Chapter Fifty-One

"Lucy?" She turned and looked at Mirajean and walked over to her. The older girl had been quiet for the past few days and Laxus had even asked her to try and find time to speak to her and find out what was wrong but she hadn't had much luck. Now she could clearly see that the past few days had etched worry lines in Mira's face.

"What's wrong Mira?"

"I needed to ask you a question." Mirajean said when they finally stopped walking. They were close to the Magi-Hovers and everyone else was further away.

"What is it?"

"Do you think… Oh…I don't know…I'm…"

"Breathe Mira. What is it?"

"Do you think you can do a blood transfusion with me?"

"What?" Lucy asked and she thought time stopped. The question came out of left field. She had thought Mira was going to ask about their chances against Mard Geer or something about potentially being Laxus' growlkin. A request for a blood donation wasn't even a thought.

"I know it's a long shot, but if your blood can grant people magic, then maybe I'd get some and…I could protect my siblings better. With Mard Geer having seen Elfman's other form; he might get targeted."

"Oh Mira." Lucy pulled the girl close as she started to cry. Lucy closed her eyes and patted Mira's back and swayed with her until she calmed down.

"Lucy I…"

"If I knew it would work; I would." Lucy said and held a hand up. "But I never gave Elfman blood. I don't know how he got his magic, but it wasn't me. And a blood donation may not work and it would be for nothing."

"I know it's a long shot. But I can't just sit back and do nothing." Mirajean sniffled. "I can't risk something happening and being powerless and not having tried to protect them."

"But this is different Mira. You are talking about taking risks that could have serious side effects. What if our blood types aren't compatible? You'd be sick, or killed. Then where would your siblings be?" Lucy asked and squeezed the other girl's shoulder. Mirajean looked at her, her eyes rimmed in red and her mouth falling open.

"I hadn't thought of that."

"Mira…"

"Perhaps the box Levy found could help?" Alfie interjected and both girls jerked and looked around and then Lucy shook her head and thumped the closest Magi-Hover.

"It's rude to eavesdrop Alfie."

"I am sorry." Alfie hummed.

"What box are you talking about?" Mirajean asked and Alfie made a sound like a snort.

"The box that Levy found and brought back before everything happened. When you held it, it lit up and you claimed it vibrated."

"Oh! I'd forgotten about that. But why would the box be useful for Mirajean's request?" Lucy asked and leaned on the Magi-Hover.

"I believe that Elfman was moving the box when the building collapsed. It's possible that it triggered the magic within in. If it did; then it could perhaps trigger magic within his sister. Their biology is similar so the predictive possibilities are favorable for a similar outcome."

"It might work!" Mirajean perked up and Lucy felt a ball of apprehension in her gut. She bit her lip.

"It might, but we don't even know what it is. It could be a Zodiacrian weapon and Elfman got a random burst of like…Gamma rays or something."

"You think my brother turned into the magic version of the Hulk?" Mirajean asked and Lucy shrugged.

"Maybe. It's not like I can ask the stars for an all knowing entity to tell me what the heck the box is."

"Did you call on me Celestial Mage?" A soft, masculine voice asked and both girls whipped around. They froze. A giant stone cross wearing a squire's outfit was beside them.

"Do you see the funny stone statue too?" Mira whispered and Lucy nodded. Suddenly the cross figure straightened and wiped a hand over its face. It was a weathered face with a large mustache.

"I do apologize for dozing off. It happens when you get to be as old as me." He said in his papery thing voice.

"Um…who are you?" Lucy asked and he bowed then straightened.

"My apologies. I am Crux, the Zodiacrian Historian of the Royal Court. At your service."

"A Royal Historian?" Lucy asked and got on her knees beside him, which made them roughly the same size.

"Yes. The only one as well." Crux said with pride and smiled at her again. "What box do you want to know about?"

"Oh uh…" Lucy turned and touched the entry panel of the Magi-Hover and the bag holding the box was waiting for her. She pulled out the bag and held it in her lap as she carefully pulled out the box. Crux stared at it and then to her and then smiled.

"That is the box of the Abell MMDCCXLIV."

"Abell…who?" Mirajean asked as she also knelt beside the older figure.

"One this planet, I believe the name translates to Pandora."

Lucy's hands immediately left the box and she started shaking her head. Crux stared in confusion and Mirajean's mouth dropped open. Lucy scrunched up her face and shook her head and looked at Mira's hopeful expression and shook her head harder. "Mira, no! This is Pandora's Box. The Box of Pandora. No!"

"It might not be like the one we're thinking of."

"I don't trust our luck." Lucy objected and Mirajean looked back to Crux who was obviously confused.

"Who was Pandora for you all?"

"She was the first Celestial Mage." Crux explained and crossed his reed thin legs to sit down. He put his hands on his thighs and smiled at them. "She was said to be beautiful, kind, talented, curious and brave. This box was something she stole from an evil deity of a planet that was trying to spread its darkness out into the universes."

"I told you." Lucy whispered in worry to Mira who waved her off and listened to Crux.

"She protected the box with all she had, until her daughter succeeded her as the second Celestial Mage. She gave her the box to protect; but unfortunately; her daughter was not nearly as righteous as her mother. She ended up bartering the box away for trinkets. When Pandora learned of this; she traveled to find it. But when she had; it had been opened. And the darkness had been lost into the universes."

"Ugh…" Lucy closed her eyes. That was not what she needed to hear.

"So she traveled the universes; finding those dark things and banishing them back into the box."

"So we aren't opening it." Lucy said and put the box back in the bag and tied it up. Mirajean's face fell. Crux looked at Lucy. "What's with that look?"

"You remind me of Pandora."

"I do?"

"Yes. Even though she wondered if the things inside could help her with her quests; she always ended up relying on herself."

"What happened to her?" Mirajean asked and Crux sighed.

"She grew old. Watched as her granddaughter became the third Celestial Mage after the passing of her daughter in battle. She hid the box away because she didn't want it to become a burden to her lineage. Not when she knew that just being a Celestial Mage would be enough of a weight to bare."

"She hid it on earth?" Lucy asked and Crux shrugged.

"I was not privy to that information I'm afraid. We can only assume so as it's here. Unless someone else found it and brought it."

"Mard Geer might have? It seems like something he'd want." Lucy whispered and Crux nodded.

"Thank you for sharing that story with us." Mirajean said and Crux nodded again, then started to snore. Lucy giggled and he jerked his frame rigid and coughed.

"Sorry about that. I need to return to the stars. I'm not as young as I once was."

"We understand. Thank you for coming anyway." Lucy was sincere and smiled as he disappeared with a flicker of silver light. She moved her hand into the air where he'd been and where fading flickers of silver light still shone brightly.

"I guess that means Elfman was Hulked; only instead of Gamma Rays it was Evil Darkness."

"But he didn't turn evil." Lucy reassured her and the older girl nodded and shifted so that they were side-by-side.

"Thanks for always being so optimistic." She whispered and Lucy nodded. She did feel bad for the older girl but there was nothing she could do. She put an arm around Mirajean's shoulders and the older girl rested her head on Lucy's shoulder.

"What are they talking about?" Lisanna asked as she stared over at the two of them. Natsu shrugged and finished handing a large chunk of rubble up to Laxus. "How can you not know? You all have super hearing."

"Alfie is doing a high pitched hum around them and blocking their conversation. If we tried to listen, it would hurt our ears." Laxus informed her and she made a face and handed them each a bottle of something to drink. They took them and thanked her and looked over at the girls who held her attention.

"Knowing your sister; she's probably asking Lucy for help to give her magic." Laxus muttered and Lisanna looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Don't be so surprised. Her younger sister took on one of the four strongest warriors in an alien guild without hesitation, after single handedly trying to fight off a group of Dragis while her older siblings were out for the count from Draconic attacks. And then her younger brother literally gained Takeoverian powers. She's feeling like she's failing as a her role as the eldest and the protector."

"Poor Mira-sis." Lisanna sniffed and rubbed at her face.

"Luce is probably telling her that there isn't any certainty in a blood transfusion." Natsu murmured, feeling Lucy's pangs of sorrow and regret. "She wishes she could say it would give Mira powers but there is no certainty."

"They're both so stubborn. We don't need Mira to have powers. She's always there, giving us support." Lisanna muttered and crossed her arms over her stomach. "She has sacrificed everything for us since our parents died. If she sacrifices any more she's gonna kill herself. Then where would we be?"

"She doesn't see that." Laxus murmured and she looked at him again. He sighed and put his large hand on the top her head and ruffled her hair slowly. "She just sees the need to protect the people she cares about and thinks she doesn't have any way to."

"But she doesn't need to. There are other things that we can do to help win this war."

"That isn't what he's saying Lis." Elfman whispered and dropped down beside her. She looked over and he put his arms behind his head and fell back onto the ground and looked up at the sky.

"What does he mean then?"

"That Mira isn't thinking about the day to day battles. She's thinking about the end game. The big battle. The last stand. When that fight comes; Mirajean doesn't want to be up in the Guild Station or stuck in some bunker watching. She wants to be beside or in front of the people she holds dear. So that they know she's giving it her all."

"Buit she could fall first…" Lisanna's voice broke at the image her brother's words put in her head.

"Better to fall before you see the ones you love fall when you can't save them." Bixlow said and held out a piece of cloth to her. She took it and blew her nose and then folded it and wiped at her tears. He held out a bar of chocolate and she wondered where he got it. There weren't any in the food supplies.

"Why can't she just trust that we can win without losses?"

"Because everyone loses in war." Natsu said. "There are no clear winners. There are just survivors."

"Natsu is right." Laxus made a face. "I don't get to say that often enough."

"Shut up!" Natsu blew a smoke ring at his leader who snorted and flexed his hands, lightening sparking between his fingers.

"Calm down boys." Evergreen chided and walked over and leaned on a table and pointed at the two Dragis. "Otherwise your growlkins are going to come over here. And they're having a moment."

"What do you mean by 'our growlkins'?" Laxus asked, his eyes narrowing.

"You know what she means." Freed said as he leaned on the table beside Evergreen. Laxus glared at him and he looked away. "You tolerate her more than anyone. Even your grandfather. It's not like we're blind."

"Shut up." Laxus snarled and turned and walked away. Natsu grinned and had to refrain from chuckling. He would like it if Mirajean was Laxus' growlkin. But he highly doubted it. He didn't think that Laxus would be able to walk away from his growlkin; he knew he barely could. And Laxus being older would no doubt have a higher urge for finishing the mating requirements. He looked over at his leader and then looked to where Lucy and Mirajean were sitting by the Magi-Hovers. Mirajean would be an interesting mate for Laxus though She was soft where he was hard. Kind of like how Lucy was the intellect to his brawn. Complimentary.

"Come on now. Time to go." Habiki said as he motioned to the giant time piece projecting from the control station. Lucy looked over at him.

"We aren't leaving here yet. It's a good base."

"Please…we saw Mard Geer. He saw us. This place isn't safe. We need to get further away."

"This part of the city is empty of draconics. Its the safest around. If he sends anyone in; we will see and hear them coming. We have spells, traps, and warnings everywhere throughout the surrounding blocks." Lucy argued and Habiki rubbed the bridge of his nose and forehead.

"Why are you so difficult?"

"Because human women hate being given orders." She answered with a smile and turned back to the control station and started to tap on the keys. He walked over and looked at the screen. She was typing up a missive of some sort.

"What is this?"

"Eve said he has a spell that will allow him to broadcast a message into the air; within a certain perimeter of here. I want to broadcast a message to any survivors. That there is hope and help. Hopefully it helps Levy and Gajeel as well as us."

"How are those two?" Ren asked as he set a box down and looked over his shoulder at them.

"Not sure. Haven't heard anything since they left." Lucy muttered and bit her lip. "Natsu says Gajeel likes to be quiet while on missions. So I'm trying to believe that no news is good news."

"That is a weird thought process."

"Welcome to Earth where nothing makes sense." Lucy muttered and the two members of Blue Pegasus shared a look before walking away from her. Natsu nodded at them and immediately wrapped his arms around her waist. She melted against him but kept typing. He put his chin on her shoulder and watched her type quickly.

"It's seriously amazing how quickly you learned our language." He murmured and she shrugged, making him grunt as her shoulder popped his chin. "Come on. You promised to patrol with me."

"I just need to finish this. If we left this up to Eve or his group to come up with it would sound methodical and untrustworthy. And if Bixlow tries to pen it; it would sound like a nightmare. And Laxus would just sound like a bunch of orders being barked by someone who they don't know."

"Buit they won't necessarily know you."

"True, but hopefully they realize the wording is from another human." She said and read over her message. She made a few edits and nodded to herself. She looked up and smiled at Mirajean who was looking down still. It had been a day and she still looked disappointed that they couldn't give her powers. She had tried to talk to Laxus about it but every time she'd started to, Mirajean had interrupted and pulled him away.

"Luce…."

"Fineeeee." She drew out the word and nodded at Eve and started to walk away. "Eve wait."

"What?" He asked looking uneasy.

"Have Mirajean read the message. Her voice is trust worthy. I think it will draw more people to believe the words are true."

He nodded and picked up his tablet and tapped around until the message appeared and then went to find the woman in question. Natsu pulled Lucy away from the control station and they headed down the street. Freed had inscribed special runes on their feet and shoulders which allowed them to move through his wards and spells without injury. Which was a welcomed gift after they watched a rabid looking starving wolf try to get through them to Wendy the other day while she was doing her morning breathing exercises.

"Wendy was really happy to have help this morning making breakfast." Natsu murmured and she nodded. He grabbed her hand and threaded his fingers through hers and tugged her a different way than she was hiding. She turned and followed. She was biting her lip; which was a sign that she was deep in thought. He murmured soft conversation while she hmmed and huh'ed where appropriate. He wasn't hurt by it. He knew that she was thinking about a million things at once.

"Thank you Natsu." Her words made him stop and he looked back at her. She has slowed down and was walking behind him, but her hands as still firmly in his.

"For what?"

"Trying to take my mind off of all the crappy things." She whispered and smiled at him and he smiled back. He tugged and pulled her the few steps between them and then he released her hand and wrapped his arms around her. He nuzzled her head, running his hands up and down her back. He started to sway side-to-side. She wrapped her arms around his waist and closed her eyes, letting her body follow his lead as he swayed them to and fro. His scent wrapped around her like a secondary hug and she inhaled, trying to dictate the scent to memory. His skin was warm everywhere it touched hers, the warmth seeping into her.

She nuzzled closer and felt his lips on the side of her head. She smiled and felt his pec twitch as her lips moved against his skin. She was surprised by that. She didn't know why but it surprised her how sensitive he seemed at that moment. She smiled again and again his body reacted ever so slightly.

"Luce." His voice was low and she felt the growl travel through her.

"Natsu." She murmured and pressed a kiss to his skin and he went ridged. His hand left her back and she felt his finger spear through her hair and cup the back of her head. Her breath caught as he twisted her hair and pulled her head back. But at no point was she concerned. No, there was an entirely different cause for the stifled breath and the increased heart rate. She stared into his eyes, the green a thin band around the pupils; the pupils which had elongated into sharp ovals; taking a reptilian look. No…a Dragon look.

"Nat…" Her words were cut off as his mouth crashed down on hers. She closed her eyes and sank into he kiss, following his lead. He plundered her mouth, the kiss more intense than any other they'd shared. Her hands moved up from his waist to his shoulders, and then up into his hair. But as she speared her fingers into the soft pink locks; she felt something hard and she looked up. Horns were protruding from his head. She remembered them from the performance at the Rainbow Sakura Festival. She'd thought that they were fake, but now she realized they were a part of him. A part she hadn't anticipated.

"Na…" She tried too pull away but he followed her, cutting off her words and her train of thought. She grunted when her back hit something, but she had no recognition that they'd even been moving. She wasn't even sure what her back was up against. All she could focus on, all she could knowingly experience in that moment, was him.

His scent, his touch, his heat wrapped around her like a cocoon. His one hand was still fisted in her hair, letting him direct her head subtly as his kiss moved…evolved. His other however was running up and down her side; sending shivers racing throughout her body. It was like he was setting multiple minuscule fires along her body. Fires that danced at the direction of his fingers.

She gasped for air when his lips finally left hers, but she didn't get to relish in the freedom to breathe. Because his lips had latched onto the curve of her jaw, and started moving down her throat. His lips leaving trails of lava on her skin, while sending trendies of fire out from the point of contact; racing through her like an unbridled wildfire. She had her eyes closed; the desire racing through her made them too heavy to open. She was a slave to the sensations. Sure she'd made out a few times before; but nothing compared to this. She couldn't even remember any of those times either. She doubted she'd ever remember them again. He was wiping out all cognitive thought out of her head.

"Natsu!" Her voice was prayer soft when he latched onto the hallow of her throat. She felt his tongue wipe a hard line across her skin. Her skin…her eyes struggled to open. She glanced down and realized that the scalut had bared her neck and shoulders. It barely covered her breasts, but she knew it was high on her back because whatever she was up against wasn't digging into the flesh there.

Flesh…her mind went languid as Natsu kept lapping at the exposed flesh of her neck and shoulder. Her hands clenched, and he growled and her eyes shot up and she realized she still held the horns in her hands. She twisted her fists and he growled again, his eyes shot up and locked onto hers. His dragon eyes bore into hers; and she swore that in them she saw an actual red dragon rearing up. She felt his mouth opening against her skin, sucking on her skin and she mewed as desire tore through her. She'd never felt anything like this inferno before.

She watched as his jaw opened a little more, the muscles tensing and she felt her breath catch. She wasn't sure what her body was bracing for, but she also knew her body wasps accepting of whatever it was. His growl was low, continuous, comforting in it's erotic vibration.

Sizzle!

Lucy and Natsu gasped as he pulled away from her and spun around snarling. Both of them were soaked in water. He was midair when Lucy's eyes focused in front of him. Her brows pulled together as her tongue struggled to work. She inhaled and finally found herself able to speak as Natsu's flame covered fist swung outward.

"Gajeel?"