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October 14th, X778

Natsu considered the crack in the side of the volcanic mountain, wondering if it would be the same path he'd walked countless times so long ago, back when he'd first ascended. He tightened his hand around Wendy's, reassuring himself that she was still there. Wendy squeezed his hand back as she eyed the crevice nervously. "You don't think there's any Vhalis in there, do you, Natsu?" Wendy asked.

Natsu shook his head. "No," he rasped. He'd not talked much as they'd walked. He cleared his throat a little. "No, none of the Vhalis would come here. This is Igneel's home. He wouldn't let them in. We'll be safe here, Wendy, just don't offend him. Okay?"

Wendy's dirty look was half-hearted. Her face was still blotchy from the last bout of tears that had materialized earlier in the day. She'd said nothing, simply crying silently as they'd walked. Natsu hadn't had it in him to address it either, though he'd held her hand then, too.

Taking a deep breath, Natsu ducked inside, calling for Happy and Charle to follow them. It didn't take long for Wendy to turn on a flashlight, wincing at the black that awaited them. They walked along the dark path for some time before she commented softly, "Lucy would have hated this."

The knife that never left twisted sharply, sending agonizing pain spiraling through every piece of his heart. Even so, a small smile kicked up the corners of his lips. Lucy would have definitely hated this. She'd have complained about it the whole time – all while leading the way. "Yeah," he said quietly. "She would have."

He led Wendy deeper into the volcano, until he could feel the heat beginning to curl against his skin. When Wendy felt it, she sucked in a sharp breath. It was the first time she'd felt such heat, he recalled, since the Fall. He couldn't remember what it was like to be truly cold, but Wendy did. She was eager to shed her coat, stopping for just a moment to tie it around her waist.

Eventually, they emerged from the dark path and Wendy gasped.

A temple had been carved into the walls of the cavern, seated comfortably over a bubbling pit of magma that was alarmingly close. Despite the proximity, the heat seemed to linger at a temperature that, while high, wouldn't boil them where they stood. It was a protective spell, placed on the temple by some ancient priestess believed to be one of Igneel's first followers. At least, that's what Natsu had been told when he'd first been allowed to come here. Natsu couldn't recall the details though.

Wendy peered at the magma as they crossed a small platform into the temple. "Igneel won't make it erupt, will he?"

Natsu ruffled her hair, grinning. "He shouldn't. Just don't be rude, and you'll be fine – Happy," he warned when the feline bounded ahead to investigate a small altar in the middle of the open space. Columns supported the ceiling in high arches, but that was about the extent of the decorations outside of that altar. Natsu was pleased to see that despite the centuries since he'd last been there, it was still in beautiful condition.

Happy began batting cautiously at a small marble statuette of a dragon's head, and the world rumbled around them. Cursing, Natsu sprinted across the temple to snag his cat. "Happy!" he scolded.

"What's that?" demanded Wendy, tripping after him. Natsu could see the fear on her face as the ground shook. Charle meowed uneasily as she trotted along at her feet.

"Igneel," said Natsu, glancing about as if he expected the volcano to respond. It didn't, and the rumbling in the earth ended a few moments later. Natsu let out a soft breath of relief, glaring at his purring cat. "Don't touch that stuff, Happy. Claw the trees outside, okay?"

"I distinctly recall a young follower of mine doing much worse to the offerings left in my honor, Natsu."

Natsu stilled, and then whipped around. "Igneel," breathed Natsu, the first smile in days gracing his lips for a heartbeat before disappearing just as quickly. Wendy kept close to him as she turned to look at the source of the voice that thundered over their heads.

Igneel never woke up fully – not since he'd changed everything for Natsu – but his spirit awoke here and there for small fractions of time, clustered in his temple, and usually only for Natsu when he sought Igneel's guidance.

The magma pit beneath the temple grew restless. Hidden beneath the mountain in his temple, Igneel took form in a massive curl of smoke that danced around them, forming the shape of a dragon's horned head. It would be frightening to anyone who didn't know any better, but Natsu did.

Igneel's smokey eyes landed curiously on Wendy as he dipped his head closer to her. "Grandeeney's daughter, born from a brief affair with a mortal man. We once thought your kind was impossible, child."

Wendy smiled shyly, hiding her trembling hands behind her back. "My name's Wendy. Grandeeney told me about you. It's an honor to meet you, Igneel."

Igneel seemed pleased with that. At least he liked Wendy, thought Natsu. Igneel turned his attention back onto Natsu then, affection warming his tone. "The world has changed significantly since I last woke. A twisted soul climbs the slopes of my mountain as we speak, and I cannot recall the last time mavis allowed you to enter this world, Natsu."

Wrath slithered through Natsu's veins at the thought of Mavis. It was her fault – her fault that things had gone so wrong. Had she not disappeared or kicked them from Valhalla or whatever had happened to her, Lucy would be alive. Igneel seemed to read the malice in his face and interest curled from him in the form of a smokey trail. "What happened?" Igneel questioned. "You've not worn such a look on your face since you first became what you are. It appears I've missed more than I thought."

Something about Igneel's kind tone drew the pain right back to the surface, as if it were new and fresh. Natsu sucked in a shuddering breath, blinking furiously to try and prevent the burning tears that resurfaced. Wendy took his hand and gave it an understanding squeeze, which didn't help. He didn't know how he could possibly tell Igneel everything that had happened since he'd been kicked from Valhalla without shattering into a million pieces.

He couldn't tell him.

But Wendy could, and she answered for him.

"We lost our friend, Lucy," she said softly, voice trembling. "Just yesterday."

Understanding flickered across Igneel's shifting features, and he rumbled sympathetically. "I see. A human friend, I'd guess." Wendy nodded, swallowing thickly as she grabbed Charle and hugged her close to her chest. "It's not easy to lose someone, though I'm surprised Mavis would allow such a thing, given Death's experiences."

The fury in his chest tightened and Natsu spits, "She kicked us out of Valhalla, Igneel. Mavis could care less what happens."

"She what?" barked Igneel, alarmed.

"The gods can't go home," Wendy informed him. "They haven't been able to in over a year."

The volcano rumbled around them again, the magma beneath them hissing and bubbling as Igneel reared his smokey head back, cursing in some ancient language even Igneel didn't recognize. Natsu furrowed his brow. Igneel hadn't known about Mavis's actions, but he definitely knew something.

Reluctantly, Igneel lowered his smokey head. "Acnologia," he said slowly, and Natsu's attention sharpened at the familiar name, "was once stolen from his home by his followers thousands of years ago."

Natsu blinked. He remembered those events better than anyone else, except for maybe Igneel. Clearing his throat of the lump of emotion that had formed there, he said,"They tried to give him a corporeal form after his initial one was destroyed by you, right?"

"Yes, and no." Igneel exhaled a trail of smoke, slowly letting it trail through the air. "They failed and ultimately ended up destroying him when they bickered amongst themselves. Some wanted to give Acnologia another life among them, while others wanted him for their own dark desires. In the end, they imprisoned him for too long, and it ultimately destroyed what was left of his spirit. We're not meant to be held in this world in such a way for too long."

Wendy asked hesitantly, "Do you think Mavis was imprisoned like that?"

Igneel's voice was warm when he replied, "I certainly think it isn't impossible. It would take a lot of spells and work I've not seen in millenia, but it isn't impossible. The thought is rather troublesome."

Natsu suppressed a small smile. It was clear Igneel liked Wendy just as much as he did. His small smile faltered when he realized Igneel would have liked Lucy just as much, if not even more. He'd always been particularly fond of his more reckless followers, who acted upon his teachings more than they thought about them.

Igneel suddenly snorted softly. Wendy coughed and waved smoke out of her face as Natsu merely breathed it in, finding comfort in it. "I must return to my slumber now. You may remain here as long as you wish."

Natsu's heart twisted with pain. He'd wanted longer with Igneel, but he knew better than to ask. Remaining awake for too long would result in catastrophe for not just them, but the entire area. The volcano would erupt. Besides that, Igneel had begun to sleep for longer periods of time. Many thought he'd soon fade away, as many spirits had done in the past. "Thank you, Igneel," Natsu said honestly.

Igneel softened and puffed another cloud of smoke, just for him. "I can feel your pain and grief as if it were a thorn in my own chest. Know that while it may not seem like it right now, Natsu, that the pain and loss you feel will fade until memories of that person bring you joy rather than suffering. Take comfort in the fact that you were able to know them at all, even if it was only for a short time."

Once more, Natsu had to steady himself. Quietly, he replied, "She was my Favored – the only one I've ever chosen."

"And much more than that, from the sounds of it." Igneel's smoke curled around him, comforting him in the only way Igneel could. Natsu was grateful for it, though it did nothing to ease the ache that left him feeling hollow. "I would have liked to have met her. She seems like she was a wonderful person – someone special, to have garnered such fondness from the likes of you."

Natsu rubbed at his chest, as if it would help ease that pain. "I think she'd have felt the same."

A familiar tug in his heart led him from Igneel's temple that night. He could feel the possibilities dancing in the air, and at first, he'd wanted to ignore it. He couldn't bear the idea. At the same time, however…

He hoped it might let him feel at least a little closer to Lucy.

So, Natsu crept from the temple as soon as Wendy was settled for the night, stepping out of the mountain and into the cold night air. Happy trotted along at his heels. Natsu suspected Happy was grieving, too; he'd not eaten nearly as much as he usually did at suppertime.

The moment Natsu's gaze touched the sky, color exploded into view. His breath caught as he studied the beautiful aurora borealis as they danced and leaped among the bright stars in a plentitude of colors. Teals and bronzes all mingled and sang a silent song together.

Natsu could remember the precise way the lights had looked as they'd brushed Lucy's face, revealing her joyous expression when he'd shown them to her. "This is incredible," she'd told him. "I always saw pictures of these lights and wished I could see them. I didn't think I'd ever get to before the Fall, let alone after."

The pain threatened to swallow him whole as he recalled the time they'd spent together beneath these lights, and he almost wished he'd not done it. He almost wished he'd stayed hidden away in the underground temple, if only to protect himself from the agony of recalling that precious, peaceful moment with his Lucy. Natsu pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes to stop the tears that welled. He'd cried so much lately; he didn't want to cry again.

A soft purr drew his attention and Natsu felt the weight of Happy in his lap before he'd dropped his hands from his face. "Hey, Happy," whispered Natsu. Happy blinked calmly up at him. He reached up to play gently with the end of the scarf wrapped around Natsu's throat, as if hoping to make him feel better.

Natsu had considered leaving his diale with Lucy, but had decided against it in the end. As slight as the chance was that another survivor would come across it, he didn't want to risk a repeat of the incident with Erigor. It would be dangerous for everyone and everything, even if he was currently relatively powerless. So, Natsu had taken his scarf with him – and Lucy's necklace, too, which he knew had been her most favored possession.

He regretted taking the necklace he'd hung around his own neck sometimes. He should have left it with her. He hadn't been able to, wanting something physical to remember her by. He had chosen to leave the majority of the golden keys he'd gifted with her, if only to ensure she had some protection in Hel if things went sideways more than they already had. He'd kept only Scorpio's key, wanting to have something useful to use against the Vhalis in order to protect Wendy. He didn't think Lucy would have faulted him for that.

He fumbled with Lucy's necklace, as Lucy once had. It had been scuffed at some point. Natsu hoped to get it fixed, though he wasn't sure how. Lucy would have been devastated to know that it was damaged.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there when a voice behind him gasped, "Oh, wow! That's beautiful."

Natsu snapped his head around, hastily pushing the tears that had escaped away. "What are you doing awake?" he snapped, wincing. He didn't mean to be so rough.

Wendy sheepishly smiled, hefting Charle up in her arms a little more. "I couldn't sleep. I was nervous alone, and then I realized I hadn't looked at your hands, so I came outside. I thought you'd be out here." Her gaze darted skyward again, and the awe there reminded him so much of Lucy that Natsu had to look away. "It's so pretty."

Natsu turned his attention onto his hands. They were healing well, all things considered. There were still a few wounds from clawing up a frozen mountainside, using whatever he could find. "You don't need to worry about my hands, Wendy. They're fine."

"Doesn't mean I can't look." Wendy came to sit beside him, setting Charle aside. She peered at his hands herself. "Even if you're right," she added, deciding it wouldn't be worth pulling what was left of her supplies out.

They sat peacefully together for a while. While Natsu hadn't been excited that she'd come out initially, he found himself relaxing, comforted by Wendy's presence. She watched the lights dance above them, her eyes shining with the most light he'd seen in a while.

Eventually, Wendy asked him, "What are we going to do now?"

Natsu considered her question. What Natsu wanted to do was stay here at Igneel's temple for the rest of his existence, as dramatic as it sounded. He couldn't, and he knew that. He still had Wendy to care for. He couldn't ask that of her. Besides, as nice as the temple was, it didn't have any supplies for her to survive off of. "I think," said Natsu slowly, "we should go back to Hyacinth. Get you some stuff." It had been an idea he'd considered here and there before everything had gone so wrong, back when they were still searching for Levy with Gajeel. He knew Lucy never would have liked that idea though, so he'd never suggested it.

Wendy didn't seem against it. In fact, she said, "It'd be nice to see Yukino again – and Mira, if she's still there. What about what Igneel said about Mavis though? Are…are we going to look into that, too?"

Natsu rested his chin in his palm, searching the skies as if they'd give him an answer. "I don't know," he said finally. "I won't do anything to put you in danger, Wendy. No matter how important it is."

He'd lost his Lucy, his Favored.

But he'd not yet lost Wendy, who he cared for – who Lucy had loved.

So, he'd protect her, as fiercely as he could.

Even if it meant letting Mavis slip into oblivion.

Heaving himself to his feet, Natsu offered Wendy his hand. "C'mon. You need some sleep so we can plan where we're heading tomorrow." South, for certain, but he wanted Wendy's opinion on where, precisely, they'd be going. They'd need to make decisions about detours to nearby towns or cities for supplies. It was a necessity.

"Okay." Wendy let him pull her to her feet. She brushed the snow from her legs and then, after a moment in which she paused to study him, she stepped closer and wrapped Natsu in a hug. Something about the action drew the lump back to his throat. He found himself hugging her back, tightening his arms around her as she whispered in a small voice, "I miss Lucy, Natsu."

"I know," he murmured. "Me, too."

"Natsu, look!"

Too busy trying to avoid getting slapped in the face by the hand that Wendy threw up to point at the sky, Natsu nearly missed what she'd gotten excited about. Grumbling, Natsu glanced skyward. The dark was still overpowering the sun's early, weakened rays. A little scarlet had begun to peek out over the eastern mountains. What few stars were left seemed to dance in the midnight blue they called home. Nothing unusual about any of that.

What was unusual, however, was the moon. It was impossibly bright despite the sunlight trying to push it aside. It was full, and silver, and blinding, and it was incredibly beautiful. Natsu furrowed his brow at the sight. Usually, he had something to do with the moon's strange occurrences. It wasn't unlike the aurora borealis. He willed things into existence; sometimes, the moon just needed to be a different color or a little brighter than normal.

On top of the moon's strange behavior, which he could have cared less about, a constellation that shouldn't have been there twinkled overhead. It shone so brightly that it began to drown out the other stars in the sky. Natsu narrowed his eyes at that. "That's Leo's constellation."

"Leo?" echoed Wendy.

"One of the gods attached to the keys," he explained without looking away. "He's supposed to be a god of protection." Some god of protection he'd turned out to be. When Lucy had needed him, Leo was nowhere to be found. "The gods attached to the keys are associated with specific constellations that help anchor their power to the world beneath."

A smile flickered when Wendy wrinkled her nose, clearly not understanding yet not wanting to confuse herself further by asking for more information. "So is this good or bad?" she asked him.

"I don't know. He's never done that before." Natsu cocked his head, thoughtfully touching his scarf as he scanned the stars for some kind of answer. Nothing happened, so he turned away after a few minutes. "C'mon, Wendy, we should get going. We gotta get to Hyacinth." Wendy was quick to follow, hurrying to catch up so she could slip her hand into his.

Neither noticed the star that seemed to dislodge itself from the constellation and hurl itself towards the earth.

A large set of bulbous white eyes stared unblinkingly at her.

Terrified and confused about what the hell was happening, she focused more of her attention on the fact that her lungs were burning as salty water shoved its way down her throat then she did on the unhelpful creature that trailed lazily after her despite her earlier plea. She kicked instinctively for the surface.

When she burst through, water that parched her mouth spurted from her lips and she heaved for air. She cursed aloud when a wave shoved her back underneath the waves. Desperate, she kicked back up and spun around, seeking land. Despair crushed in when she couldn't see anything but more water and thunderous gray clouds that poured even more water down from the heavens, lit only by the lightning that split the sky in half.

She certainly noticed the dorsal fin that cut through the gray waves, however, as the creature stopped trailing and instead began to circle her. Something in her shriveled up in terror when a head slowly lifted from the waves, revealing that set of eyes set in ghostly pale, mottled flesh. Blue hair seemed to blend into the water around it. A sleek gray and white shark-like tail thrashed in the churning waves.

"Juvia," she tried again, clawing at the water as if she could free herself of it. The chill bit at her flesh, threatening to consume her as the stormy sea desired to. Black was dotting her vision.

Surprise flickered across the creature's face when it moved closer – surprise and recognition.

It disappeared beneath the waves.

And then Lucy Heartfilia was dragged down into the depths, too.

WELCOME TO THE UNEXPECTED SECOND PART OF STARFALL. Seriously, I didn't decide to split it into two parts until I got to the intermission bit.

My surgery went well and I'm back and writing! I'm even working on some extra things that you'll eventually likely find out about. ;) Thank you for your patience as always!

Love how this chapter turned out. Kudos to you if you can catch the ODAS reference. ;) Hint: Lucy did it A LOT in ODAS.

Thanks to reviewers (InWonderl4nd, Lycamall, xennia-x, Meow Orbit, marn-marn, Larissa, hopelesskar, fjsmothie, nerdalertwarning, takeagamble27, Guest #1, TaraPasty, dooryy, stranger1999, XxStar'sDustxX, JayScriptMage345, IfiniteMiste, ShanpaiUniverse, Guest#2, & Bedoll!) as well as those who favorited and followed!