It had been two days since Virgo had shown up at Fairy Tail's doors and the Tenrou Team were getting restless. In that time, Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus had visited the fairies to welcome them back and updated them about the rising ranks of their guilds, allowing friendly competition to rise. None of them had questioned the whereabouts of Lucy, though Hibiki had exchanged a few words with Romeo about how she seemed busy as usual.

But a friendly brawl had started soon after so Natsu and Happy forgot to ask if the archive mage knew anything. Now, noon had already passed and Natsu didn't know how long it would take for his blonde best friend to show up. He rested his head on one of the tables, Happy laying a top his head. Makarov and Macao watched them from the bar, a mug of beer each in their hands. Macao just sighed whilst shaking his head whereas Makarov looked at them in worry.

"Those two are going to become fat at this rate if they keep being like this." The old guild master said.

"I did tell them to go on a small job since Lucy usually comes back around the evening." Macao replied, taking another sip from his mug of beer. "But of course, they were worried that they wouldn't be able to be the first one to greet her."

Makarov also took a big chug from his beer mug and then turned to the fire mage. "By the way Macao, I've been wondering, who became the guild master during these seven years? By the looks of it, I'd assume it would be you."

The purple haired mage immediately spat out the beer he had been drinking and coughed excessively at the old man's words. Kinana and Mira, who had been listening quietly since they were organizing the bar, immediately went over to Macao with napkins and a mop to clean up the mess. Makarov scratching his head in embarrassment since it was his words that made the male react the way he did in the first place. But he had to admit, he didn't expect that kind of reaction.

"Sorry Master..." Macao said in between coughs. "I didn't mean... to make a mess there..."

"No worries, boy." Makarov replied sheepishly. "But... I have to ask. What was with that reaction? Was I wrong in my assumption."

Kinana just giggled and helped Macao drink his water while Mira mopped up the spilt beer. "No Master, it's just that Macao and Wakaba are only in charge when the fourth master is away." She explained.

"Oh? So who is it?" Mira asked as she finished mopping the floor.

Kinana was about to reply when the doors blasted open. Everyone looked from where they stood, Natsu and Happy looking up in anticipation thinking it was Lucy, but they were disappointed when they saw not only the Twilight Ogre members they had beat up when they returned to the guild but also their master. The ones they had defeated were all healed from what everyone could tell and their master was definitely in a very foul mood just by the look of his face.

"May I ask why you barge in our guild?" Erza asked with a stern look as she crossed her arms.

Their master, Banaboster, took his cigar out of his mouth and looked unaffected by the Titania's presence. "I'm here to settle what happened here a few days ago when you beat my boys."

"Oh yeah?" Natsu said, standing up from his seat and narrowing his eyes. "That's their fault for trying to mess with our nakama and our guild hall."

"We gave you more than what we owe money for this month!" Wakaba added. "That should be enough compensation for beating up your guys."

"If you ask me, it was more like a slap to the face." Gray said shrugging, his shirt suddenly discarded. "I don't know how they got that many injuries from a slap."

"You provoking me or something?" Banaboster asked. "I don't need to ask you again. My boys were stuck in bed for two days and now my guild is a laughing stock! I have a reputation to uphold, ya hear!"

"And should I assume that my nakama just defeated your boys without reason?" A voice asked, making the ogres freeze where they stood. A strong presence resonating from behind them. "Or am I wrong, Twilight Ogre?"

The ogres slowly turned around to face who had addressed them, but because the entrance to the guild was so small now, no one could see who was there since Banaboster was covering the way with his boys. Natsu, Wendy and Gajeel took in the newcomer's scent and realized it was very familiar, but different at the same time. So they weren't sure who was there. Though, those who stayed behind knew the obvious answer and they couldn't help but smirk at the show.

"Listen lady, we-"

"Oh I believe I've heard enough." She stepped forward and soon stood just a meter away from the trespassers. "Your lackeys decided to mess with Fairy Tail, once again, even though we have provided the payment accordingly and conveniently when I am not present so... I believe they got what they deserve. Simple as that."

"Now just a moment-"

"Quite frankly, I've been letting your boys off with much generosity. With nothing as simple as a lawsuit for all the property destruction your boys have caused. So don't go negotiating to me about childish problems like this." She interrupted again, her aura growing as her tone became more threatening. "Now I believe it's only fitting that I terminate this pointless contract now, am I clear?"

"We-"

A snap could be heard through the air behind the ogres as they began to shake, not wanting to feel the woman's wrath. Everyone turned around, both ogres and fairies watching as the contract for the guild hall, which appeared out of nowhere, was ripped to thin strips of thread while sweat rolled down the sides of Banaboster's head. Before he, or anyone else for that matter, could say anything, a figure faced him face-to-face. Her back turned to her nakama, who turned to stare straight at her blonde hair.

"Unless you want to go to war, I suggest you never show yourselves at my guild ever again." She stated, the ogres nodding in fear. "You have harassed my nakama long enough for me to tolerate so... get out."

"Yes ma'am!"

Without another word, Banaboster nodded and the ogres dashed far from the guild without hesitation. The blonde girl just sighed as she crossed her arms at what just transpired. Her hair went a little past her waist while she wore denim shorts that came down to the middle of her thighs and a pink strapless crop top. On her waist were a familiar key ring and a whip and on the back of her right hand a pink Fairy Tail guild mark. The core members staring at her with their mouths hanging open.

"Macao! Wakaba!" She called, annoyance evident in her voice since she hadn't turned around yet. "Care to explain to me what all of that was that about!? Virgo told me that everything was fine!"

Those who stayed behind just sweatdropped and ignored the rest of the guild that was currently frozen in shock at what they just saw. "Yeah... about that..." The purple haired fire mage replied sheepishly. "We have a perfect explanation, we swear."

"I go away for ten years-"

"It was days days here this time." Romeo interrupted, the core members still confused with that kind of logic.

"Whatever. I go away for however long I was gone for, excited to come back because Virgo tells me that you all have exciting news upon my return, only to see this!?" She ranted. "And don't get me started on..."

None of the core members said a word as they watched her rant in a familiar, yet unfamiliar, manner. She was taller than they remembered, probably a few centimetres shorter than Gray, and they could tell that whatever mysterious training she had gone through, it had done good on her body. Her aura was strong and so was her voice. It commanded obedience and authority, yet everything about her was oddly the same despite the differences they had witnessed. They just couldn't believe what they saw.

"And all of you! Why are you... so... quiet..."

"She only looks three years older unlike everyone else!?" The core members thought in utter shock.

Lucy, on the other hand, did not expect to see the view in front of her. She was facing the very people she had wished to see just one more time and they were all staring back at her, their shocked faces mirroring hers. She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to wake up from the dream in front of her. But when she opened them again, there they were just the same. So she looked to Romeo, who stood closest to her, and had the most confused expression that it almost made him laugh.

"Romeo? Tell me I'm dreaming. Or better yet, tell me that I went back in time."

"How would that make any sense, Lucy?" The boy asked. "Dad, me, everyone else are still the same age as you saw us before you left."

The celestial mage looked at the boy with a dumbfounded look and couldn't believe how he and the others looked so nonchalant about the image that stood before them. After all, her nakama weren't around anymore and they haven't been for the last seven years on Earthland. Maybe she overworked herself again, that had to be it. Since the others didn't seem to mind, she had to be the only one hallucinating. Yeah, that seemed to make sense.

"You're right." She said with a sullen expression. "I must be so exhausted that I see them in front of me."

"I thought you were smarter than that, Master." Wakaba said, making her and the core members come back to reality. "Virgo didn't tell you that we had exciting news for you for no reason after all."

"You know Master, it wasn't easy to find them you know." Macao said, scratching his head. "Blue Pegasus was able to sense a rising trace of ethernano a few days back and sent us the coordinates"

"It took us awhile but we found them!" Droy cheered.

"Turns out one of the three grand fairy spells, Fairy Sphere, was activated and protected them. But it took seven whole years for the spell to be broken and they were trapped in a non-aging state." Kinana added. "So, they really are in front of you."

Lucy's eyes widened and she looked to them again. Slowly but surely, the core members came out of their trance and they finally got rid of their shocked expressions. She just couldn't believe that they were in front of her. Her long lost nakama that she missed so dearly. Her nakama that she became strong for. Her nakama that she wished for so many years to come home. Now that the reality had actually come, she did not know how to react.

"L-Lucy?" Erza finally spoke, the sound of her voice so familiar to Lucy that tears began to form.

"It's amazing... Lu... that's you right?" Levy asked.

"Dear Mavis..." Lucy said as she just let her tears flow, something she hadn't done since she the magic Council told her and the others that Tenrou Island had been 'destroyed'.

"LUCY!" Natsu and Happy cried as the exceed flew straight and tackled her to the ground, hugging her in a crying mess.

The blonde girl could no longer contain her happiness and began to cry too, hugging the blue exceed in return as Natsu also joined in the hug. A sight that Romeo and the others found refreshing since Lucy had built herself to be a rock when she decided to take position of Master of Fairy Tail after she had come back from her training. They watched as the blonde stood up with Happy in her arms and ran to the rest of the core members, who had their arms wide open to embrace her.

"You're home! You're finally home!" She cried as they hugged her one by one.

"Says you, dummy!" Natsu retorted with his grin that Lucy could never forget. "We've been waiting for you for two days now!"

"How was I supposed to know you were coming home while I was away, idiot!" Lucy shouted as she kicked him to a nearby table, which broke upon contact with the dragon slayer. "If Virgo had told me what the news was, I would've been back right away!"

"Wow Lucy, your kicks have gotten stronger." Gray said, as Team Natsu formed a group to talk, very impressed.

"Well I have to teach anyone who disrespects Fairy Tail a lesson." She replied, shrugging. "Being Master isn't easy after all."

"Hold on! You're the fourth Master of Fairy Tail, Lucy!?" Natsu and Happy exclaimed, the exceed flying out of the blonde's arms. "When did that happen!?"

"Are you just now realizing that?" Carla asked.

"Being the guild's master suits you well, Lucy!" Wendy said after her turn to hug the blonde girl. "But I have to ask, how come you're-"

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Before Wendy could finish her question, a child's voice called out as the guild's doors opened. There stood a girl that seemed to be around six years old. Her hair was dark dark green and tied in a braid, a cowboy hat on her head and her eyes were a deep purple. She was wearing a pink shirt with a brown skirt and cowboy boots. Before anyone could say anything, she immediately ran to Bisca, who had already knelt down with her arms open, and hugged her.

"Welcome home, Asuka!" Bisca greeted as the child giggled.

"Glad to have you back, pumpkin!" Alzack added.

When Asuka looked up after hugging her mother, she noticed that all eyes were on her. She was about to hide her face but she realized she recognized all the people in front of her because of Reedus' countless paintings of them. Her parents, Lucy and Romeo would tell stories of the nakama that went missing on a job before she was born and how amazing they all were. So her shyness slipped away and she smiled brightly while waving at the mages.

"Hello! I'm Asuka Connell!" She said.

"So this is your kid!" Levy said as she approached the family. "You're so cute Asuka! You can just call me Auntie Levy!"

Asuka just smiled at the bluenette before wiggling out of Bisca's hold and jumped down to the floor. After watching the young girl with a fond look (since she was a new member of Fairy Tail), Natsu realized that Lucy had left the group. He scanned the guild, finding her as she went to the main doors and watched as she just stood there at the entrance. A gentle smile forming on her face at whatever she was looking at.

"Hey Asuka, if you're back where's Nashi?" Max asked, the question reaching the core members' ears.

"Nashi?" Erza asked. "Is she Asuka's babysitter?"

Those who didn't go to Tenrou Island couldn't help but either chuckle or force out an uncomfortable laugh while everyone else remained confused about their reaction. Though they couldn't blame Erza for asking, they couldn't help but silently guess what the reactions would be once they break the news as to who Nashi was in the guild. But before they could say a word on the manner, Natsu noticed that Lucy's eyes widened in excitement as she knelt down and opened her arms wide for whoever was coming towards the guild.

"Mama!" Another child's voice called from outside the guild. "I'm home!"

Everyone immediately turned their heads, just in time to see a peached haired child run into Lucy's arms. The celestial mage hugged the child tightly before parting, the smile on her face not faltering for a second. She patted the child's head and kissed her forehead. "Welcome home, my child."

As the Tenrou Team took in the child's appearance, they realized that she looked no older than five or six years old. Her wavy peach hair drifted down just under her shoulders and her eyes were a very dark brown. She wore a short sleeved white dress shirt that had a bow tied under the collar and a pastel green skirt that rested above her belly and was supported by suspenders. On her feet were cream coloured mary jane shoes. On the back of her left hand was a pastel blue Fairy Tail guild mark.

Max stepped up and pointed to the girl as Lucy took her in her arms and began to carry her. "That's Nashi." He said as a matter-of-factly. "She's Lucy's kid."

She's Lucy's kid.

The Tenrou Team all froze at Max's words. Lucy's kid? As in their Lucy's kid? Looking at how the 2 interacted, there was definitely a sense of mother and daughter relation between them. But how could that be? There was no way Lucy actually got married and started a family, did she? For some reason, that thought hurt Natsu's heart. But they all immediately shook their heads out of their shock when Lucy began to carry Nashi and brought her over to talk to Asuka and Bisca.

"A-A child!?" Makarov asked in a stuttering mess.

Before Max, or anyone for that matter, could explain any further about how Nashi came about to be, Lucy began to make her way to the group with a proud mother's look on her face. "Hey guys! What's with the-"

"No! This isn't fair!" Erza said, in a blushing mess much like when she found out about Bisca and Alzack getting married. "I can let anyone else go but how dare you go and get married without me to be one of the bridesmaids!"

"Eh?"

"Lu! You need to tell me who the father is right now!" Levy demanded. "I need to see if this guy is really worthy enough to be my best friend's spouse and her child's father!"

Nashi, not recognizing anyone who was confronting the blonde mage, became shy and buried her face into Lucy's chest. The blonde guild master then took in the situation since she saw Max scratching the back of his head sheepishly and chuckled. Noticing her daughter's shyness as well, patted the child's head and smiled in reassurance. Lucy then began to shift her arms, that way Nashi wasn't just facing her but to the core members as well.

"I see Max went and decided to tell you all who Nashi is without explaining other details." She said, earning an embarrassed cough from said mage. "But yes, this is Nashi and she's my adopted daughter."

At the sound of the word 'adopted', the Tenrou Team tilted their heads with blank stares appearing on her face. Nashi continued to hug Lucy's neck, taking in each of the unfamiliar mages' faces to memory. However, once she took a look at Natsu, her eyes widened and her grip on Lucy loosened. Then, slowly, everyone began to regain their composure and raised an eyebrow, wanting to know exactly what drove Lucy to want to adopt a child.

"You adopted Nashi, Lucy?" Mira asked.

"You can say that." The blonde replied as she shrugged. "I had found her passed out abandoned and alone when I was away probably 2 or 3 years back and brought her back to the guild for treatment. When she woke up, she immediately began to cry and hug me while calling me 'Mama' and wouldn't let go. Luckily, she remembers her own name."

"So then what?" Lisanna asked.

"We began to search if there were any missing person cases that involved someone who looked like Nashi, but nothing came up and Nashi was only 3 at the time." Macao continued. "The strange thing is that she continuously insists that Lucy's her mom and somehow knows all of her spirits and even refers to them as aunt and uncle."

"Love Rival and Nashi do look very similar to each other." Juvia pointed out, taking in the child's features. "Could it be a coincidence?"

"Well I can tell you, I've never had a boyfriend, let alone get married in the last few years. And I definitely don't remember getting pregnant or giving birth either, so it has to be a coincidence." Lucy replied. "But because we found nothing on her, I decided to adopt her and now she's my precious child."

Right after Lucy said that, she immediately heard sniffling next to her and saw that Nashi was crying. The blonde girl got worried instantly and began to look over the child with concern. But then she noticed that the peach haired child was looking at the Tenrou Team, more specifically, at Natsu. Everyone began to worry over the child's unexpected reaction, especially those not a part of the Tenrou Team because they know how Lucy gets whenever Nashi is sad or hurt.

"Nashi?" Romeo asked. "What's wrong?"

The girl began to cry larger tears as she whispered something under her breath. Lucy was about to pull the child in her embrace when Nashi began to wiggle her body so that she faced towards the Tenrou Team and began to reach her small arms out to Natsu. Literally confusing everyone at her actions. Especially Natsu. He hadn't even known the kid for 2 minutes and somehow she was crying and reaching out desperately towards him.

"Nashi? Does he have something you want?" Lucy asked in a gentle voice, trying to soothe her. Nashi whispered something again, but neither Lucy nor the dragon slayers hear what she said. "What?"

When Nashi realized that Lucy wouldn't let go out of worry and concern, she turned to her mother and pointed at Natsu in desperation and tried to calm her crying so that she can speak. "Papa!" She cried finally, making everyone go into shock.

"Eh?" Everyone thought.

"Mama! That's Papa right!?" Nashi asked as she continued to look back and forth between the blonde and pink haired fairies. "Papa's finally back home! And Uncle Happy is with him!"

When Lucy made no effort to react or move, the peach haired girl took it upon herself to wiggle out of her mother's grip and jumped down to the ground. Once she caught her footing, she ran to Natsu and instantly tackled his legs into a hug whilst crying. The fire dragon slayer didn't know what to think but the child began to raise her hands, asking to be carried. So with hesitation, he picked Nashi up and patted her back as she continued to cry while hugging his neck.

Everyone was completely baffled at the situation, since they hadn't expected that reaction at all from the girl. Lucy was the first one to regain her composure and looked to see Natsu plead for an explanation with his eyes. Ruffling her hair and sighing she only gestured for him to go along with it for now until she stops crying. The other members, who finally regained composure as well, agreeing with her gesture. Natsu just sighed in defeat and continued to pat her back in a comforting manner.

"There there... Papa's right here." Natsu reassured in a gentle tone, surprising everyone with how fatherly he sounded.

Somehow, he was able to get Nashi to stop crying and soon enough she fell asleep with how exhausted she was after all the crying. Once she was for sure asleep, Lucy gestured the pink haired boy to place her slowly in her arms. When the child was securely in Lucy's hold, the blonde knew that there was something up and she might have to take another trip soon if she finds herself at a standstill. But first, she had to deal with her nakama.

She looked to Macao and Makarov who had approached her with serious faces. "That hasn't happened since she woke up back when you found her." Macao finally spoke.

"The fact that she only seems to recognize me, my spirits, Natsu and Happy... there's something very wrong here." Lucy noted.

"But how could she?" Carla asked. "Have you often told her about us after adopting her?"

Lucy only shook her head. "No... and I was always so busy that I never really talked about you guys..." She began to trail off, until she got an idea as to how Nashi could have known about Natsu and just pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "It's probably because of that old man..."

"Old man?" Gray asked, raising an eyebrow. "You mean your dad?"

The blonde guild master only shook her head again and looked at Nashi with an unreadable expression. "My father died a couple of months back so it can't be him." She said, making Gray feel a little bit guilty.

"Sorry..." He apologized.

Lucy just forced a smile. "No need to apologize, Gray. You didn't know." She replied. "Besides, the old man I'm referring to is the reason why Nashi and Asuka hadn't come home until today. After all, he wanted to spend time with the 2 of them so I took them with me when I left to do some business."

"Who's this guy you're talking about Lucy?" Happy asked, not liking how down she looked.

All the non core members just looked at Lucy with a knowing smile, since they all knew who she was talking about and thought it fine if she told the Tenrou Team about who she was talking about. The blonde returned the smile before looking at Natsu with a serious look. "Igneel..." She said, the name making the Tenrou Team's eyes widen in shock. "Your father... Natsu."