Well, this is a new one I've been working on.

There are a few more stories I've been working on, but I felt like I needed a break from Because Of A Dream.

Now, I don't know if I'll continue this one or if this will be just a dabble.

But for now, it'll be its own story.

We'll see how Popular it gets.

Now, everyone knows that I do NOT own Fairy Tail or any of its Characters.

There will be my own characters in this and those, however, I do own!

Now, let's get on with the show!

The sun beat down on top of the tent placed by the giant lake in the middle of the clearing. The warmth from the sun drifted over the pale skin of the sleeping blonde curled up inside the sleeping bag. It wasn't often that she would sleep. Her nightmares would keep her awake. Sometimes she couldn't fight the exhaustion that cascaded through her. That's when she would stop and try to sleep.

When her nightmare reached its heightened point, she gasped as her eyes flew open. She jolted upright, panting with her hand over her chest. The memories that haunted her made her tremble at the thought of what she gave up, of what she sacrificed to save her friends. The same friends that abandoned her.

She felt the tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She clenched her eyes tight, willing the images away. It was the one thing she hated when she gave into the claws of exhaustion. The memories from three mouths back invaded her mind and reminded her of everything she lost. Her fists clenched the sleeping bag under her so tight that she felt her nails pierce her palms. Grinding her teeth as the images of her first spirit and friend flashed behind her eyelids.

She felt the skin on her collarbone burn as she fought the urge to cry out as the last image flashed. She opened her eyes, and she panted suddenly, feeling more exhausted. She unclenched her fists as her body relaxed. She sighed before stretching her arms over her head. She should be used to it by now, but she wasn't. It still haunted her. Her brain constantly went over everything, trying to figure out if there was another way, but she always came up empty. She knew Aquarius was right, but she hated that it came at such a hefty price. She'd do anything to turn back time and stop everything from happening but there was nothing she could think of to change what happened.

She groaned as she crawled out of the tent and stood looking out over the lake. A flash of light beside her drew her attention for a second before looking back at the lake.

"Lucy." The voice of her spirit called out to her.

"Loke." Lucy greeted her with a small smile.

Loke sighed. "How are you feeling today?" Loke asked cautiously.

Lucy nodded before turning toward him. "I'm better. Shall we get going?" Lucy asked, turning back to the tent only to find it gone. Lucy blinked before she sighed. "Virgo," Lucy grumbled.

Loke chuckled. "She works fast," Loke said with a shrug.

"No kidding," Lucy muttered before grabbing her backpack off the ground. "Let's go," Lucy said, walking ahead of him.

"You know, we're not far from Blue Pegasus. We could stop in and see if there are any requests that Master Bob wouldn't mind letting you have." Loke suggested.

Lucy smiled. "I don't see why not. It's been forever since we've seen him and the Trimens." Lucy said.

Loke chuckled as he watched a slight shiver run through her. He knew there was at least one of the Trimens that she would rather avoid. But it couldn't be helped whether she liked it or not he was part of the team.

"Well, then let's get going. Would you like me to escort you the whole way?" Loke asked as he bowed, holding his hand out, palm facing up.

"You don't have to stay. I'll be fine on my own." Lucy said as they walked.

Loke sighed but fell into step beside her. "I'll stay. I've missed being on Earthland." Loke said, walking with his hands in his pockets.

Lucy giggled but nodded. She knew he wasn't going to leave anyway. So she didn't push. They walked alongside each other through the forest before reaching the treeline's edge in silence. Breaking through the last of the trees Lucy covered her forehead with her arm to shield her eyes from the sun's brightness. After a few seconds, they started walking again in silence. Neither one was willing to break it.

Loke knew her heart was still hurting, but he didn't want to leave her alone. She cried when she was alone. He hated seeing her tears. So, as often as he could, he stayed by her side as a reminder that she was never alone.

Lucy looked on with sad eyes as she sighed. She missed her friends. It took her a while to figure out that it wasn't because of her that they all left. They had their own problems. But it still hurt that none of them thought to bring her with them. It stung to think that she wasn't that important to them. That they didn't even think of her.

"Let's go," Lucy said, stepping away from the trees. She knew Loke was right behind her. After a mile, she felt him tense as they were walking. "What's wrong?" Lucy asked as she fell back to his side.

"Something feels off," Loke said, his eyes darting around, trying to find something out of place. "Do you sense anything?" Loke asked.

Lucy looked around, scanning the area. She felt slight magic levels but nothing that seemed to be anywhere near them.

"Not really," Lucy said. She could feel her muscles tense as one of the few magic levels seemed to get closer and stronger. "Maybe we should run," Lucy said, looking behind her.

"Yeah, I agree. It's coming in fast." Loke agreed with a nod.

Lucy nodded as they took off into a run. "Go back!" Lucy called over her shoulder, noticing Loke was behind her.

Loke shook his head. "No, keep going. If they get too close, I'll hold them off. Blue Pegasus isn't much further! Keep going!" Loke shouted as she slid to stop and turned to face the direction the enemy was coming from.

"But-" Lucy tried to argue.

"No buts! Go!" Loke growled as his fists glowed.

Lucy wanted to stop and help, but seeing the look on Loke's face, she knew he wouldn't let her. She gritted her teeth as tears welled in the corners of her eyes, but she turned and kept on running.

She could see the Blue Pegasus guild hall from where she was. It wasn't much further, but that's when she felt Loke get sent back to the spirit world. She slid to a stop with her eyes wide in horror. She wanted to turn back around, but Loke's words echoed in her head, telling her to keep going.

Lucy clenched her fists at her sides and gritted her teeth as she fought with herself from running back. She pushed herself forward back into a run as she headed for the guildhall up ahead.

She felt the ground under her feet shake, causing her to stop to keep her balance. She looked behind her and saw a giant mantis coming her way. Her eyes were wide in fear as she saw a man sitting on top of the mantis with an evil grin on his face.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" The man's voice reached her ears. His voice sent a chill down her spine. "Such a pretty little girl. You'll make a nice addition to my master's collection." The man said as the mantis marched closer.

Lucy stared up at the mantis and noticed a hole straight through the creature's middle. She looked up at the man and saw the light from the sun come through a hole in the middle of him.

They're dead?!

That was impossible, wasn't it? She'd seen it before, but that was during the battle with Tartaros. But they defeated those demons. There was no way any of them survived, could it?

Lucy took a step back and another as she slowly backed away. She didn't know how to handle this. All she did know was she had to defeat the caster to stop them. And she didn't know where they were. But they had to be close, right? Her only choice was to try and make it to Blue Pegasus.

Lucy gritted her teeth before she spun around and took off running toward the guild that was up ahead. She heard the man cackle behind her before she felt something coming down next to her. She jumped to the side just as the Mantis' giant razor-like claw came down at her. But she wasn't fast enough. It still caught her arm. She fell to the ground and rolled out of the way as she clutched her arm. The cut was shallow but went from her shoulder to her elbow.

"Damn it!" Lucy hissed as she pushed up to her feet. "That stings." She whimpered.

Lucy glared up at the man before turning and trying to run again. She couldn't think of any of her spirits that could help stop that thing, especially if they were really dead and being controlled. She needed a distraction, if anything.

"There's nowhere to run, little girl!" The man cackled.

Lucy's hand flew to her key pouch and pulled out a gold key. She pointed it in front of her as it glowed.

"Scorpio!" Lucy shouted as Scorpio appeared a few feet in front of her. "Blind him!" Lucy shouted as she ran past him.

Scorpio nodded. His face wasn't his usual cocky smirk. He was serious as he fell to his hands and knees.

"Sand Buster!" Scorpio shouted as a tunnel of sand shot from his tail. It hit the man in his eyes, stopping him from advancing. "Hurry, Lucy!" Scorpio yelled over his shoulder, watching as Lucy clutched her bleeding arm. His eyes shot wide as he felt his sand attack get cut in half. "Shit!" Scorpio muttered under his breath.

Lucy ran her eyes closed tight, not wanting to look back because she knew it wasn't going to be good. She held back her tears and continued to run up the hill. She thought she was going to make it until she felt the pull on her magic that indicated Scorpio's return to the spirit world.

Against her better judgment, she stopped and turned around. Her eyes widened as she watched the Mantis' giant claw coming straight at her. She didn't have time to move or run. She closed her eyes and waited for the hit. It came quicker than she had thought it would. The claw sliced across her body from her right shoulder to her left hip. The impact sent her flying backward.

A barrier around the Blue Pegasus guildhall glowed while Lucy's guild mark on her hand glowed as she passed through the barrier, slamming through the front doors.

Master Bob stood behind the bar, wiping down a glass in his hand. He watched his guild members around the guild. His primary focus was on his newest members. They came from his fellow guild master and old friend's guild. He was surprised when the group showed up at his doorstep but welcomed them all the same.

They were known as the Thunder Legion of Fairy Tail. The team consisted of Freed, Bickslow, Evergreen, and their leader, Laxus Dreyar, Fairy Tail's master's grandson.

Master Bob wanted to chuckle at the sight of Laxus barely holding back his scowl when the females gathered around him. Freed stood there with an amused smile as he poured drinks. Bickslow sat at the bar, trying not to laugh at his leader and friend's discomfort. Evergreen hid her face behind her fan as she stood by the table, ready to send the females packing when she thought Laxus would blow.

Freed straightened suddenly as his head snapped toward the door. Laxus's ear twitched as he pushed the girls away, jumping to his feet. Laxus was by Freed's side instantly.

"What is it?" Laxus asked.

Freed opened his mouth to answer, but something came flying through the doors and crashing at their feet with a scream of pain. No, not something. Someone.

"Lucy?!" Evergreen gasped as she pushed between them. "Lucy, are you okay?!" Evergreen asked in a panic as her hand hovered over her.

Evergreen didn't know where to touch her after seeing a puddle of blood quickly forming under the blonde. Soon, the boys were kneeling beside her, looking the blonde over.

"What happened to her?!" Freed asked no one in particular.

Laxus' nose twitched. "What the?!" Laxus mumbled as he lifted his gaze to where the doors were. He saw a man with a giant mantis slowly approaching the guild. Laxus's face screwed up into a scowl. "They don't smell right," Laxus stated.

Lucy whimpered, which drew their attention as they watched her try to push up from the floor. Her arms were shaking at trying to hold her weight.

"Easy, Lucy, you're safe now," Evergreen said softly as she tried to help Lucy up. Evergreen gasped when she saw her arm and the front of her. "Oh my!" Evergreen choked.

Lucy gritted her teeth as she lifted her head and glared at the man on the other side of the doors. She tried to push away from Evergreen, only to fall on her stomach again, causing her to hiss in pain.

"Th-Th-They're d-d-dead." Lucy managed to get out as she tried to push up again.

"Huh?! They look alive to me." Bickslow said, confused.

"L-L-Look again." Lucy gasped as Evergreen slid her arm under her arms to prop her up.

"She's right. They're dead." Laxus said, standing up as he rolled his shoulders. He's been itching for a fight. "Stay with her. I'll handle this." Laxus growled but stopped and looked down when he felt something tug at his pant leg.

"N-N-No. F-F-Find. C-C-Caster." Lucy gasped as she tried not to curl into herself.

"They can't get past the barrier, so we should be safe," Freed said, still kneeling by Lucy's side. His hands were ready to help Evergreen. "Let's get you looked at." Freed suggested with a small smile.

Lucy whimpered when she felt Evergreen start to pull her up. "N-N-No." Lucy moaned in pain. The guild shook as the mantis slammed his giant claw down onto the barrier. "I-I-It wo-o-on't hold." Lucy whimpered as she lifted her gaze to the enemy outside.

"How do we stop something that is already dead?" Bickslow asked, standing up in a protective stance. Bickslow's eyes glowed before he stumbled back. "There's no souls." He whispered. He ground his teeth as he straightened. "They don't have souls." He said louder for the others to hear.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are, girly!" The man sang with a cackle. "You'll make a perfect specimen for my master!" He continued.

The Thunder Legion all looked at Lucy before they looked back at the man with anger clear on their faces.

"If they're being controlled, Lucy is right. You need to find the caster to stop them." Hibiki said as he came up next to Bickslow.

"And where the hell would they be?" Bickslow asked with a growl.

Lucy felt the skin of her collarbone burn. 'Concentrate.' A voice whispered in her head.

'What?' Lucy answered back.

'You need to concentrate. Concentrate on the power I gave you before.' The voice came through clearer this time. She knew this voice, and it almost brought tears to her eyes. It was Aquarius' voice. One she missed terribly. 'Before you do that, tell the lightning mage there to get ready.' Aquarius said.

Lucy blinked a few times before she gave in and trusted what she was being told. She gritted her teeth and pushed off of Evergreen.

"L-L-Laxus." Lucy gasped. "Get r-r-ready." Lucy managed to say as she held herself up with shaky arms.

"What?!" Laxus asked in confusion.

Lucy clenched her fists. "Just be ready!" Lucy snapped as she fought the pain.

Laxus blinked rapidly. He was definitely confused. What could she do in her state? She couldn't summon her spirits. She didn't feel like she had enough magic for that. Well, that was before he felt her magic rise rapidly.

Lucy closed her eyes as she concentrated on the burning at her collarbone. She felt the magic power build like it did before. It surrounded her, making her form glow. Her clothes changed in a flash. A bikini top that sported a zigzag design with frilled, dark sleeves secured around her upper arm by a ribbon and a frilled, dark miniskirt, and around said miniskirt was a ribbon tied in a bow that kept it secure. Her hair was tied up in half pigtails, and sandals appeared on her feet. Aquarius' zodiac sign appeared across her collarbone.

Lucy's eyes snapped open as she narrowed them ahead of her. She listened as Aquarius' voice instructed her on how to use the power she was given.

"Whoa!" Bickslow gasped as he stepped back.

The sudden change of Lucy's clothes made all of them jump back. Well, except Laxus. He stayed put next to her. He just looked at her with a tilt of his head.

Lucy lifted her hand as she supported herself with the other. She gritted her teeth as she raised her magic higher. She only had one chance at this. She could hardly keep her eyes open at this point.

"Aqua Metria!" Lucy shouted as her magic surged forward.

The ground outside the guildhall shook and rippled like ocean waves.

'That's it. Now, push more!' Aquarius ordered.

"Burst!" Lucy shouted as the ground exploded with geysers of water. "Now, Laxus!" Lucy snapped, fighting to keep the attack going.

Laxus looked toward the doors and saw geysers all over the forest for miles, it looked like. His eyes widened, but he shook his head and held his hand out. Lightning cracked around his hand. He shot a lightning bolt out as it hit one of the geysers. He hoped that all of them were connected and that he didn't need to summon an entire lightning storm. Thankfully, the lightning hit the one geyser, spreading across every geyser that could be seen.

The man's eyes widened as he was blasted away. His and the mantis' bodies being torn apart. The scream lodged in his throat as his body fell to the ground.

The group looked through the door and saw the man and the mantis weren't moving. Their bodies in pieces. Everyone exhaled a sigh of relief. They all turned to look at Lucy, who was breathing heavily before her arm dropped with her eyes. Her body went limp and fell toward the ground. Evergreen and Freed were quick. They caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Let's get her into the infirmary quickly now." Master Bob said as he clapped his hands. "Hibiki, you and Ren, please dispose of the trash outside." He ordered as he floated toward a set of double doors in the back of the guild hall.

Laxus bent down and picked Lucy up. "I've got her," Laxus said, standing straight before following Master Bob.

Evergreen gave Freed a knowing smile, and he nodded in return. Bickslow chuckled under his breath as the three of them followed.

Laxus walked up to a bed and laid Lucy on it. He stepped back as Master Bob approached the bed and looked her over.

"We're not exactly equipped to handle something like this." Master Bob said with a sigh.

A flash of light appeared behind them, causing them to turn to be greeted by the sight of a familiar ginger-haired spirit.

"Loke," Freed said with a nod of his head.

"If you can get to Lamia Scale, Wendy is there," Loke said, looking sadly at his key holder.

Laxus nodded before heading toward the door. He knew he was the only one who could get there the fastest.

"What happened, Loke?" Evergreen asked, leaning her hip against the bed Lucy laid on.

"We were ambushed. I held them off as much as I could. But I wasn't able to hold them off long. I got sent back." Loke said sullenly. "She called Scorpio for a distraction, but even that didn't work. I told her to try to get here as fast as she could. But she couldn't outrun them." Loke growled as he clenched his fists at his sides. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have left her run alone. I should have protected her." Loke croaked.

The sound of a thunderclap echoed around them, indicating Laxus' exit.

"You did your best, Loke. You can't beat yourself up over it. She made it here. That's what matters." Freed said reassuringly.

"We'll take care of her, don't worry. She's still our guild mate, after all." Evergreen said with a soft smile.

Loke nodded as he looked at the ground in shame. He couldn't help thinking it was his fault for not protecting her as he promised.

"She's strong. I mean, you must be to survive being around Natsu all that time." Bickslow said with a shrug.

Loke's head snapped to him with a growl. "Don't mention that idiot's name. Ever! Especially in front of Lucy!" Loke snapped.

Everyone's eyes went wide as they stared at Loke. His reaction unsettled them.

"What happened? Where is he anyway?" Freed asked.

Loke scoffed. "He left. We have no idea where he is." Loke growled.

Everyone nodded in understanding. They knew not to push the subject. Not if Loke was reacting like this.

"Now, now, children. No fighting. It's not good for the patient." Master Bob said calmly.

Lucy whimpered as her body trembled in pain. Her breaths were coming to short puffs and hisses. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move.

"We'll take care of her, Loke. Don't worry." Evergreen said with a sad smile before turning her gaze back to the blonde on the bed. "She's safe here. We won't let anything happen to her. You have our word." She continued with determination in her voice.

Loke nodded. "Thank you." He croaked. Loke looked around, noticing one of the members was missing. "Where's Ichiya?" Loke asked.

"He's out. He won't be back for a few days. Now, I wish he would have waited to leave. Or that you guys were a few hours earlier." Master Bob said with a sigh, resting his chin in his hand.

Loke sighed. If he had known they were going to get attacked on the way there, they would have left sooner, but then again, who knows if that would have helped.

The sound of a thunderclap drew everyone's attention to the front of the guildhall.

"Laxus is back." Bickslow chuckled.

"Laxus! Please put me down! You can't just kidnap someone!" They heard the familiar voice of the tiny sky dragon slayer.

Laxus burst through the door, setting Wendy down next to the bed and pointing to the body on the bed.

"Fix her," Laxus growled tensely.

Wendy huffed. "You expect me to-" Wendy started to say as she turned her head when the words died on her tongue. She saw the mangled form of her dear friend Lucy lying there, covered in blood and a giant gash across her torso and on her arm. "What happened!" Wendy cried as she put her glowing hands out.

"She was attacked. We were on our way here to see if Master Bob had any requests that no one wanted. But we were ambushed." Loke said, stepping up next to Wendy.

Wendy gritted her teeth as her eyes narrowed in concentration. "This one on her torso isn't healing right. It's like something is blocking it from healing." Wendy muttered. She clenched her eyes tight as she concentrated on finding the source of the problem. She tilted her head as she found nothing. She couldn't figure out why it wasn't healing. "You may have to find Ms. Porlyusica. I can't find what's stopping it from healing." Wendy said over her shoulder to Laxus.

Laxus nodded before heading out the doors again. He wasn't wasting time, not when a guild mate's life was on the line.

"If you can't heal her, what will happen?" Loke asked, his voice raspy.

"The most I can do is try to stop the bleeding, and hopefully, it will heal on its own. Now, I wish Laxus would have grabbed Sherria, too. She'd be helpful, too. We work best together." Wendy said, a smile coming to her face at the mention of her friend.

"We'll send Laxus back to Lamia Scale once he returns with Ms. Porlyusica. Not that he will be happy about it. But if it'll help Lucy, he will." Freed said, smiling fondly at the blonde on the bed.

Wendy nodded as she continued trying to heal the gash through Lucy's torso. She noticed that the one on her arm closed with no problem. She couldn't figure it out, and it was starting to frustrate her. That was until she heard the echo of the thunderclap that sounded outside.

"About time," Wendy muttered. Freed chuckled as he watched a scolding pink-haired healer walk in behind an annoyed-looking Laxus. "Ms. Porlyusica," Wendy called out over her shoulder, gaining the woman's attention. "It's Lucy." She added.

The healer sighed and walked over before gasping. "What happened?!" She snapped. Loke sighed before relaying the story over again. "And you're having problems healing this wound?" She asked Wendy.

Wendy nodded. "I can't figure out why. I tried locating the problem, but nothing seemed wrong. It just won't heal." Wendy explained.

Porlyusica nodded before looking over the wound. The edges looked a deep purple. Only one thing would cause anything to be that color.

"Poison? The edges." Porlyusica said, pointing at the wound's edges.

"I checked. I didn't find any." Wendy said. "But it feels like my magic is being blocked. I got the bleeding to stop, but that's it." Wendy explained.

"Blocked, you said?" Loke asked. Wendy nodded. Loke nodded and walked over to Lucy's head. He placed his hands around her face. "Lucy. Drop Aquarius' power. You're safe." Loke whispered in her ear. Loke listened to Lucy's breathing as it slowed as her magic level dropped and her clothes changed back to normal. "Good girl," Loke whispered, removing his hands from her face.

Just as Lucy's clothes changed and the magic she held onto was released, the gash started healing instantly.

Wendy gasped. "How did you know?" Wendy asked.

"I didn't notice she was still using her magic. It was to protect herself." Loke explained.

"You said Aquarius' power? What did you mean by that?" Freed asked, his eyes shining with curiosity.

"Oh boy. Here we go." Laxus grumbled with a sigh before sitting in a chair by the head of the bed, glaring at everyone who was too close to Lucy for his liking. But they were helping her so he couldn't say anything. "Can you wait till we make sure Lucy's all right before you bombard him with questions?" Laxus asked with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Freed's face fell as he nodded, feeling dejected. He really wanted to know what that power was that Lucy used. It was different but similar to Erza's requip. It just made him want to know more.

"There! Done." Wendy said with a heavy sigh of relief. "I healed her, but..." Wendy started, unsure how to explain. She sighed. "I was able to heal it, but I can't get the scar to disappear. It's because it took so long to heal it. I'm sorry." Wendy explained, hanging her head.

"It's all right, Wendy. Thank you for helping my master." Loke said with a bow.

Wendy smiled. "You're welcome." She said before looking around the room and noticing that someone was missing. "Where's Natsu? I thought he would be with Lucy." Wendy asked.

Loke growled at hearing the name before clearing his throat. "Please, don't speak his name, especially in front of Lucy. It will just upset her." Loke explained softly.

Wendy's face fell. "Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know." Wendy mumbled, looking down.

"Let's move to the bar. Let Lucy get some rest, and you guys can get some food. You have to be hungry." Master Bob said, ushering everyone out of the room. He looked behind him to notice Laxus still sitting on the chair by Lucy's bedside. He sighed. "She's not going anywhere. Let the girl rest in peace." Master Bob scolded lightly.

Laxus shook his head. And that was the only answer Master Bob would get since Laxus refused even to look his way. Master Bob sighed and continued to the bar to get everyone something to eat.

"So, Loke. Tell us what's going on." Bickslow asked.

Loke sighed. "Where to begin?" Loke mumbled. He really didn't want to try and explain everything without talking to Lucy first. "We left Magnolia about a month after everyone else did. Lucy was hoping that someone was going to come for her. Ask her to go with them. But no one showed up. Since then, Lucy has felt abandoned. Rejected. Every negative emotion you can name, she felt it. And in extension, so did we. Whatever she feels, so do we." Loke explained.

"We didn't even know she was still there. We thought she left with who shall not be named." Evergreen said.

"Yeah, otherwise, we would have invited her to come with us," Bickslow added.

Loke smiled sadly. "Thanks. For what it's worth. Natsu just left a note saying that he'll be back in a year's time. And to keep the guild safe. Lo and behold, that was the day Master broke up the guild. She was lost without the guild and everyone she called friends." Loke said, looking back toward the doors.

"She's welcome to stay here if she likes. I wouldn't mind having more of Maky's family here." Master Bob said with a smile, setting plates in front of everyone. He looked over behind the group. "Jenny. Can you take this to Laxus? He's still with Lucy." Master Bob said, handing the plate to the blonde who came up and took the plate.

"No funny business." Evergreen snapped as she watched Jenny's eyes twinkle. Jenny huffed before she turned and headed toward the doors that led to the infirmary. "I'm hoping he shocks her," Evergreen grumbled with narrowed eyes.

Freed and Bickslow chuckled while Loke looked confused.

Leaning back in the chair with his arms crossed across his chest and his eyes closed, Laxus sat beside Lucy's bed. He smelled the girl coming before she even stepped through the door.

"Set the plate down and leave," Laxus growled without opening his eyes.

Jenny gasped. "Is that any way to talk to a guild mate?" Jenny purred, walking further into the room.

Laxus growled again, letting lightning spark around him to make a point. He hoped she would take the hint so he wouldn't have to send her flying through the doors.

"I said leave," Laxus said again.

Jenny sighed. "Why are you always so grumpy? I'm only trying to be nice." Jenny snapped before setting the plate down on the table next to him.

"I'm not interested. Now, leave." Laxus snapped, still not opening his eyes. He heard her heels click against the floor as she exited the room. "Finally." Laxus sighed. He opened his eyes and looked over to Lucy. "Everyone's gone. You can open your eyes." Laxus said.

"It hurts to move," Lucy whined.

"That's what happens when you get sliced by a giant razor." Laxus chuckled.

"Very funny," Lucy grumbled. "Why are you here?" Lucy asked, turning her head toward him.

"Didn't know where else to go since Gramps broke up the guild," Laxus said with a shrug.

Lucy sighed. "Not here as in the guild. Here in this room with me?" Lucy asked.

"Too many people out there. It's too noisy." Laxus said simply.

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "You never seemed to mind it before." Lucy accused.

Laxus shrugged. "That was different. That was home. This isn't." Laxus explained.

Lucy nodded, closing her eyes. She was exhausted. But her stomach had other ideas. It growled loudly, making Lucy snap her eyes open, and her face turned red.

Laxus chuckled, grabbed the plate, and stood up. "Hungry?" He asked, standing by the bed. He helped her sit up and lay back against the pillows to keep her in a sitting position. "I have no idea what Master Bob made, but his food's not totally bad. It's not Mira's, but it's better than nothing." Laxus said, setting the plate on her lap.

"It's fine. Thank you." Lucy muttered, looking down, trying to rid herself of the memories of her time at Fairy Tail. Lucy took a bite and scrunched her nose up. "It's definitely no Mira's," Lucy mumbled before taking another bite.

Laxus sat back in the chair by her bedside. "I heard what Loke told the others. They want you to stay. What do you want to do?" Laxus asked.

Lucy stopped mid-chew, staring wide-eyed at him. What did she want to do? She wasn't sure if she wanted to keep traveling or to just stay. What would be better? She didn't know.

Lucy sighed after finishing chewing. "I don't know." She finally answered.

Laxus narrowed his eyes at her before his lips twitched into a slight smirk. It was written all over her face what she really wanted.

Laxus chuckled. "We can always head back to Magnolia. Rebuild Fairy Tail." Laxus said with a shrug, laying his head back to look at the ceiling.

Lucy started coughing as he said the words. "What?!" Lucy asked in a croak with her eyes wide in disbelief.

Laxus let his head fall forward and smirked at her. "That's what you really want, isn't it? To bring back Fairy Tail?" Laxus asked with a tilt of his head.

Lucy looked down. "It's impossible," Lucy muttered, placing the plate down, only being able to finish half of it.

"Why?" Laxus asked.

"Everyone's gone," Lucy whispered, the pain in her voice clear as day to his ears.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Laxus stated. He tilted his head. "We can always send out flyers advertising the return of Fairy Tail. Everyone is bound to come back eventually." Laxus said with a shrug.

Lucy looked over at him. He was being nice. She couldn't explain why, but it felt familiar. He was willing to help her bring back Fairy Tail even though she thought it was impossible. But what would stop him from leaving again? What would stop everyone from leaving again?

"Why?" Lucy asked. "Why would you want to help me bring back Fairy Tail?" Lucy continued.

Laxus thought about it. There was really only one answer.

"Because it's Home."

Well, That's that chapter.

I really hope this story turns out better than the last time I tried to write it.

Let me know if you want me to continue this one or not.

I mean, it's not my best work, but maybe it'll get better.

Here's hoping!