Chapter Twenty-Eight

Lucy curled up on the couch in front of a large window on the agricultural deck; surrounded by numerous plants she could't name but loved. The colors and scents allowed her to be stimulated even as she was relaxing. Natsu was in training; she'd finished her own training already for the day. She had insisted that she train with the other female warriors; she and Erza had been surprised to find out that many of the females on board were warriors of their own races; but the reason the Dragis were scouting the Earth was that it was just the rotation in their schedule.

She dropped her head back on the cushion of the couch and closed her eyes. The AI lowered the solar mimicking lights and she grinned. Apparently the AI from the Magi-Hover uploaded everything to the Guild Station; along with what residents had deemed an almost emotional attachment to her. The AI paid attention to the minor changes in her biometrics to make sure she was comfortable. At first she, and the others couldn't understand why; but then the first example of why happened.

The old man with the cane willingly came up to the main deck and sat and spoke with Gramps. He said that he'd seen the AI catering to her; helping her adjust to the Guild Station and he wanted to see that happen for the others. With permission from Gramps; the AI was slowly helping the humans below feel more comfortable and at ease. A few days after the old man had come up; the main deck had been overrun by human children.

Natsu, Gray and Gajeel had wrangled them all up and they started to entertain the children as Levy, Lisanna and Mirajean went below to explain where the children were. Layla had come up with a few mothers and they'd watched over the children as they got to play and meet the aliens. Every day after all but three of the children were on the main deck, joining other children in a school like setting. Kinana and Yukino taught Earth lessons while an elderly female addressed as Ooba Babasaama and a male known as Ichiya taught various Interstellar Guild lessons. All of the Guild residents were incredulous about how quickly the human children learned and adapted. Lucy and Levy explained that it was often the same on Earth as well.

Lucy yawned and turned her head, looking out the window. The couch started to rotate until it was facing the window and she didn't have to turn her head. "You are spoiling me."

"It is illogical to crane your neck in such a manner when the positioning of the furniture can be adjusted." The AI chided and Lucy grinned. Whenever they were alone she had noticed it was starting to get more sentient and snarky. She enjoyed it.

"You have a guest approaching." The AI warned her and she turned her head slightly and looked in the reflection of the window.

"You don't have to hesitate Mama." She said and waited as her mother debated approaching. Finally she came around the plants and joined her on the couch. They stared out at the space on the other side of the windows. The AI adjusted the tint enough to prevent reflections and Layla sighed as the stars twinkled in the distance.

"I miss you Lucy." Layla finally admitted into the silence.

"I miss you too Mama." Lucy turned on the cushion and faced her mother. Her heart was hurting because this distance seemed so stupid given the circumstances, but she also knew that her mother was creating as much of the division as she was. "But you know where I am any time you want to talk."

"Lucy, it's not that easy."

"But it doesn't have to be this hard." Lucy shook her head and twisted her hands in her lap. "Why can't you just be honest with me?"

"My little star," Her mother sighed and cleared her throat. "I am just trying to protect you."

"Mama." Lucy lifted her left hand and started to tick things off with her fingers. "Lets see. Draconics. Mard Geer. Father. War. Famine."

"Your father is not on the same level as Mard Geer or the rest."

"Have you tried to look at things from my point of view?" Lucy asked and Layla looked out the window and sighed. She inhaled sharply and turned back to her daughter.

"He regrets…"

"Then HE needs to apologize. Not you. HIM!" Lucy cut her off. "Mama, I love you so much but you have always bowed to him and given him his way and made excuses. How can you still do that after everything?"

"He is my husband and I love him. He's made mistakes and the last one…with you was definitely over the line. But he apologized to me and he wanted to with you. But then the Draconics invaded and he used the last of his money to try and get you back."

"What?" Lucy asked and looked at her mother in confusion.

"He hired men to try and get to Magnolia to find you and bring you home. But none of the men came back. Then the first winter came and as the two of us were foraging for wood and anything edible; we were caught and brought up here."

Lucy sat there, thinking back to the first year after the invasion. The bands of men roving the university streets, grabbing girls. Had they been looking for her? Had those girls died or worse…because of her?

"Lucy, your biometrics are elevating quickly. You need to calm down or I will have to notify Natsu." The AI announced an Layla's eyes narrowed as she looked at her daughter. At just the mention of his name, Lucy had started to breathe a little easier.

"Why would he be notified?" Layla asked and Lucy looked at her mother and rolled her eyes. "Please, talk to me Lucy."

"I've told you. He thinks I'm his growlkin."

"It's more than that."

"He's a good guy Mama." Lucy admitted and smiled softly. "He looks out for me and he knows how to help me calm down when I can't do it myself. Only Levy has managed to do that and not nearly as quickly."

"I feel like I'm missing something else though." Layla sighed and Lucy bit her lip and she rolled her head back on her shoulders.

"I hurt him. Really bad." Layla looked at her, her head tilting. "He fell into a mental stasis."

"Oh no." Layla covered her mouth and Lucy nodded.

"I got him out, but just barely. So now the AI keeps an eye on both of our metrics. To make sure we're both in safe zones. If not, it will notify the other."

"You got…him out? How?"

"If I tell you, I don't think you'd like the answer Mama." Lucy replied honestly and her mother nodded.

"Can you tell me anyway?"

"I created a miniature forgette and clung to him to try and mimic the sensation. It was something he enjoyed and had been missing. It worked. He came out of the stasis."

"Thank the constellations you had that Scalut then." Layla inhaled deeply. She looked at her daughter, taking in the the soft gray suit that had a tinge of pink to the color.

"Yeah…" Lucy gently ran her hands over her forearms, causing the scales to ripple. She giggled and touched them again, chasing after the ripple. "But I'm not stupid. I know the significance of it. What keeping it would mean."

"Do you though?"

"Mama," Lucy dropped her arms and looked her mother in the eye. "He and the others have told me. That a growlkin is a soulmate, and that the Scalut would never fit another if it becomes adjusted to me. I know what would happen if Natsu wasn't pulled out of his stasis."

"Growlkins aren't just soulmates." Layla said and reached out to grab her daughter's hand. "They are so much more than that."

"What do you mean? How can you be more than a soulmate?" Lucy asked and Layla sighed.

"They become so in-tuned with each other, that they begin to feel what the other partner feels. If one gets hurt; it can hurt the other as well. Many die at the same time because they cannot continue on without the other."

"A living unison raid." Lucy said and her mother looked at her, tightening her hold on her hand.

"You know about unison raids?"

"I may have…accidentally…been a part of one." Lucy scrunched up her nose and looked sheepish. Layla swallowed and nodded slowly.

"What happened after that raid? Anything strange?"

"The whole raid, if it was a unison raid, was strange. I still wasn't fully grasping that there were aliens on Earth, let alone that…I'd helped one with something that was so unique."

"What did happen? That you helped and possibly caused a unison raid?" Layla asked softly and bit her lip as she waited.

"Wendy was trying to heal Erza, Mirajean and Elfman. But she was starting to lose strength. I grabbed onto her shoulders to steady her. Apparently that was dangerous. Because she runs at about the heat of a dying star."

"Oh no." Layla grabbed her hands and turned them over. Lucy shook her head laughing lightly.

"I'm fine. They were pink but that was the worst of it. Well, besides being worn out. But that wasn't the strangest thing. It was the starlight."

"What do you mean, the starlight?" Layla asked, squeezing her daughter's hand softly.

"It brightened the entire library. Warmed the air. It was like a giant spot light."

"What else happened?"

"That was it then." Lucy shrugged.

"Then? Did something else happen?"

"I felt like I was being followed after that but thought it was just Mard Geer. Then on the transport from the planet to the Guild, I thought I heard laughter as we passed through the stars. Which is insane because there is no way there was anything capable of laughing in space." Lucy froze and tilted her head and looked at her mother. "Or is there?"

"I need to speak with your father." Layla got up and Lucy followed after her, her temper rising.

"No! You need to speak with me!" Her mother stopped and looked at her and then up at the ceiling before back to her daughter. She put her hands on Lucy's shoulders and gently squeezed.

"I will talk to you. But I need to speak to your father first. I know your angry and hurt but this is something that he and I have….worried about together for years. I have to tell him what you've told me."

"What is so secretive? Mama…"

"I'm sorry Lucy. I promise to talk to you about this soon."

"Whatever." Lucy turned and went back to the window and stared out at the darkness beyond. Layla stopped and cleared her throat.

"It would be better if you stayed away from the windows until we talk."

"Mama we are in space."

"That doesn't mean anything. Please." Layla turned and walked away and Lucy flopped face down on the furniture and screamed into the cushion. She laid there, not moving for so long that she couldn't even guess what actual amount of time had passed.

She lifted her head, and frowned. Green eyes were peering at her over the curve of the arm, pink hair ruffled and sticking every which way with abandon. As her eyes met his, he slowly rose up on his knees and leaned over the arm slightly. He brushed the hair out of her face and she gave him a small smile.

"What happened?"

"Mama came up and we sort of talked but then something upset her and she ran off to speak with Father. She's been so secretive and something bothers me about it all. I mean, she knows about Dragis culture and alien things."

"Maybe she has met aliens before. From what Gramps has told us; there have been some visits to your planet before. But it was a long time ago. But those were official visits. Doesn't mean some haven't been…"

"Unofficial?" Lucy giggled and pushed up on her arms. "How was your training?"

"Good. Elfman is really catching on to the fighting forms of the Takovrians out of the Demegora system. I think I saw Mirajean and Lisanna mimicking some of the moves too."

"Should they not be?"

"The Takovrians believe that only males should be fighters; so they may take offense but we can deal with it then if we have to." He said and shrugged. "Personally, if any female from your plant wants to learn any particular style that is male dominated; I wouldn't object. I feel like you all would just learn anyway and then torture who ever tried to deny you that right to learn."

Lucy laughed a little. She sighed and patted the cushion in front of her. He moved around the side of the couch and sat down. She rested her head on his lap and turned, to face his torso and she looked up at him. He started to play with her hair and she smiled up at him. He smiled back at her and with his free hand he grabbed her left hand and held it. She squeezed his hand and closed her eyes.

Lucy was looking peaceful but he didn't buy it. She's been hiding her real feelings ever since she'd first found her parents. He hadn't asked about that thing she'd done before they'd rejoined the others; but he had replayed it several times. He stared at her lips, and could still remember their faint warmth on his cheek. He couldn't place a time that something so small has sparked such warmth within him. He had tried to talk to Gramps about it but Gramps had been called away by a call with Jura; a leader of another Guild with information about Mard Geer.

He had thought about cornering Levy or Erza or even Cana but at the thought of sharing that moment with others gave him pause. Lucy had been more affectionate; and he thought she was coming around to seeing him as her growlkin but he wasn't sure if he wanted to jinx it either. He couldn't stop hoping though. He truly hoped that she realized that they were supposed to be together.

He ran his hand through her hair marveling at how silky it felt. Every once in a while a strand would snag on a callous but it never bothered her. She smiled wider as he applied slight pressure to her scalp and massaged. Her eyes fluttered open and they sparkled at him. He stared in awe, the sparkle was bright and he'd seen it before. He carefully cupped her face and turned it slightly which made her furrow her brow. She started to sit up and he shook his head.

"Don't shake your head at me like that. You were concerned about something."

"Your eyes were sparkling…and I've seen it before."

"So? Usually in books that's a good thing."

"It was a sparkle of the Zodiathians."

"Zodia…what?"

"Zodiathians. They're a race of people who are said to be born from dying stars." They're super rare. They avoid most other races; I can't remember why. I met a younger one; a male some time ago on another planet. He had tried to save the people from the Draconics but he wasn't strong enough to save them on his own. He was distraught so he didn't hear me approach. When I tried to get him to join the Guild Station he refused and left. But when I told Gramps about him he told me about the Zodiathians."

"Okay…so….I might be part Zodiathian?"

"Possible." Natsu cupped her cheek and she closed her eyes in concern. "Would that upset you?"

"Finding out I don't know who I really am? A bit."

"Luce…" He chided softly and cupped her cheek and rubbed his thumb over her cheek. "You are always you. It doesn't matter if you are part Zodiathian, full Zodiathian, or anything else. You are still the Lucy who protects her friends and fights for her family. You are still the person who stands toe to toe against Laxus without blinking even without knowing if he is friendly or not. That won't change."

"Natsu." She murmured his name and reached up with both arms and wrapped them around his neck and pulled him down towards her. It wasn't comfortable but he wasn't going to complain. He turned his head and his nose brushed against her cheek and he inhaled. Her scent was sweet and twinged ever so slightly with sorrow but hardly nothing else. He was glad for that. He was tired of her smelling like anger and pain.

He felt her shift, her nose brushing against his cheek in a mimicking motion of his own and he smiled. She turned her head and pressed her lips to his cheek again. He froze as she withdrew and smiled up at him. He smiled down at her, and brushed his fingers over her lips and then ran them over her cheek and brushed her hair behind her ear. She kept smiling up at him and he snapped gently at her. She giggled, making him blush. She snapped back and he felt himself relax from the inside out.

He pulled back and leaned back against the cushion, his hand going back to running through her hair as he looked down at her. She smiled as she closed her eyes, wrapping her hand around his free hand. They stayed there in silence, happy to be in each other's presence.

He turned and looked over at the hallway as the lights started to brighten. He couldn't remember when they had lowered but it must have been some time after Lucy had fallen asleep. Levy, Lisanna and Mirajean were walking towards them. The couch slowly started to turn to meet them and he wondered what was going on. The three stopped when they saw Lucy was asleep with her head in his lap. They walked over and Levy pickled up a blanket from the cabinet nearby and put it over Lucy. She stood up and smiled at Natsu who smiled back.

"Has she been asleep a long time?"

"I'm not sure. I wasn't paying attention to time."

"It has been a scrowl since Lucy fell asleep. Two since Natsu arrived. Four since Lucy's mother returned to the lower levels." The AI stated and they all stiffened mildly and then nodded. Lisanna looked around.

"Uh…Thank you AI?"

"Of course. Is there anything that I can do to help?"

"Did you turn the couch around?" Natsu asked and the AI hummed slightly in answer and he recognized it. Lucy made a similar hum as an agreement to yes or no questions when she didn't want to vocalize it. "Thank you but can you turn it back around?"

"So long as the others move to a position that it will not cause you to sit with your neck at a bad angle."

"Of course." He said and the three nodded. They watched as the couch moved and the girls followed them. They sat down on an opposite couch and looked at Natsu and Lucy.

"Is everything okay? We were going to get together to talk with Droy about gardening and she never showed up."

"She might have forgotten. Her mother came up and they had a conversation."

"Oh joy." Levy sighed and rolled her eyes. "No wonder she's taking a nap; that probably wore her out. Her parents have been weighing heavily on her since she found out they were alive."

"For sure. But they have been acting very weird. So I'm not surprised." Lisanna agreed and Mirajean tisked and shook her head. "What?'

"Lisanna, we don't know what relationship they had pre-invasion or what they are keeping from her. For all we know they might have something on their mind that is important but don't know how to bring it up to her."

"But isn't it better to just say it? Not keep hiding it?"

"Natsu, that would be logical if humans were logical. Haven't you learned yet that we are anything but logical?" Levy asked and he nodded in understanding. They all giggled. Lucy shifted and they fell silent and as she stilled they all took a deep breath.

"Poor Lucy is probably exhausted." Mirajean murmured and looked at Natsu. She had noticed that ever since they'd gotten to the Guild Station he had been doing his best to give Lucy her space even when she was doing things that probably bothered him. But every night, Lucy would find him and they'd go to his room to sleep. She hadn't been sure if that was the best idea but after asking Lucy why and learning her reasoning, she had to admit it made sense. Natsu would probably spend his nights outside of any room she chose to be in; so it was more logical to keep him safe. But she wondered about the weight it put on Lucy. Because she still hadn't made up her mind about if she thought she was Natsu's growlkin or not.

"We heard from Jet and Droy that there is some special dinner tomorrow?" Lisanna brought up and Natsu nodded and smiled brightly.

"Tomorrow is the Sakura Festival. The one night a solar rotation that the Rainbow Sakura trees light up and send magic into the air of the Guild Stations and help rejuvenate all beings who use magic."

"Oh wow, that sounds exciting."

"It's more calm then it sounds but its something that we all enjoy." He smiled. "Back on Edolas we'd have markets, picnics, games and dancing. Many growlkins would perform their mating ceremonies during the festival to try and get blessed with perfect unions."

"Does the magic ensure a perfect union?" Levy asked and Natsu shook his head.

"No. It's just their hopes. My parents refused to have their mating ceremony during the festival and said they wanted to find a day that meant something to them; rather than meant something entirely different to the majority of people around them. And I understand that. I would not want to remember my mating ceremony as the day of the Rainbow Sakura festival. I would rather it be a day that me and my growlkin held dear."

"As it should be." Lisanna nodded and sighed dreamily. "One day I hope to find my own growlkin. The idea of having another half sounds so comforting."

"It can be." Natsu smiled and looked down at Lucy. "But more than anything; it's like feeling like you are home, no matter where the two of you are together."

"That does sound wonderful." Mirajean nodded and smiled sweetly over at the Dragis and girl he cared so deeply for.

"Yeah. A permanent home sounds nice." Levy agreed. "I never thought of home being something like that but that makes sense. And wonderful."

"Maybe one day all of us will have our growlkin and our special mating ceremony anniversaries." Natsu said and the girls felt for him. He felt that he knew Lucy was his, and her hesitancy had to hurt. But he never wavered in his adoration. They hoped Lucy figured out her feelings, for Natsu's sake, soon.

"So this is where ya'll've been." Gajeel shouted as he rounded the corner and they all jumped. Lucy came off of Natsu's lap and her scalut shifted. Before they could understand, projectiles flew from her raised arm and Gajeel dropped to a crouch. They all stared at her and she looked around confused.

"Did that just shoot at me?" Gajeel asked as he rose to his feet. "What the hell Bunny Girl?"

"I don't know." Lucy shook her head, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Why are you running around screaming?"

"It's dinner, and Gramps is waiting on everyone to show up."

"Crap." Natsu jumped to his feet and held his hand out. Lucy took it and he took off running. Gajeel picked up Levy and tossed her over his shoulder as he started to run after them. Mirajean and Lisanna followed, laughing hysterically as Levy pounded on Gajeel's back.

One thing about life on the Guild Station, it hadn't been dreary or depressing.