Summary: Fairy Tail was a wonderful guild. Naruto never knew how Makarov Dreyar could accept him even after he told him about himself. But still, he would do anything to protect them, even when it was out of the shadows. But why could he not get her out of his mind? "I will protect them. That was my promise, and I would rather die than let them get killed."

"Speech."

'Think.'

Magic/Technique

Flashback

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Fairy Tail.

Pairings: Naruto x Lucy

Erza x Jellal

Natsu x Lisanna

Gray x Juvia

The next day, Naruto sat on a stool at a restaurant by the river. Magnolia had a population of 60,000 and was a merchant city that had been prosperous in Magic since the ancient era. The town housed the strongest Guild in Fiore, Fairy Tail, and such a reputation was supported.

Magnolia was located in the center of the southeastern part of Fiore, with the sea and Hargeon Town not too far to the south, a series of minor built-up areas (namely Onibus, Kunugi, Oshibana, and Clover Town) linked to it by a railway line to the north, and the state boundary with the nation of Bosco to the east.

Magnolia possessed a large built-up area, extending over a large, rectangular surface to the shores of Sciliora. A series of large roads split the town vertically and horizontally. The whole place was Western, with its buildings mildly reminiscent of neat Medieval ones.

Located almost in the middle of the town, overlooking Central Path, a horizontal road where events and parades are held, was Kardia Cathedral, one of Magnolia's most important and distinctive landmarks. In the northernmost part of the city, sitting on the shore of Lake Sciliora, about 4-5 kilometers up the Magnolia central path, was Fairy Tail's building; to the west, on a hill overlooking the built-up area, was the Guild's female dormitory, Fairy Hills. In the southeastern section of the city was the train station, which, to the west, had the HalfCocor Hotel Bar, the Toy Store Tom, and the Magic Store Lendis; north from the station, on the town's western border, was the entrance to the park.

Naruto held his black book and read through it while drinking tea. Tea wasn't fancy, but it always had a pleasant taste and aroma. It also had this comforting effect afterward when he took a sip and felt how the warm liquid flowed into his body and worked its wonders.

He hadn't done anything yesterday besides going to his house and sleeping since it was already late, and he was tired of everything happening in the last few months. It was pleasant to stay in Magnolia for a few days before he continued his work and his schedule. When he did quests and was away from Fairy Tail, he always followed certain rumors about potential dangers for Fairy Tail.

Maybe it was rumors about a dark guild or powerful mages who popped up out of nowhere. He found the two mages from his old world this way. He flipped a page, and after another sip of his tea, he looked into the river. A few fish were swimming along the edge and the middle of the river.

He looked back into his book and wondered if he should continue writing on it. At first, he did it to be closer to his dead master. His master, who taught him Energy Make, Rune Magic, and Requip Magic, died while protecting Naruto.

Naruto closed the book when he finished drinking his tea. He stood up, and the black book vanished in a golden light. He guessed he should continue writing on it, at least for the respect toward one of the only humans who ever accepted him back in Konoha. He smiled lightly when he thought about his perverted master, who always got in trouble with women because he couldn't help himself.

He walked onto the street beside the little river, looking up into the clouds. He stopped when he heard a gasp. He looked forward and raised an eyebrow when he saw a certain member of Fairy Tail again. It wasn't the first time he had met her in the last months. He was the one who saved her back in Hargeon and led her back to Magnolia.

As Mystogan, of course, but still… he was asking himself to this day why he did all this for a stranger who wasn't even part of the guild back then. Before him stood Lucy Heartfillia, the daughter of one of the most successful businessmen in Fiore. He never knew why she had hidden her last name at the start, and he didn't care to be honest. He only helped her with the Bora incident and led her to Fairy Tail before he vanished, but he didn't see her again until the war with Phantom Lord.

Lucy had brown eyes and shoulder-length blonde hair, usually tied by ribbons in various colors in a small ponytail to the right side of her head, with the rest of the hair loose. She was buxom and had a curvy body like Mirajane, Erza, or other women in earthland; Lucy had massive breasts and the right curves in the other places.

Naruto was never interested in women in the elemental nations. He had more serious matters to worry about, like getting stronger to survive because many were after his powers. He was in a constant life-or-death situation, and he couldn't think about anything else besides getting stronger and how to survive the next day.

Even when he constantly sees a very attractive woman in Fairy Tail when he visits Magnolia again, he never lets such thoughts get into the front of his mind. Even when he could think about things like women, love, and the like, he wouldn't allow himself such thoughts. He wasn't allowed to have such thoughts in his mind.

"Hello," said Lucy, a little unsure and nervous. She would have never thought she would see her savior again in a place like this. She knew it when she saw his blond spiky hair and blue eyes. The man before her was Mystogan, who had already saved her from Bora back in Hargeon, rescued her from Phantom Lords HQ, and later defeated Gajeel without much trouble and brought her back to the others. The only thing he ever wanted from her was that she wouldn't tell anyone about this.

She never thought she would meet him again today, but after all the days Cana had told her she would have a fateful encounter…, she began to believe that Cana was right.

"Hello," said Naruto. Again, it was this weird feeling he had when he saw her. Since he first saw her in Hargeon, he got a weird feeling. He had never felt it before, making him do untypical things for Naruto. Why did he care so much when he saw her being kidnapped? He couldn't explain it.

Just when he thought about the situation he found himself in after rescuing her from Bora. Instead of bringing her to the beach again from the ship, he stayed by her side and helped her further. He didn't know why.

Just when he saw her reaction to him, he knew it. She was slightly nervous, wide-eyed at the beginning, fastened her breath, had slightly shaky legs, and had other indicators that Lucy Heartfillia knew he was Mystogan. She knew who he was… and this wasn't something Naruto found good.

"Have you rest well?" asked Naruto. He saw an unconscious Lucy after her fight with one member of the Thunder God Tribe. She had many bruises from the fight, and after he healed her a bit, he went to Laxus to deal with him.

"Yes… so you were the one who brought me back to the guild hall," said Lucy with a slight smile. He did it again, even without her knowledge. She didn't even know he was in Magnolia during the "Game" from Laxus.

Naruto remained silent and said after a minute, "I will excuse myself. I wish you a good day, Lucy Heartfillia." Naruto turned around and began to walk away from the woman he couldn't get out of his head. She was always in his thoughts, even when he didn't want it. It was troublesome, annoying, and uncomfortable. He was raised and trained to be the master of his thoughts and actions, but this woman managed to always pop up inside his mind occasionally without any warning.

Just like always… her savior had turned his back on her and walked away. It had been like this every single time. First, he saved her, asked if she was okay, and then turned his back on her and vanished. She never could exchange more than three sentences with him. She thought her day would become better after the depressing situation she had in the guild.

Even after everything was done and Laxus was forgiven, it came out that demonic magic particles influenced him; she hadn't won the contest and couldn't pay her next rent. Then, someone from the Weekly Sorcerer Magazine came to interview some members of Fairy Tail. She saw her big chance to become a pickup model at least once in her lifetime, like Mirajane. But Jason, the reporter, didn't once look at her. The entire day, I wanted to show her she was worth nothing.

She smiled sadly and stood there with Plue behind her, shaking like always. The little stellar spirit looked worried at Lucy. He ran around Lucy after Naruto. Lucy didn't even realize that little Nikora ran after Naruto.

Naruto stopped when he felt something on his right leg. He was just about to raise his right food but stopped. His senses and his feel of touch were pretty evolved. He looked down and saw a white little guy. When he remembered right, this little fella was a Nikora. A dog stellar spirit who was mostly used as a sort of pet for Stellar Mages since they were not pretty strong.

"Plue!" said Lucy, a bit shocked. She didn't even realize she was in some trance state. She broke out of her trance state when she saw how Naruto stopped and looked down at his right leg. She ran to Naruto and picked up Plue with both arms. "I am so sorry!" said Lucy, a bit nervous.

Naruto shook his head with a little chuckle. "Don't worry, everything is okay," said Naruto. He looked at the little Nikora and saw how he raised his hand and touched Lucy. It shook weirdly and smiled sadly. Naruto looked up to Lucy's face and down to Plue before he sighed and smiled. He raised his hand, and Lucy got a bit of sweat on her forehead.

Naruto gently placed his hand on the little boy's head and said, "I see. I am sorry to make you worry."

Lucy was confused when Naruto took his hand from Plue's head, and the little Nikora seemed happy. He looked up at Lucy, and she looked down at her cute little friend. She got wide eyes when she realized what Plue had done.

"It seems the rumors are true," said Naruto. Lucy looked up at Naruto, finally realizing Plue had stopped Naruto because he felt how sad Lucy was that Naruto had walked away from her. She couldn't believe Plue had done this.

"Nikora are sensitive to their master's feelings," said Naruto. 'Just like Akamaru back when it came to Kiba,' he thought.

"Shall we walk a bit?" asked Naruto, who turned slightly to the side while moving forward with his hand. Lucy looked at Naruto, startled. Never in her wildest dreams did she think something like this would happen today?

Her shocked face changed pretty fast, and her lips curled up into a smile before she began to smile brightly. Naruto looked at her beautiful face when she smiled at him with closed eyes. She seemed genuinely happy, and he couldn't help but think, 'Like the sun…' He had wide eyes and turned his face away to hide his shocked impression of his thoughts.

He calmed down fast enough to look back before Lucy opened her eyes. He looked normal again, and they walked along the river. Both remained silent and enjoyed each other's company. Naruto looked up at the sky and thought, 'Just like always… I can't ignore her. What is it that keeps me from walking away and ignoring her?'

Lucy looked at Naruto's face and blushed a bit. She didn't have the time or the situational awareness until now to realize how handsome his face was. His sky-blue eyes, golden blond hair, and cute six whiskers made him look exotic. His muscular body was mostly hidden underneath his clothes, but she had already seen his muscular body when he was disguised as Mystogan. The bandages did little to hide his muscular legs and arms.

She looked forth, trying to get her blush under control. It was like a dream come true right now. She had been walking beside her savior and secret crush since the events of Hargeon. It wasn't abnormal for Lucy to feel this way toward Naruto. He was mysterious, strong, and handsome, and he had an aura around him that drew Lucy to him.

Not many men could rival Naruto when it came to looks. His father must have been one hell of a womanizer. Not that this was on Lucy's thoughts. At least the thing about Naruto's looks was Lucy's opinion. He was exactly what she thought her dream man would be. She was also writing a novel and more than once fantasized about how a mysterious hero would save her in dangerous situations. Naruto had done this already a few times, and every time he saved her, she felt a stronger connection towards him since he always came to save her and not someone else. He ensured she was okay before he vanished again like the man of her dreams.

"Naruto," said Naruto. He looked at her and looked into her brown eyes. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lucy Heartfillia."

"Naruto… Uzumaki…" she said the name slowly. She nodded with a happy smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you too, Naruto! My Name is Lucy Heartfillia!"

When he saw her bright smile, Naruto couldn't help but think about the sun again. Something warm spread inside his body—something he hadn't felt in a long time—not since his master died back in Konoha. He smiled lightly when he felt it again after almost eight years—the feeling of companionship. Not that he didn't feel it with Mystogan at his side, but with Lucy, it was something else. His cold heart and inability to feel many emotions because of his life so far began to pulsate with a new emotion.

A few minutes later, Naruto and Lucy were standing before a bookstore. Naruto stopped when he saw the bookstore, Magnolia's largest bookstore, Magnolia's Book Land. "Everything okay, Naruto?" asked Lucy. She couldn't help but smile when she called him by his real name. She always knew of him as Mystogan and not as Naruto Uzumaki.

Knowing his name was special since everyone else in the guild only knew him by the name of Mystogan. She felt special because he decided to reveal his true name to her. "Yes. I was thinking about looking through the bookstore for some inspiration," said Naruto casually, not knowing what effect he had with this sentence.

He looked at Lucy and saw her widened eyes. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lucy shook her head repeatedly and said, "Everything is fine!" She took a deep breath and asked, "Are you, by any chance, writing a book?"

"Yes, why?" asked Naruto while his black book appeared in his hand in a golden light. "I took on this hobby because I always felt some kind of fascination about writing my thoughts down on paper," said Naruto. He looked at his black book and laid his other hand on it while he smiled gently. He didn't tell her but thought about his master and couldn't help but smile.

Naruto looked up and asked the obvious question. "Are you writing a book as well?" asked Naruto.

Lucy smiled and nodded. "Yes, I am in the middle of writing my novel!" said Lucy.

Naruto nodded and said, "I see. That is an unusual coincidence." He chuckled a bit when he thought about it. Not only did she create certain feelings inside his body, but she also had the same hobby as him.

"Yes, right?" asked Lucy.

Naruto and Lucy walked inside the bookstore and looked at some books. One hour later, both were standing before the bookstore again. "I will use this book as inspiration! I never thought a book about a thief would be this good," said Lucy. She held a red book, and Naruto said, "You would be surprised to find how many good stories are hidden inside unspectacular book names and covers. I will see and make a list for you to check out."

Both began to walk and speak about this and that. Both enjoyed each other's company with a smile. Naruto didn't care that he was breaking his own rules right now. He couldn't ignore her; even when he wanted, his body didn't follow his commands anyway. He wanted to walk away after Lucy picked up Plue, but his body was still in place as if it wanted to stay and not walk away.

Naruto stopped when he felt something in the back of his head. He narrowed his eyes and looked up to the sky. Lucy saw the look and asked, "Everything ok, Naruto?"

Naruto remained silent and tried to identify this feeling. He couldn't make it out, but it was familiar. He looked at Lucy with a severe expression and said, "I have a favor to ask you, Lucy."

"Huh? Sure, I will do anything!" said Lucy. She didn't know what was happening, but she knew the situation was serious from his expression alone.

"Please go and find Erza Scarlet and come with her outside Magnolia. There is something only she can decide," said Naruto. He now knew what it was and thought the guy would sleep longer after everything he went through, but his strength recovered faster, as Naruto anticipated. This could greatly turn the ties in the upcoming battle since Oracion Seis shouldn't be able to know where their target was—at least when Oracion Seis was searching for the thing Naruto thought they were searching for.

"Uhm… sure," said Lucy. She didn't know if she should be jealous, but she didn't think much and agreed to the favor her savior asked her for.

Naruto gave her a piece of paper and said, "Bring Erza Scarlet to this location and make sure you both are alone."

"Okay… I will go and find her," said Lucy.

"Thank you, Lucy. I will return the favor when this situation is cleared," said Naruto with a smile. Lucy looked at Naruto, surprised. She began to smile and nodded.

A few minutes later, Naruto looked after Lucy and got serious. The wind began to swirl around him before he vanished into the wind. He had to ensure everything would be ready when Lucy and Erza appeared. He had some trouble getting the guy out of the danger zone before he completely died.