be feared.

"Hello, students of Fiore Academy for Extraordinary Adolescents. Most of you know me. I am Erza Scarlet, your Student Council President. In this final year, we will be venturing together into the unknown…"

And so it went. A typical speech from the Student Council President. Well, it was until the stage caught fire. The culprit? None other than Natsu Dragneel. He was sitting in the front row when his fire breath rapidly grew out of control. In his defense, the speech had been incredibly boring. And when Natsu was bored, he tended to play with fire. Yeah, sure. He'd heard the old saying. Those who play with fire get burned. But Natsu was immune to flames, so the whole thing was a moot point. He had forgotten to factor in, however, how flammable the curtains lining the stage were. Oops.

"Natsu Dragneel." Erza's voice was filled with deadly intent. He gave a little yelp before springing up from his seat and trying to run away. But one does not simply run away from Erza Scarlet. She leapt off the stage, and everyone in the room could see the bloodthirst in her eyes.

While Erza chased Natsu around the auditorium, the boy that Lucy had seen earlier jumped on the stage. His shirt was on now, but it lay unbuttoned, giving everyone a clear view of his sculpted torso. He seemed completely oblivious to his state of undress as he took center stage.

"Hey guys. Just, uh, sit tight and I'll get this fire taken care of," he assured before turning to the curtains. The air around him began to freeze, and soon enough the front half of the auditorium was covered in a sheet of ice.

"Who's that," Lucy asked, shivering.

"Oh, that's Gray Fullbuster. He's a descendant of Jack Frost. Don't mind the stripping habit. No matter how hard he tries, he just can't break it. We all just have to put up with seeing him in the buff- not that we really mind it. Us girls call him the abdominal snowman, if you catch my drift," Cana said with a smirk.

It didn't take long for bad to turn worse, and soon enough Gray's ice magic was spinning out of control. Gajeel sprung up and tackled him, complaining about the cold. Gray only fought back, and soon enough several more people joined in to the ruckus. One in particular caught Lucy's eye. The girl looked panicked, her long cerulean hair swishing this way and that. Her eyes were wide and worried, framed with thick eyelashes and jet black eyeliner. And the color? A navy blue that was deeper than the ocean. She would look like Venus personified if it wasn't for her frantic screaming.

"Gajeel-kun! Unhand Gray-sama this instant! Gray-sama, Juvia's coming to save you!"

"And that is…?"

"Juvia Lockser. She is madly in love with Gray Fullbuster and has a habit of referring to herself in third person. She harmless, really," Levy swore earnestly. "Just don't let her sing to you."

Lucy raised an eyebrow in question, not even bothering to ask. She would normally take Levy's warning as a sign that Juvia was a bad singer, but with people like this there had to have been some sort of paranormal phenomenon going on behind the scenes. Maybe Juvia is a harpie? Or a Llorona? Lucy was interrupted from her thoughts when she heard a cry of pain behind her. She spun around to see that Erza had caught Natsu. And now she was on her way to break up the fight.

"What kind of SH is Erza," Lucy asked, expecting Levy's answer to be dangerous and frightening.

"Erza? She's a fairy."

"A fairy," Lucy asked, aghast. "Like you?"

"I'm a pixie," Levy clarified. "Totally different, despite misconceptions."

"What's the difference?"

"The difference between pixies and fairies? For starters, fairies have wings, and pixies don't. Secondly, pixies use Deception magic. We like to mess with people. But fairies? They're more," Levy shuddered as Erza slammed yet another body to the floor. "Vicious."

Lucy shivered at Erza's brute strength. This was what fairies were like? Never in Lucy's life had she thought the innocent winged creatures were real- or so violent. She had so many misconceptions about this world she'd only heard of in storybooks. Not only were fairies gifted with God-like strength, but she was sitting a few seats away from a vampire who didn't seem the least bit interested in eating her. He did have that dark and brooding vibe about him, though. But Lucy figured that he was just that kind of person.

"Isn't faculty going to step in," Lucy asked, worried.

"Nah," Cana assured her. "When Erza enters Rage Mode, nobody wants to get in her way. How do you think she became Student Council Pres?"

"So this is normal," Lucy asked, appalled.

"Oh, hell no. Normally Erza beats the shit out of twenty guys at a time. Today it's only eight or nine. I guess people are on their best behavior for the first day and all."

Lucy shivered at the display. This school was insane. She had no idea how Cana and Levy handled the madness without breaking a sweat. Lucy should probably drop out. She'd probably be swallowed whole by one of these psychotic students before the first week was even through. There was no way she could do this. There was no way she could-

A wicked grin caught Lucy's eye, and time did that weird, slow-motion thing again. Natsu. Despite the bloody cut on his lip and the deep violet bruise that dusted his left cheekbone, he was still devastatingly good looking. Now that Erza's attentions were focused elsewhere, Natsu had regained his usual swagger, which was evident in every stride as he crossed the auditorium on his way to Lucy. She felt her heart skip a beat as he approached.

"There you are. We got split up," Natsu gave Cana a pointed look before sitting down. "So I didn't know where you were."

"Yeah, we were just sitting here with Levy and Gajeel," Lucy said, gesturing to the others.

"I noticed. What's up, Levs?"

"Don't get so friendly with shrimp, Fuckface," Gajeel bit out. Natsu fumed.

"I've known Levy longer than you have, bloodsucker!"

"You tryin' a start somethin?"

"No," Lucy rushed to say. "He isn't."

"Che. I'm done with you idiots. The first day is lame, anyways. I'm going home," Gajeel grumbled, getting up to leave. He left with Levy on his tail, trying to make him stay by force but only being dragged behind. Natsu snorted at the image.

"They really are a weird looking couple."

"I think they're cute," Lucy said after a moment's thought. "They kind of complement each other."

"Huh. Maybe you're the weird one, Luigi," Natsu teased. Lucy gasped.

"Take that back!"

"No way. It's not my fault that you're a weirdo."

With that, Natsu sprung up from his seat and ran down the aisle. Lucy chased after him, yelling in protest. He only laughed, playfully sticking his tongue out. She finally caught him by jumping on his back, sending the two tumbling to the floor. They landed in an awkward tangle of limbs, and for a moment Lucy was worried that she'd crossed a line. But Natsu only erupted into a fit of giggles, and it didn't take long for Lucy to join in.

Cana, forgotten, watched from afar. Her plan has been fruitless, and she still hadn't squeezed any details from Blondie. But with the way those two idiots were grinning at each other, it wouldn't be long before they caught feelings. And it definitely wouldn't be long until Mira caught wind of the situation and tried using her matchmaking spells. This must be prevented at all costs, of course, as MiraJane's love spells always backfired.

They were definitely a strange pair. The pretty princess who had just stepped into this new world and the rugged ruffian who had been in it for as long as he could remember. Basic logic indicated that this was a disaster waiting to happen. But there was that old saying. Opposites attract. The fair maiden might actually tame the fearsome dragon. Lucy had already prevented Natsu from fighting Gajeel, which was nothing short of a miracle.

And Natsu? He was helping Lucy venture into this strange, new world. And, unbeknownst to him, he was the first person to ever make Lucy's cheeks hurt from smiling so wide. Maybe this wild child was teaching the princess how to live a little.

Thanks for reading! I'll try to update next Friday. Until then, follow and review this story! :) Toodles.