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October 4th, X778

Natsu felt he could breathe again for the first time in days. The knife was gone, no longer twisting in his chest. He could hardly take his eyes off of Lucy as she slept soundly beside him, nestled beneath some blankets with Wendy on her either side. Lucy and Wendy had tucked as close as they could to the fire to keep warm, and Natsu had decided to sit beside them while they slept, keeping an eye out. Natsu occasionally found himself stroking the long golden hair that curled messily around Lucy's sleeping face, wishing he could touch Valhalla again – if only to attain some power that would help her stay warm.

A deep sigh across the fire drew Natsu's attention. He scowled, glaring sharply at Gray. Gray had been watching him for hours now, since he'd first shown back up. Natsu hadn't missed the strange look on his face here and there. "What?"

Gray merely blinked, saying almost kindly, "I knew it was a bad idea to leave you guys on your own."

He wasn't talking about what had happened to Lucy. He couldn't be. He didn't know what had happened there. No, Natsu knew full well what Gray was talking about, and he gritted out, "Stay out of it, Gray." His relationship with Lucy was no one else's business but theirs.

Natsu was fairly sure Gray insulted him under his breath. He didn't bother to fire one back. He simply continued to run his fingers through Lucy's hair in gentle sweeps. It seemed to help her sleep better; in fact, the nightmares never seemed to strike her as hard when he was close, something he was immensely proud of.

Gray rocked back, leaning on his hands. He stretched his legs towards the fire, considering what he wanted to say before he finally opened his mouth. "What's your plan then, Natsu?" Natsu frowned, confused. "If things go back to what they're supposed to be, and you have to return to Valhalla. What's your plan?"

Natsu nearly barked out a laugh. "I don't have a plan, because it's not going to happen." He paused when Lucy stirred, mumbling something. His lips twitched. He was fairly sure whatever she was dreaming about was related to Happy, because the cat lifted his head in response to his name almost immediately. After a moment, Happy settled back down, nestled comfortably between Wendy and Lucy with Charle.

When they'd both settled back into slumber, Natsu said slowly, "Mavis clearly doesn't care what happens here." Anger burned with each word. "Or she wouldn't have let things get so bad here. She wouldn't have allowed the ones simply trying to survive to become Vhalis, and she wouldn't have let those that like hurting others to live. And since we're here, it clearly means she doesn't give a damn about what happens to us. So I don't have a plan, Gray, because it's not going to happen. What I am going to plan on is how to make sure Lucy and Wendy stay safe, because they need me when Valhalla doesn't. That's all that matters right now."

He fully expected a scolding, or for Gray to argue that he shouldn't think like that. Instead, Gray simply studied him again. Ever watching, judging, whatever he was doing, and this time, Natsu didn't think badly about it. Rather, he liked that Gray was trying to understand his view without simply bypassing it entirely. Quietly, Gray said, "Lucy's arms…what happened to you guys?"

And for some reason, Natsu told him. He told Gray about what had happened, from the moment they last saw one another at Hyacinth to when the avalanche had separated them all. He detailed their time with Gajeel and saving Levy, the travels between, everything. Never did Gray interrupt, listening to the whole story without so much as a glimpse into what he was thinking.

When Natsu finished, Gray winced. "I'm glad Levy's okay, but damn." He cast Lucy a thoughtful look, as if reconsidering her actions and responses while they'd been searching for Wendy and Natsu. "It explains a lot, I guess."

Natsu played with a lock of Lucy's hair. "I won't let it happen again," he said fiercely.

Gray eyed him for a few moments, as if debating what he should say. Finally, he sighed, "You can't stop everything from happening to them, Natsu. Especially not in times like these. The best you'll be able to do is try not to, but they're human. Lucy is human."

"Which is why we're going to Igneel. Igneel will know what to do to make sure nothing like that happens again."

Gray inclined his head, choosing not to argue with him about it. They fell into a thoughtful silence before Gray broke it again. "Erza tried to go to Valhalla recently." Natsu snapped a shocked look in his direction. Erza was a spirit, not a goddess. Spirits couldn't enter Valhalla without permission. "She just wanted to see what she could find out. She couldn't even get close before she found herself back in Hel. Whatever's happening up there, Natsu…we think it might be getting worse. To the point that whatever it is might cross over to this world. And if that happens…" He trailed off, not needing to finish. It would be bad.

"Is Mavis even in Valhalla?" The words blurted from him suddenly, before he could even really consider them. He'd never heard of Valhalla reacting so violently, even to a spirit that hadn't been invited there. It wasn't a thought he'd considered previously. He, and everyone else, had just presumed that Mavis had kicked them to the curb and then locked herself away. But if she wasn't in Valhalla–

Gray rocked upright, mouth open. "She is Valhalla. If she wasn't there, that could explain a lot, actually. Who's to say there even is a Valhalla to go back to if she's not there?"

"It's there though," Natsu pointed out, exchanging an uneasy look with Gray. "I touched it. Erza touched it if it sent her away. But still…" He exhaled softly, running a hand through his hair. How hadn't they thought of this sooner? "Mavis has never left Valhalla. Never. Not since I ascended, at least. Igneel might know something though. He's been around longer than I have." Hope sparked, but was accompanied by a violent jolt of concern.

If they had accidentally come up with an explanation for the Fall…then what did that mean for Lucy and Wendy? Would they stumble across something that would put them in more danger?

As if reading Natsu's mind, Gray said, "I know Hyacinth didn't work out–"

Natsu cut him off. "Lucy won't go back there. Maybe for supplies, but not to stay, and I won't make her either." He rolled his eyes, annoyed they'd stumbled back into a conversation on what he would or wouldn't do with the humans in his care. "We're going to visit Igneel, and then we're going to maybe try and find Grandeeney, and I don't know what we're going to do afterwards, but we'll figure it out."

He didn't question if Gray was or wasn't coming, figuring he'd tag along or he wouldn't. He didn't think Lucy or Wendy would mind if he came, and if that's what they wanted…he'd be alright with that. Besides, Gray helped keep the Vhalis away. It would certainly help them stay a little safer during their trek through the mountains.

And, it seemed, Gray would be coming, because he suddenly grinned, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. "You guys can't seem to keep out of trouble, so I guess I'll tag along." He watched Natsu for a few moments, and then added, "I won't tell you what you probably already know about the rules, Natsu. You know what I think. Just…don't try and come after us when things go sideways one day. You hear me? Favored or not, she's human, and she's going to be gone one day. You don't get to blame us for doing our job when it happens."

The defensive feeling that had been rising in Natsu vanished as he simply glared half-heartedly at Gray. "It won't happen, so I won't have to blame you for doing anything."

The words came out uncertain.

Because Gray was right. The last time they'd had this conversation, Gray had been harsher about it, but he'd challenged him. Maybe it was because Gray felt some sympathy towards what had happened with Erigor. Maybe it was because Natsu's relationship with Lucy had swiveled so sharply left from what it had been the last time they'd encountered one another. Maybe it was because Gray felt that the likelihood of fixing things for Valhalla and the gods was as doomed as Natsu thought it was now.

"And when Erza comes for your human friend?" he'd asked the last time they'd had this talk.

Natsu had replied, "I'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

That bridge had very nearly snapped right beneath them when he'd stood there helplessly, watching Levy prepare to slit Lucy's throat right in front of him – when an avalanche had come and swept them all away, leaving him to wonder if he'd ever see his Lucy again.

Even now, that bridge was straining beneath Lucy's infected knife wound, if what Wendy had explained to him was true.

Quite suddenly, that knife was twisting in his chest yet again, and Natsu found it hard to breathe.

The look on Lucy's face must have said quite a lot about what she was thinking when Gray dropped the heavy body of a lean deer at the top of their hollow and began butchering it without a second thought. He was already grinning when he said, "You can't be serious, Lucy. Have none of you thought about hunting for yourselves in the whole time you've been running around?"

"Hey! Unlike you," said Lucy defensively, "I come from a time in which we didn't have to hunt for food! I wouldn't know the first thing about tracking a deer through the wilds, let alone how to kill it. I had the privilege of 'hunting' a cereal box when someone moved the groceries between different aisles, and then finding out the cereal I spent so much time finding wasn't even the one I wanted in the first place." Lucy wasn't even sure if she could bring herself to actually kill the creature – though it wouldn't stop her from figuring out how to eat it.

Once Gray finished the hard part, of course.

"Same," said Wendy wistfully. "I miss the cookie aisle. I did fish a little when I was stuck in the cave you found me in though."

"That excuses you two," said Gray drily, rolling his eyes at them and likely not knowing what Lucy and Wendy meant by half of what they'd said, "but what about you, Natsu?"

Natsu wrinkled his nose, nearly looking offended as he retorted, "I followed Igneel. I didn't hunt." He said the word like it was an insult.

Gray looked amongst the three he found himself with and threw his hands in the air. Lucy winced at the blood on his hands. "How the hell did you three even survive this long?!"

"Where did you get a knife?" Lucy chose to fire back, eyeing the large knife he carried warily. Her last experience with one hadn't gone well. He had a hunting knife, she was fairly sure it was called. She thought she'd seen them here and there, on TV or on display in some stores. She had no desire to get anywhere near it, though she trusted Gray knew what he was doing with it and had no intentions of harming anyone with it.

"I found it." Gray paused to inspect the knife with a thoughtful look. "I liked it, so I figured I'd keep it. Just in case."

Wendy looked a little ill as she took in the blood on the knife, seeming thankful she couldn't see the rest of what was happening to the deer's carcass. "Why would you need a knife though? You're a god. You can just freeze everything."

Wryly, Gray asked, "You guys really want to question the guy that's single-handedly getting you more food to eat?"

"...not really," said Wendy, turning away quickly.

Determined to do something productive despite the fact that she'd been told several times to rest, Lucy decided to do as she'd done several times in the past and began carefully dumping out their backpacks, wanting to get an idea of just how low on supplies they might be. "Here," she said, shoving a map at Natsu as he settled beside her to help, used to her determination to constantly inventory their supplies. "See if you can figure out where we are, Natsu."

He smoothed the map out in his lap and instantly pointed to a location, much to Lucy's surprise. "I know where we are," he said, tapping that spot. When Lucy gawked at him, he rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Luce. I grew up around here. Looks a little different, but it's hard to miss Mount Hakobe. It's that mountain there." He pointed, and Lucy looked.

Sure enough, he'd indicated a particular mountain – one that was no more than another one or two full days of travel away. Lucy could have wept from the sheer relief at the thought. They were shockingly close, and hadn't even known it since he'd not told them sooner. She'd been right; get Natsu close enough, and he'd know his way through the mountains even better than she'd initially anticipated.

"We should leave first thing in the morning then," Lucy said, excited. She began eagerly sorting through items. "If we pushed it–"

"Which we shouldn't do," warned Wendy firmly. "Your fever broke this morning, but you're not going to get any better by pushing yourself too hard, Lucy."

"– then we could get there by the day after tomorrow," finished Lucy. She met Wendy's gaze firmly, though she wavered beneath Wendy's shockingly sharp glare. "Then we'd have a safe place to rest for an extended period of time – and look at it! There's hardly any snow, which means it might be warm there."

"It's a volcano," Gray snorted. "Only you guys would think camping on a volcano is safe."

Natsu furrowed his brow as he considered everything, and then bypassed Lucy, who's mouth fell open, and instead asked Wendy, "Do you think it'd be worth it, Wendy? Pushing hard to get somewhere like that?"

Lucy tried to not be irritated with him for bypassing her opinion on her own health and what she should or shouldn't do. He was just worried and trying to do what was best. Then again…Lucy admitted she wasn't the best self-critic about her health and knowing how well she could do. She'd pushed herself too hard time and time again, both before and after the avalanche.

Wendy considered what Lucy had suggested for a few moments before admitting, "It would be nice if it were actually warmer there… I mean, we wouldn't have to fight cold temperatures so much. Though I don't know how much Gray would affect that."

"Hey," called Gray, still carefully working on butchering the deer he'd caught for them. "It's not my fault I radiate the cold like Natsu does heat." A pause. "Or, at least, like Natsu used to radiate heat."

Natsu bristled at the small jibe, but Lucy was quick to hurry the conversation past the budding argument. She didn't want to risk more bickering after they'd just gotten away from Gajeel and his ability to start an argument over everything and anything he felt like. "I think we should do it," declared Lucy, arguing her point. "There's still a Vhalis running around, too, and even with Gray around, there could be more. I don't think they care so much about him when there's a multitude of them."

She'd never forget the sight of Natsu sprinting down a stretch of beach with a literal horde of nightmares chasing after him.

Wendy seemed to recall the very same thing with a wince. "Still…Lucy, your neck is doing really poorly, and I really don't think we should risk pushing it too hard."

Lucy paused in inventorying their belongings to gently touch the side of her neck, which hurt almost as soon as Wendy reminded her of it. They'd left it open for the time being, returning Natsu's scarf to him so that the wound might breathe a little. Lucy hardly noticed, so used to the constant pain of it, but when Natsu suddenly leaned in to take a peek at it, she saw him wrinkle his nose at the putrid smell emanating from it. "I know," said Lucy quietly, shoulders slumping. "I'd still like to get somewhere we can stay though. So we don't have to stress about being in the open." She'd certainly sleep better. Even if she'd been resting fairly well since finding them again.

Natsu set the maps onto an empty backpack and nudged Lucy with an elbow, as if suggesting, Let me do this. Lucy opened her mouth to protest, but Happy crawled into her lap before she could. Grumbling, Lucy sat back to let him work, fingers running through Happy's strange blue fur.

"What if," said Natsu slowly, "we did both? We break the traveling up. Travel, but stop sooner in the day. Take more breaks if we need to. We're close. We know the way. Mount Hakobe isn't going to go anywhere."

"That sounds reasonable," agreed Lucy, though she was still unhappy about it.

"It's better than either option alone," agreed Wendy just as reluctantly.

No one bothered to see what Gray thought, though Lucy knew he'd been listening as he worked. She wondered what he thought of it all. She didn't ask though – not with Natsu so pleased to have found something they could agree on. He was even humming under his breath for the first time in a few days, pausing occasionally to scratch Happy's ears, tease Wendy, or check on Lucy.

It was as she was forcing a small smile to her face, one that Natsu happily met with a smile of his own, that something snagged her attention, perched high in the trees nearby. A dished white face with a slender, feathered body and black, glistening pools for eyes watched them. It was a beautiful barn owl, something Lucy had never seen before. Her breath caught at the sight of it.

The owl hooted softly before flaring its wings wide, disappearing into the skies. She turned her face to Natsu to ask if he'd seen it, but she knew immediately that he and Wendy hadn't, too lost in their own tasks.

But she caught a glimpse of Gray's face. He'd certainly seen it, for his gaze was still locked on where it had been watching them.

She could have sworn he wore a look of guilt.

AHHH! I'm so excited for what's coming, you guys don't even understand. I've never been so excited to release things in my life. I DO have a time where you guys might get an extra one soon though. ;)

Thanks to reviewers (marn-marn, xennia-x, Jellal Frenandes, takeagamble27, gruntled, Guest #1, and BurstingDragons!) as well as those who favorited and followed!