#mouth partly open finger on his lip calling out luce

[personinthepalace]

Cameron Chapman as Anthony Lockwood in Lockwood & Co 1x03 "Doubt Thou the Stars"

[mercurymetals]

all that glitters ain't gold

Oh yeah, I’m always here for a dose of “pining” Giorno. Let’s go.

Warnings: Brief mention of violence/gore.

Your phone buzzes on the desk. You only give it a customary glance, seeing a private number displayed on the screen, and then go back to ignoring it. It's not the first phone call you've refused to answer today, and you have a very keen suspicion on who’s trying to contact you, but you've more important matters to attend to.

Namely, where the hell is your ticket? You've been searching every nook and cranny of this tiny hotel room for the past hour, but you can't seem to find it. You're sure you had it safely tucked inside of your passport, which you kept on the inner pocket of your jacket. You still have the passport, but the ticket might as well have vanished. How could you have misplaced it?

Or were you really that careless, and you somehow left it in the taxi you took here last night? You definitely remember having it as you left your house, having packed away every belonging that mattered to your small suitcase and disposed of everything else. It could have slipped out when you were exiting the car, maybe...

But God, you've taken such pains to get that ticket without Giorno knowing about it, and now you've gone and lost it. And you're nearly out of time. If you don't leave now, you'll definitely miss the flight. You've been planning this for too damn long to just sit down and give up, so with a resigned sigh, you leave the hotel room and hurry for the nearest taxi.

You spend the entire half an hour ride to the airport tensely glancing out the windows and worrying the skin off your lips. Nothing happens though - no sudden unexpected traffic, no car tailing you, and the driver doesn't turn on you and threaten you, which is always a plus. Not all hope is lost, then. You can still pull this off.

Arriving at the airport, you scurry inside the building and start looking around. There has to be a way to buy tickets from here, right? Doing it like this will probably leave some kind of a trail behind, but you've come too close to turn back now. You can worry about covering your tracks after you've left Italy.

As you walk around trying to find a ticket booth, a tiny dark shape flashes past your eyes. You flinch away and reflexively wave your hand at it. Instead of moving away, you watch as it loops around and then lands on the back of your hand.

It's a small red ladybug. A... ladybug...

There's a split second where you feel the air change, feel that cold gaze on the back of your head, before you hear: "Luce dei miei occhi! There you are."

It feels like the world around you slows down. Every atom in your body urges you to run, to not look back, to sprint as fast away from here as you can. You're so close. So, so damn close. If you could just get away...

But a bigger part of you understands doing so would be useless. The chance that you have fought so hard to get has already been lost. Running now won't change that. So instead, you make yourself turn around and meet Giorno's eyes.

He looks at you with a small, unperturbed smile, like he hasn't just caught you about to desert Italy and the entirety of Passione along with it. "I was worried you wouldn't make it," he says with purposely fake concern as he reaches over to tap the ladybug still on your hand. It contorts, and then transforms into a thin scrap of paper, which Giorno catches and waves in front of you. "Your ticket."

Tentatively, you take it from him. Before you can open your mouth to ask, he reaches into his own pocket. "And mine." He lets you glance at the second ticket now between his fingers. "A holiday in Malta, just for the two of us. Such a lovely idea, Amore. I do need a break."

No. That's not what you had wanted at all. You say nothing, both your hands clinging to the handle of your suitcase as you stare at him. How did he know? How did he find you? You took every precaution. You left nothing behind. You booked the ticket through a fake account on a public IP. And you didn't tell a single soul what you had been planning.

Giorno must see the questions swimming in your eyes, for he smiles at you. Maybe it's meant to be a friendly smile, but you sense a trace of maliciousness behind it. "Amore mio, I am disappointed in your lack of faith in me. You didn't think I'd ever actually let my most treasured possession out of my sight, did you?"

Possession. He doesn't even bother pretending any more. You know in his eyes that's all you've ever been: something that belongs to him, something that is his to own. And that's exactly why you had to get away from him.

In contrast to your thoughts, Giorno steps closer to you. You try to back away, but he slings his arm over your shoulders and leans his weight on you, rooting you in place. Countless people walk past the two of you, none of them paying attention to this unassuming gesture.

When Giorno speaks, it is in a whisper of menace thinly disguised by his usual nonchalance, each word exhaled hotly right against your ear. "Next time you try to run from me, we'll make it a game. I'll give you a day's head start to make your escape. If you win, your freedom will be your prize. But if you lose... If I find you..."

He leans in closer, his lips almost brushing against your skin. "I'll tear you apart. I'll rip out every bone from your body, joint by joint, until you're bleeding and open and barely clinging to life. Then I'll heal you, and we can start the process all over again." He says the last three words in a measured drawl, placing a soft kiss to your temple at the end.

Giorno then straightens up, keeping his arm wrapped around you. "How does that sound, Amore mio? Will you play with me?"

You stay silent, your heart pounding. You don't know if he's serious about any of it - knowing Giorno, he probably is - and you don't know how to react to his words, what to think of them. The parts about a head start give you a shred of hope, but the words that followed easily evaporate any actual volition right out of you.

Giorno doesn't seem too bothered or surprised about your silence. "It's alright. Take all the time you need to consider it," he says, as casually as though he were talking about making weekend plans with a friend, and not threatening your freedom, well-being, and possibly your sanity. "We also need to consider a suitable punishment for your recent misbehaviour."

You look at him sharply. Seeing your alarm, Giorno laughs, casually tucking a stray hair behind your ear. "There, there, Amore. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to think of something on our little holiday. Speaking of..." Giorno looks around the airport, until he spots a departures display screen. "We'd better get going, before we miss the flight."

He lets you go, grabbing a hold of your suitcase instead. He mutters something about the gate number, and then starts walking in that direction, nodding for you to follow.

You watch him walk away from you for a few seconds, and almost consider turning your back on him right here and now...

But how pointless would that effort be, with nearly all of your belongings now being dragged away from you, too. Even if it weren't for that, you don't doubt Giorno already has people keeping an eye on all the exits of the airport.

With a defeated sigh, you trail after him. Later, once the two of you have boarded the plane, you make a point of not looking at him, staring out the window instead.

Alone with Giorno in a foreign country for days... And you're sure he'll keep right by your side the entire time. You don't even want to think about this "holiday" your desertion has been turned into, let alone anything else he might have planned for you once you return to Italy.

Nevertheless... Despite his chilling threat, you still cannot help thinking about how you could try to get away again. A life as some gangster's possession is no life at all, even if he is the damned Don himself. To free yourself from him, that is all you want. And where better to pull off such a stunt, if not away from Passione's home turf? Without his agents to hound you, would Giorno really be able to keep you from running again all on his own?

As if sensing your thoughts, Giorno suddenly grabs your hand, entwining your fingers together with his. "Amore. Just remember it doesn't have to be like this. You swore your loyalty to me when you entered Passione. All I ask is that you honour that."

No, that's wrong. You swore your loyalty, but you didn't swear away your freedom. It doesn't matter, though. You'll let him have this. You'll let him think he's won. Partly because you want to believe you could fool him.

But mainly because you suspect you're only fooling yourself, and Giorno has already won from the start, from the very moment when you lowered your head before him and kissed his knuckles, long and pale and strangely cold beneath your lips.

[an-upset-librarian]

Stardust & Fire -- Chapter Four

I did it! I updated! I won’t put the links in this post, because for some reason tumblr is fucking with writers and artists and generally being a little shit, but here’s chapter four! 

Again, please review and comment and tell me what you’re thinking! I love hearing from you guys. This chap is over 5K, but initially it was going to have waaaayyy more, so hopefully I can get the next one out sooner rather than later.

A crowd of eager onlookers gathered around Lucy as she pulled out the golden key and held it out, ready to summon Leo again. She felt her magic swirling within her, and knew she could handle summoning the spirit, at least for a little bit. Hopefully, he would remove the block on her memory today.

             “Alright everyone, take a few steps back, give the girl some room,” Gray said, pushing back the mages as he sent Lucy a wink. Lucy rolled her eyes. She’d met him earlier that morning, when she was eating a piece of toast for her breakfast. He’d introduced himself and then promptly threw his shirt off, continuing as if nothing was wrong and caused Lucy to choke on the warm bread in her mouth. Luckily, Erza was around and she wacked Gray upside the head and told him to stop stripping with a dark glare.

             “He has a stripping habit, says it was a part of his training but I think he’s just a pervert,” Natsu had whispered in her ear. Lucy shrieked and hit him in the face. She yelled at him for appearing out of nowhere and demanded that he never surprise her like that again. Gray laughed at the stunned expression on the drakon’s face, then the two started to brawl until Erza broke them apart. From what Lucy could tell, the trio had their routine of the boys fighting and arguing for no good reason and Erza threatening them into submission. Lucy would never admit it aloud, for fear of Erza’s wrath, but she thought their interactions were adorable.

***

             “Open! Gate of the Lion, Leo!” Lucy yelled, pulling at her magic. There was a flash of light, then Leo was once again standing before her, his head bowed. Lucy heard the excited whispers from those watching and her cheeks flushed. Was her magic really that strange? Given the fact that magic was real, she assumed summoning someone out of nowhere was no big deal. Apparently, she was wrong.

             “Lucy! Glad to see you again,” Leo said, pulling her into another hug. Lucy pushed him away and kept him at arm’s length.

             “You said you would explain?” She asked him. Leo nodded, pulling Lucy away from the ears of those around her. He glanced nervously at the guild hall and Lucy  briefly wondered what the spirit could be afraid of.

             “There’s so much I need to tell you, but first we need to take care of that curse. Once you have your memories back, it’ll be much easier to explain everything. I should be able to break it myself,” He answered. Lucy felt him tense as another arm landed across Lucy’s shoulders. She felt his strangely intense body heat warming her side, and Lucy bit back a scream.

             “Yo, what’re we talking about?” Natsu asked with feigned innocence. Smoke curled from his lips and Lucy shrugged his arm off. He stuck close to her side, however, and she glared over at him, cursing his lack of personal space. “Natsu, Leo was talking to me.”

             “Yea, I got that part, I’m just wondering what he wanted to say,” Natsu said nonchalantly, as though he wasn’t invading her privacy. Luckily, Erza stalked over and grabbed the back of Natsu’s shirt, dragging the protesting drakon away, lecturing him about minding his own business as she went.

             “Oi, Erza! I was listening to what the cat bastard was sayin’ to Luce!” He yelled, trying, and failing, to work free of the fierce woman’s grasp. Erza whispered something in his ear, and his normally golden skin went white and his limbs slacked as the fight left his body.

             “Man, I knew Valkyrie’s were scary but she’s on another level,” Leo chuckled as he watched Erza drag Natsu’s limp body away. Lucy turned to the spirit, her brow raised. She crossed her arms expectantly and waited for him to explain. The affection she felt stirring in her chest at the sight of the spirit confused her even more than the strange magic powers she now possessed.

             “Right, back to the explanation,” Leo coughed, he cracked his knuckles and placed his thumbs on Lucy’s temple and closed his eyes in focus, “I’m going to draw on your magic, and it won’t be pleasant but this is the only way I know of to break this curse. It won’t be pleasant, but I have to do this first because it will help explain everything.”

             Lucy clenched her fists in preparation for the weakness she knew she would feel when he finished. She decided not to question his actions, partly due to the trust she had in him, and the other half from her curiosity about her past. She felt Leo pulling her strength into him and heard him mutter a phrase in a language she couldn’t understand. He repeated the phrase, and her magic started to thrum within her chest as her veins glowed under her skin. She could vaguely hear Natsu’s voice calling her name, but all her senses went numb as she was tossed into the depths of her memories with a choked gasp.

***

             Lucy was little, a tyke, and not happy with the lack of attention she was currently receiving. Her mother jangled her keys to catch the toddler’s eye and asked, “Do you want to play with Leo?”

             Her toddler self just giggled and grabbed for the golden keys. Layla laughed, and there was a brilliant flash of light and the sound of heavenly chimes. When Lucy opened her eyes again, the man her mother called Leo was kneeling before the girl, holding a toy stuffed dog in his hands.

             “Hey there, Princess,” He said. Lucy giggled and threw herself into his arms as her mother summoned another spirit, Capricorn. Lucy was busy playing with the stuffed toy Leo dropped in her lap to notice how her mother staggered and gripped Capricorn’s suit with white knuckles. Leo looked at her with concern in his cat-like eyes, but Layla just rubbed her temple and groaned. “Keep her busy, Leo.”

***

             She was older now, and now knew her friends in the stars were the spirits her mother summoned to play with her. Sometimes, when Lucy would sit out in the garden at night and stare up at the sky, she could hear them whispering to her even without her mother’s magic. Layla looked alarmed when her daughter told her of how Aquarius bickered with her even when she was up in the sky, and told Lucy she shouldn’t let the stars talk to her while she was alone.

She knew that the keys her mother always kept with her allowed her friends to leave the heavens above and come down to play with her. She knew each of their names and constellations, after Leo stayed up with her to teach her for nights on end. Sometimes he would appear on his own, as if summoned by Lucy’s curious gaze as she studied the star-charts, others he would whisper to her from the sky, his constellation glittering as he spoke.

             While Lucy loved talking with her mother’s spirits, sometimes other stars would speak to her. These stars were not as nice as Leo, in fact, they were meaner than Aquarius. When their voices screamed at her from the sky, Lucy would run to her mother’s bed and beg for them to stop. Her mother would smile down at Lucy and say, “Don’t worry, little star, I’m here for you.”

It was when the stars stopped screaming that her mother started to get sick.

***

             “Hey, brat, don’t mess with that.” Aquarius scowled from her spot in the large fountain in the back of the estate. Lucy, about eight now, pouted but kept her grabby hands on the rose bush and plucked one of the flowers from the stem. She yelped when the thorns pricked her finger and dropped the rose. Crying, she ran over to Aquarius and climbed into the fountain with the spirit. The mermaid just huffed, scolding her for not listening, but grabbed the small girl into a fierce hug and whispered comforts in the girl’s ears.

***

             Lucy woke to the sun spilling through the curtains and panning over her mother’s bed. She shivered at the draft in the room and burrowed into her mother’s body, only to recoil in shock when her mother’s skin was the coldest part of the room. She called out for her mother, but was met with stillness and silence. Not even the birds chirped, and she couldn’t hear the familiar sound of the servants bustling around the house. Everything was cold, and still, and silent.

             Frantic, the girl shook her mother’s shoulders, her fingers gripping tight enough to bruise the paper-white skin. Layla always had a golden glow shining under her skin. She told Lucy it was because she was made of stardust, and stars always glow when their happy. Now, Layla’s skin was hard and grey. There was no sign of life in her dull brown eyes. Lucy started to scream, she screamed for her mother to wake up, for her skin to shine again, screamed for her father to come and take her away from the lifeless eyes staring blankly at her, screamed, finally, for Leo to come and take her away.

             The familiar light and sound of the spirits appearing filled the too quiet room, and Lucy leapt into Leo’s arms the moment his body appeared in the glow. Tears spilled down her cheeks and she told him he had to make momma better, he had to give her happiness again so she would glow, so she wouldn’t be the dull empty shell she now was. Leo’s normally crisp suit was rumpled and dirty, and dark bags lingered under his eyes.

“I’m going to leave for a while, but you’ll see us again,” Leo said as he carried the crying girl away from her mother’s silent bedchamber. The girl sniffed, burrowing her face in his neck. Lucy had just celebrated her tenth birthday the day before, but spent her special day curled up in her mother’s sickbed, listening to the rasps of her breaths and counting each time her chest would fall for too long, or her gasps would catch in her throat. Layla had fallen ill a few days before, and was too weak to leave her bed.

             “But what about mama, is she okay? She wouldn’t wake up,” The girl cried. Leo paused, his grip on her tightening, “Mama had to go away.”

             “Why can’t I go with her?” Lucy asked anxiously. Loke turned his face away from the girl’s gaze. He did not have the heart to tell her the truth.

             “Your mama went to live with the stars, but you aren’t ready to go there yet,” He answered. Lucy just nuzzled into his neck, asking if she could play with Aquarius or Virgo.

             “I’m afraid they won’t be able to come visit you for a while.” Leo said, his voice breaking. He handed Lucy to one of the maids, and grimaced. His form flashed, and started to fade causing Lucy to scream and run to him. Loke regained his form and smiled at Lucy.

             “Don’t worry, Princess, I’ll be back for you.” He said, pushing her back into the arms of the maid. Lucy cried harder, watching the spirit stumble back into her mother’s room. His face turned, and she swore she saw tears streaming down his cheeks.

             “Oh, Layla, I’m so sorry,” He whispered.

***

             “Lucy, you need to stay still,” Her father ordered from where he stood in her doorway. Lucy wriggled and fought against the straps restraining her to her bed.

             “Papa, I’m scared, where’s Leo?” She asked. Her father just cursed and turned away, “Make sure there’s no memory of magic, do you hear me?”

             “Yes sir.” One of the cloaked men said with a bow. One of the cloaked men muttered how it was a shame to lose something so powerful, but he joined his brethren in surrounding the bed. Lucy felt the tears welling up in her eyes start to fall down her cheeks as the three men placed their fingers on her head and started to chant. Her skin warmed as the air in her bedroom reached frozen levels, stinging at her exposed flesh.

             “Leo! I want Leo! Where’s mama? Where’s Aquarius? Give me Leo!” She screamed, her breath fogging in the frigid air. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her father ignore her screams and walk out into the hall, slamming the door shut behind him. A sharp pain pierced through her skull and the girl’s screams echoed through the manor. Her skin began to shine and waves of blinding light pulsed from her small body. The three men’s voices grew louder and the pain increased with the cold, then the light faded and her vision went dark. The memories of her days playing with the Celestial Spirits turned into memories, and all traces of magic in her blood was forced to hide away.

 ***

             Lucy gasped and stumbled away from the spirit. She felt hot tears streaming down her cheeks, but she didn’t care. Panting, she fought to swim above the waves of emotions churning within her. Her skin began to emit a soft golden glow and she clutched at her head, the resurgence of her childhood memories almost too painful to bear. She heard the shouts of alarm as the light around her grew in intensity. The feel of her mother’s cold, grey skin against her hands and the sounds of the chanting mages and the feel of their freezing hands against her skin swarmed her senses.  

             Even Leo had to shield his eyes from the intense light radiating from his master. A high-pitched tone rang in the air and forced some of the guild members to shield their ears from the harsh vibration. She was panting and her magic writhed beneath her skin, longing to be sent free and wreak havoc against the men that tied her down and stole her memories, against her abusive father who let them.

             “Lucy! Focus! You’re okay now, it’s over!” Leo’s voice called. Lucy tried to take deep breaths and calm herself, to no avail. Her mother was magical and had the keys to summon the Spirits of the Celestial Realm. She died suddenly, and her father stole her memories and her identity and lied to her about her mother’s death for years. Her father. Lucy fought against the rage rolling within her as the memory of what her father did to her played on repeat in her mind.

             “Luce, hey, focus! Didn’t ya want to go to that bookstore with Levy?” A voice rumbled. Lucy’s head snapped up and her stormy brown eyes focused on a wash of pink a few feet away. Natsu stared at her through the piercing light, his onyx eyes burning. She nodded, her brown gaze matching his fierce expression, and finally pushed her magic back into a coiled ball within her chest. The light from her skin faded along with the harsh noise, and she heard the sigh of relief through the guild hall.

             “Sorry,” She said sheepishly. Gray just mumbled something about having to buy sunglasses, and there were similar sentiments echoing through the guild. Lucy turned her attention to Leo, who looked relieved. She ran over and tackled him in a fierce embrace, pulling him close.

             “Leo, I’m so sorry,” She wailed into his collar. The spirit just chuckled and pulled her body tight against his own. “It’s okay Lucy, I’m back now,”

             She sobbed into his shoulder, as she had done when her mother died. Leo just stroked her hair and murmured comforts in her ear. When Lucy finally calmed down, she pulled away from her spirit, noticing the first signs of dizziness from using too much magic.

             “What my father did,” She began, her magic pulsed in anger, sending glowing golden coils curling under the surface of her skin, “What happened?”

             “That is a long story, and I’m not allowed to tell you most of it. I can say, however, that your mother died from a spell that drained too much of her lifeforce. That is why your father hid you magic and memories from you,” Leo replied.

             “Luce, your magic-“ Natsu interrupted. He’d noticed the tired look in her eyes and the unsteadiness of her feet. She glared over at him, then turned back to Leo, who was giving Natsu a strange look.

             “Where are the rest of you? Mama’s keys, what happened to them?” She asked.

             “Some are in the Heartfilia Manor, the rest were passed around Fiore.” He answered, running a hand through his hair, his gaze tightening when he saw her slight wince at the mention of her true surname. “I should return to the Spirit Realm, you need your strength.”

             Lucy opened her mouth to protest, but Leo just patted her on the head and dissolved into light and disappeared with a promise to appear again soon. She stumbled when the drain on her magic ceased and she felt the cold emptiness inside her. Natsu was at her elbow and held out his arms to catch her should she fall.

             “I’m fine, really,” She said, swatting away his waiting hands. He always seemed to be right next to her, waiting to catch her. Natsu raised a brow as though he could see through her façade, but backed away.

             “Okay, so I have some explaining to do,” She said and clapped her hands together. Master Makarov waved off every gatherer, save for Natsu, Erza, Gray, and Mira so Lucy could explain what her father did and what she knew of Celestial Spirit Magic.

***

             “I still can’t believe I found a silver key in a regular old antique shop,” Lucy breathed, a laugh bubbling in her chest. She caressed the simple silver metal between her fingers. This key was less decorative and elaborate when compared to Leo’s, but she still viewed it as one of her prized possessions. Natsu rolled his eyes, mumbling about wanting to go out and get food not stupid keys. Lucy elbowed the fire drakon in the gut, which he gracefully ignored, and told him to ask Mirajane for lunch when they got back to the guild.

One thing Lucy was still adjusting to was her newfound strength and speed. She would often find herself crashing into chairs and walls after accidentally speeding through the guild, or crushing cups in her hands. One night, she went to open her door and ripped it from its hinges. She’d even accidentally sat down too hard and crumbled a few chairs and stools to splinters. She remembered one particularly bad incident, when Gray had approached her, completely nude, and she’d punched him so hard he went flying across the guild before crashing through a table.

Luckily, Natsu did not seem to notice when she hit him too hard or ran too fast or moved too suddenly. He always kept up with her, and laughed when she destroyed something, saying she might outdo him when it came to destruction of guild property. Lucy knew she was stronger than humans, and even most mages, but her strength paled in comparison to the mighty members of Fairy Tail. Erza, Gray, Natsu, and even Mira were some of the strongest people she knew and Makarov was constantly warning her that there were even stronger creatures out in the world.

             It had been two weeks since Lucy joined Fairy Tail, two long and stressful weeks. The first few days she spent running around Hargeon University while she officially dropped out. She still felt a pain in her heart when she thought about how she had to stop pursuing her degree for the time being, but the blonde knew someday, when she finally adjusted to her new life, she would return to school. That school would not be anywhere near Hargeon, however, for Lucy knew the advisors at the University would remember the ethereal blonde student known as Lucy Ashley. The bewildered looks she got from the few students who recognized her hardened Lucy’s will to leave her old life behind. Not to mention the amount of men who started hitting on her. Her coworkers at Café de Monde didn’t even recognize her at first. She had to wear a beanie to hide her ears and sunglasses to hide the golden flecks of light in her brown irises and the dusting of glittering freckles across her cheeks. Despite her attempts to hide her enhanced appearance, her coworkers still noticed something off about the blonde. Her manager was not happy to have her quit on the spot, but Lucy had no other choice. How could she work in Hargeon but live in Magnolia with Fairy Tail? Plus, she could barely pass for human nowadays, and everyone who knew her as the human girl Lucy Ashley had to be cut from her life.

             Moving to Magnolia brought up a whole different pile of issues. Lucy barely had enough money saved up as it was, and after having to pay various fees for dropping out in the middle of the semester, she was almost completely broke. Luckily, she managed to scrounge a few hundred jewels by selling her textbooks and subletting her apartment until her lease expired. She had been apartment hunting in Magnolia for almost two weeks, and had no luck finding a suitable and affordable home near the guild. Makarov was kind enough to offer her a free room at Fairy Tail until she got settled, but Lucy hated having to rely on them for so much. She helped Mira with the tavern and bar when she could to try and repay her debts to the guild.

             “Luce, are you gonna summon that spirit when we get back?” Natsu asked, drawing Lucy from her worries. “I hope he’s cooler than that cat bastard.”

             “Leo is wonderful and a good friend of mine, and of course I’ll summon the spirit,” She replied, her grip on the key tightening. Natsu smiled and grabbed Lucy by the hand to pull her to the guild faster. She squeaked in surprise and quickly grabbed her bags to keep them from flying out of her grasp, cursing at Natsu for startling her.  

Lucy still had trouble summoning Leo for extended periods of time and she could manage keeping his gate open for about an hour before passing out from exhaustion. Luckily, the Lion spirit made it a habit to pop out of his gate through his own power whenever he felt like it, even if that meant interrupting Lucy as she got changed or showered, much to her annoyance. He’d received plenty of slaps and punches, but despite her new strength Leo did not seem too affected.

She couldn’t figure out why the fire drakon harbored such hatred for her friend, nor why he seemed to have adopted her. Every time she wanted to leave the guild, Natsu was already standing at the door waiting. He was always at her side while she ate her meals, stuffing his face, and his eyes followed her while she wandered around the hall as she helped Mira at night. Mira teased her about his behavior and how he liked her, but Levy provided a logical explanation for his clinginess after Lucy spent half an hour ranting about the possessive fire drakon.

“His partner, Happy, is out visiting his family in Edolas right now, he should be back sometime soon though. I’m sure once that cat returns Natsu won’t pay you the slightest bit of attention,” Levy explained. According to her, both Natsu and Wendy had magical flying cat partners known as Exceeds from another dimension. To say Lucy’s brain hurt while the bookish demi-fae explained was an understatement.

             “We’re back!” Natsu announced, throwing the guild door open with a bang. Lucy rolled her eyes and walked over to her stool at the bar. She had adopted the third stool from the edge of the bar as her own, and thankfully she had never seen anyone else sitting in her spot.

             “Welcome back, any luck today?” Mira asked, passing a cup of water to Lucy. “Well, we didn’t have any luck on the house-hunting front, but I did find a silver key in an old antique shop!”

             “Ooh! I can’t wait to see what spirit it is,” Mira chirped before disappearing into the kitchens to get Natsu’s gigantic order.

             “How you can eat all that food and still stay fit, I’ll never understand,” Lucy muttered, drawing a smug smirk from the man beside her. He opened his mouth to give a snappy retort, but was interrupted by an enthusiastic scarlet-haired woman.

             “Lucy! I hear you have found another key,” Erza exclaimed, throwing a heavy armored arm across her shoulders. Lucy winced as the cold armor bit the nape of her neck, but smiled up at Erza. One thing she learned in her short time at Fairy Tail was to never, ever, mess with Erza. She could be truly terrifying. She’d seen plenty of fights during her time at Fairy Tail, and all of them ceased when Erza so much as gave the brawlers a second glance. Even Master Makarov was wary of her. Aside from Leo’s offhand comment about her being a Valkyrie, Lucy knew nothing of Erza’s heritage and she wasn’t about to ask.

             “Yea, it’s a silver key from the constellation Canis Minor,” Lucy said, breathing out a sigh of relief when the scarlet-haired woman finally released her from her grasp. Lucy elbowed Natsu again when he chuckled at her predicament and glared over at him.

             “Why don’t you summon him now? I’m sure everyone in the guild would love to see it,” Erza said loudly, drawing the attention of even Macao and Wakaba in their drunken stupor. Lucy forced herself to smile and agreed. She hated how different she was compared to everyone else. Natsu’s fire eating habit was well accepted, but her spirits were considered strange and bizarre in the magical community. The first time she saw Natsu inhale some fire from a match, she freaked out and panicked, yelling at him for burning his tongue. The drakon found her reaction utterly hilarious, and Erza had to explain the drakon’s ability to eat their element to her.

             “Open! Gate of the Canis Minor! Nikora!” Lucy shouted. Sounds of shock and awe rang through the hall as the golden celestial light filled the room.

             “Puuun!” The spirit crooned. The spirit was the size of a small dog, and had white fur covering his body. His nose was an orange horn protruding from the middle of his face, and he had cute black eyes. His entire body vibrated and he shakily stumbled over to Lucy and hugged her leg with his small arms.

             “Ohmygoshyouarejustsoadorableican’tbelieveit!” Lucy exclaimed, drawing a confused glance from Natsu. She plucked the spirit from her leg and cradled him against her chest. The spirit crooned and rubbed his face into her breast.

             “Oh! I almost forgot, do you want to make a contract with me?” She asked. Leo told her that contracts between a Celestial Mage and her spirits were what gave her their power, and he insisted for their contract to say he could come out whenever he was needed, anytime anywhere. While Lucy’s memories provided a baseline for her understanding of Celestial Sprit Magic, she still had much to learn.

             “Puuuuunnn!” The spirit said. Lucy smiled. “Anytime, but only five times a week? I can do that,” She replied with a curt nod.

             “I think I’ll name you Plue, is that okay?” She asked. The spirit nodded in response and Lucy squealed in excitement. She then started to converse with the spirit, who’s responses consisted of the same strange noise from before.

             “Hey, Luce, how can you understand that thing?” Natsu asked, reaching over to poke the spirit’s face. Lucy turned to keep Plue from his wandering fingers and shrugged. “I just do. When he talks, my mind just knows what he’s saying. I can’t explain it.”

             “I wonder if that’s part of being a Celestial Mage,” Erza drawled, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. Lucy cradled Plue in her arms, chatting about her day with the shaking spirit. She walked back over to the bar and placed the spirit onto the counter. As she spoke with the spirit, Natsu took his place at the seat to her right and asked Mira for his usual order, and Erza stood in the space between Lucy and Natsu.

             “Oh, have you seen Levy yet?” Lucy asked. She frowned when Erza shook her head and glanced around the room expectantly. The night before, when Lucy had plans to ask the demi-fae more about magic and about borrowing some of her magical books, Levy had run out of the guild with a quick apology, clutching a yellowed piece of parchment in her fingers. Even Mira was surprised by the fae’s rude and abrupt departure.

             “I’m sure she’ll be back from her mission soon. That’s why she rushed out of Fairy Tail so fast last night.” Mira dropped an enormous plate of spicy, flaming food before Natsu, giving Lucy a bright smile. After ordering lunch for herself, Lucy turned to Erza and asked, “What exactly do these missions entail? I’ve heard everyone mention them.”

             “Missions are like jobs that magical beings take for money. Usually it’s from government officials or small towns aware of magic’s existence, and sometimes from private parties. Almost always, jobs are magic related, like taking down a monster or hunting a magical fugitive on the run from the Council,” Erza explained. Lucy nodded in understanding.

             “Maybe when I have more keys and learn how to use my magic and fight I could try going out on jobs. I could really use the money,” She said, perching her chin on her hand.

             “If it’s money ya need, you can come on a job with me and I’ll let ya have the reward,” Natsu sputtered through a mouthful of food, drawing a disgusted glare from both the women next to him. The drakon swallowed nervously, apologizing to Erza profusely. “I’ve been kinda bored since Happy left and I don’t mind lettin’ you have the money.”

             “I think it’s a wonderful idea! You could take an easy job, like this one.” Mira slammed a roll of parchment onto the counter, appearing out of thin air. Lucy noted the overly excited glint in the barmaid’s eyes, and she fought back a shiver of unease.

             “I already asked Master, and he approved this specific job,” Mira said. Lucy unrolled the paper, and nodded. It read: Mages needed to Transport Magic Vase from Magnolia to Hargeon. Reward of 10,000 Jewels.

             “10,000 Jewels would definitely be enough for me to get started,” Lucy muttered. Natsu peeked at the paper from over her shoulder and scoffed. “That sounds boring, why can’t we do something fun, like battle a monster of something.”

             “Natsu, Lucy has zero fighting experience. This job is right at her skill level,” Mira said with a sugary sweet smile that made even Lucy shiver. Since Leo was her only fighting spirit- and how she had never fought anyone, let alone a monster before- she knew taking a simple job like this was right up her alley.

             “Alright, we’ll do it. We can leave tomorrow,” Lucy exclaimed. She smiled gratefully at Natsu, who rolled his eyes and continued eating. He did not refuse to accompany her, however, so Lucy took his melodramatic sighs as confirmation.

             “Come on, Natsu. It’ll be fun,” She said, pushing a quivering Plue across the bar to be right next to him, a devious grin on her lips. Little did she know that taking Natsu on any job, even one as simple as this, would be a recipe for disaster.

[riverofmemoriesft]

. In Tenebris . 18

Levy knew that Natsu had run off to find Lucy. As she walked to the living room for movie night, thanking Gray's insight on getting them a new TV and drying her hair, she paused to peek into Lucy's room and frowned she found nothing. She could feel an odd heaviness to her step, each movement seeming to drag as she turned away.

"Rogue," she huffed, "Do you mind?"

His head lifted from her shadow. "Apologies."

She snorted, admitting she'd honestly miss he, Sting, and Yukino when they left. "Have you seen-"

"Levy!"

Levy squawked as Natsu came barreling down the hall at full speed in a blaze of fire. She shrieked when he collided with her, not slowing down, and sent both tumbling. She flinched when her head struck the floor. "What the hell, Natsu?!" she shrieked, flailing to untangle herself from limbs.

Gajeel appeared like he'd been summoned, lips pulled back from his teeth, but he stopped when he saw what had happened. Glaring, he snapped, "What the fuck, Salamander! Don't go knockin' Shrimp over!" With gentle hands, he helped her to her feet.

The flames didn't stop. Natsu was in full dragon-mode, his hands shaking. "Lucy-" he said in a strangled voice. His horned head snapped back to look over his shoulder and he choked on his own words. "Lucy's not...Yukino!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, suddenly shooting to his feet and storming past them.

Gajeel and Levy gaped after him. Rogue, still in Levy's shadow, peered curiously after him. "What's wrong with him?"

"What's wrong with Lucy?" Levy demanded, voice rising in concern.

Gajeel flinched and slapped a calloused hand over her mouth. "Don't. He's already made me go deaf."

"Sorry," she said earnestly.

A moment later there was a blast of commotion and a crash. Levy darted over to the entrance of the massive main room to see what had happened, and she grimaced when she realized.

Natsu has scared the hell out of everyone there and had simply grabbed for Yukino without explanation. Sting had immediately leaped to her defense with a roar, flipping the coffee table, and Yukino had ripped away to try and calm him. Rogue slid from Levy's shadow to help she and Wendy keep Sting from tackling Natsu, who was meanwhile trying to tug at Yukino.

"Juvia's confused," Juvia declared, shoving at Sting's chest to try and push him back. Between she and the other two women, he was moved back.

"Natsu!" Levy shouted over the noise. "What's wrong with Lucy?"

He threw his hands up, finally releasing Yukino. Sting slid between them, glaring furiously, and Rogue rolled his eyes at his friend's dramatic actions. His slitted crimson eyes flashed. "She's not Lucy!"

"...care to explain?" Gajeel grunted after a moment, lost.

He sputtered, not sure of how to explain. Then he huffed, "Leo took over. He took over her mind and now it's not Lucy! Leo's there, and Happy stayed with her - him? So that he could look after Luce's body."

"...I'm confused," Sting muttered and most of them uttered agreement. Yukino, however, trotted a few steps closer. Sting pouted, but let her without protest.

"Is it like that multiple personality thing?" Gajeel grunted. "The one where different' personalities exist and take over for various periods of time?"

"That's what I'm thinking," Yukino said softly. "I mean, it's possible that they might have given us something that would eventually result in this kind of ordeal. Natsu, where's Lucy? Where'd you find her?"

"I locked her in a room on the fifth floor with Happy." He laughed nervously at the deadly look that appeared on Levy's face. "I couldn't just let her run around!"

"That's not the point," she groaned. "You locked my best friend in a room on the fifth floor!"

"I'll go get her...or whoever's taken over," Rogue offered, sliding away and melting into the shadows. Natsu made a desperate sound, looking worried.

Juvia raked a hand through her blue hair. "Juvia doesn't understand how we fix this."

"I can see if we can make it part of the deal with Zeref," Natsu said slowly. "I want to fix Lucy. So she doesn't have to suffer anymore."

"That's a very honorable idea," Levy said gently, "But I don't think even he can...I take that back. It's Zeref. He did this." She waved at Natsu and the other dragons. "I'm pretty sure he can do a lot of things."

"As much as I hate the fucker," Gajeel told them, planting an elbow on her head and leaning heavily on her, "I doubt he'd reject a willing subject, even if it was to alter something he did on purpose." Levy gasped when her knees buckled beneath him. "The question isn't whether or not he'd reject her or not though. Question is whether or not it'd be Zeref or some other psychopath."

"If they're extending their reach, it could very well be someone else," Levy murmured, shoving at his chest to try and get him off. Gajeel cackled at her attempts and despite what was going on, she shrieked when he suddenly slumped every ounce of his weight onto her, sending her to the ground.

"I'm going to tear the hair out of your head, let Natsu burn it, and then do the same to your-"

"Isn't that a pleasant thing to say."

Levy shot to her feet and Gajeel sidled closer, draping an arm lazily over the small woman's shoulders - partly to reassure her, partly to piss her off. Yukino's lips parted and Natsu looked terrified as Wendy clutched his arm and buried herself into his side. Rogue looked severely uncomfortable as he strode in, followed by Lucy.

Levy knew immediately that it wasn't her friend. From the lazy yet sharp look in her brown eyes, which usually shown with fierce determined light, to the set of her shoulders and her sly movement. It was obvious that this was someone else.

Happy didn't seem to mind, rubbing his head against Lucy's chin.

Lazy eyes slid over she and Gajeel, alighting with a brief recognition. "Levy...Gajeel…" Leo turned his gaze on Natsu and Wendy, repeated their names, and then did the same for the others. And then he turned his attention briskly back on her. Levy shuddered at the look he wore. "Interesting. I didn't think I'd grip control like this."

"Where's Lucy?" Yukino asked quietly.

"Here. Asleep. Not here. I don't know, it's complicated." Leo's jaws parted in a yawn. "I didn't ask, you know. I didn't want to. It just happened. We're as clueless as you are." Brow suddenly furrowed, he quipped, "No one asked for your opinion, Aquarius."

Wendy burst into tears.

"I feel like Zeref showed up in person and just told us that we're free as birds," Gajeel said to explain his disbelief in what was happening. His sharp crimson gaze watched as Lucy - Leo, he corrected - lounged on the couch, lazily skimming through a book. They'd called themselves Spirits, so Gajeel supposed he might as well call it as much. It was male, too, it had made sure to clarify.

Levy, who'd sent Wendy off with Natsu and the other two dragons to distract her, stood at his side with Juvia on her other. Yukino was knelt beside the couch Leo sat upon. More for his entertainment - he felt happier having the Shrimp closer - Gajeel rested an elbow on her head for the umpteenth time that day. Rather than moving away, he was surprised when she leaned into him, her eyes blank.

Gajeel was worried about her. She'd been silent for a while now, her heart fluttering audibly in his ears. He didn't like this. Didn't like seeing her uncertain. They'd contacted Erza, who had seemed distracted, and Makarov, who'd told them to watch Lucy.

Levy had even called Jude Heartfilia - again. She'd explained what had happened, reluctantly pleading to be told if Jude had any ideas on what they should do. Jude had been bewildered and hung up without a word.

Juvia suddenly whipped her head around as the front door opened. They all froze - until Gray called, "Hey, guys!"

Juvia made a sound akin to a purr, but didn't act as she normally did around the man she'd dubbed her self-proclaimed boyfriend. It was Levy who called hoarsely, "Gray."

He climbed the stairs, head peeking up over the stairs when he reached the top. "What's up?"

"Lucy's Leo," Gajeel grunted. He didn't take his eyes off of the blonde.

"...what?" Gray looked lost.

"Lucy," he repeated, "Is Leo, dumbass. Leo took over and now we don't know how to get Bunny Girl back."

"I'm right here," Leo called in response, sounding amused. He draped Lucy's body over the back of the couch, nearly purring as he studied Gray. "Gray Fullbuster. Lucy's fond of you." Juvia's face twisted into an unhappy grimace. "Sees you as a brother...cute." He smirked, the look unnatural on Lucy's face.

Gray froze, looking uncomfortable as he whispered, "Oh, my god."

"Yep," Levy said softly.

Suddenly, Leo's face twisted in pain. He clutched Lucy's head, winding the blonde strands in his fingers as he swore colorfully. Natsu seemed to appear out of nowhere in the nearby doorway that led to the hall in which rooms lined. His onyx eyes were locked nervously on Lucy. Yukino watched intently, mouthing words quietly to herself.

Gajeel's nose wrinkled at the smell of blood that dripped from her nose and filled Lucy's mouth. He clenched his jaw at the thought of just how badly her head had to hurt if she was bleeding in such a way.

He lowered his mouth to Levy's ear, speaking lowly. "Why don't ya call that old man and see if he knows anyone? Maybe even Wendy's crazy aunt could help."

She nodded slowly, touching his hand gratefully and then jogged out of the room to do just that. Gajeel watched her go and then turned his attention back on Lucy when she cried out. Natsu slid over and exchanged a nervous look with Yukino before kneeling behind the couch so that his face was near hers. He said nothing, resting his head on the couch and watching her face intently, not batting an eye when she shook her head and blood spattered his face.

"Hurts," she suddenly gasped. The broken high-pitched sound made Gajeel flinch. She hunched her shoulders. "It hurts."

"Lucy?" Natsu rumbled. "Are you Lucy?"

Despite the clear agony outlined on her face, she glared furiously at him. "Who else would I be?" she snapped and then gasped in pain.

There was a relieved groan from everyone in the room. Gray raked a hand through his hair as Juvia gripped his arm randomly, cooing that she was grateful he was there. Gray grimaced and tried to shake her off. "C'mon, lady, not now," he muttered, and Gajeel rolled his eyes as he came to Gray's rescue and bodily hauled Juvia away despite her protests.

"Lucy," Yukino said, approaching and resting a hand on her back. She rubbed gently. "Do you remember anything?"

"It hurts," she repeated, half-sobbing. "My head, they won't stop talking…"

Natsu ground his teeth and fought back a frustrated growl.

Their fault, all their fault. It was all their fault that Lucy was like this. Had she not known they existed, she wouldn't be suffering as she was-

He took a deep breath, remembering where Lucy had put Zeref's letter. He could ask Gajeel to help him. He would ask. Gajeel knew how to use phones. He knew how to call people.

Almost affectionately, not seeming to realize he was doing it, Natsu stroked her head soothingly and then hopped to his feet. "Gajeel," he called, gesturing for the dragon to follow him.

Gajeel inclined his head and dragged Juvia with him as Gray went to see to Lucy with Yukino. He caught sight of a green-furred cat bounding out to join Happy nearby, purring nervously and winding around Gray's legs. Gray looked surprisingly delighted.

"The fuck you want, Salamander?" he grunted.

Natsu's eyes flashed. Aware that someone might be listening, he glared at Juvia until she curled a lip and slunk off to find the other dragons. Gajeel growled at him for it. "If I went and got Lucy's letter and stole Lucy's phone, could you help me call Zeref?"

Gajeel blinked. "You want...to call Zeref now?"

Natsu studied his companion's face. Gajeel didn't look angry, like he'd expected, more lost and confused. "Why would you want to call Zeref now, Natsu? Bunny Girl needs help-"

"I'm going to tell him that he has to make Lucy all better." Natsu's eyes flashed. "I won't go unless he promises to do something about this. I'll stay there permanently if that's what it takes. It's my fault this happened. I'm not gonna let Lucy suffer 'cause of it."

"Bunny Girl would rather deal with crazy headaches and those voices taking over than you not come back," Gajeel grunted, crossing his arms. He growled. "Wendy'll go tearin' through trying to break your dumb ass out."

Natsu shook his head. "I'd do it if he left everyone alone. You know as well as I do that when Zeref promises something, he sees that promise through. I know he's a bad guy, but he's not a liar."

Gajeel's jaw worked furiously before he sighed, "Fine. I'll help ya call Zeref. But you ain't allowed to stay permanently. Ya hear me? We need ya here. Look what happened when they sent Sting and Rogue after you and Bunny Girl, Salamander. Wendy doesn't like to fight, even though we know she can. The other two are leavin' as soon as we figure out what's wrong with 'em. Need someone to defend people here with me."

Natsu snorted. "You want me to come back, Iron Freak? Can't believe it. It's a miracle sent to me from Mavis."

Gajeel promptly cracked a fist over the back of his head. "Shut your trap and get the damn phone and letter. I'll meet ya downstairs."

No one would dare to follow them to their previous prison.

"Makarov's got nothing," Lucy heard Levy say tiredly as she rested on the couch. The blonde didn't move, arm thrown over her eyes to block out the light. She let Yukino massage her head gently, trying to help her work the pain away. Leo was mumbling apologizes, sounding just as dazed as she was. Whispers came in as the other voices murmured, seeking answers.

"Stop," she moaned to them. The people around her paused and then went back to talking. It hadn't been them she was addressing, after all.

Levy took Yukino's place and Lucy peered up at her from watering eyes. "Hey, Levy," she groaned.

Levy smiled gently and worked at her temples with light fingers. "Hey, Lucy. Makarov can't do anything. Mira suggested a type of tea to help calm you down and help you sleep though. And someone’s stopping by day after tomorrow with that new experiment they smuggled out."

"Okay," Lucy breathed. "That's fine. Can you go to the store tomorrow?"

Levy giggled. "Of course. I'll make sure to use your credit card." She smoothed Lucy's hair gently. "Do you know what happened?"

"Leo said he somehow took over. It hurt so badly, Levy. It felt like my head was going to split open. It still does." Her voice broke, her breath hitching.

She soothingly tapped her cheek. "I'll get Natsu to do this. The heat might help and make you feel better. Do you want me to get that tea Mira suggested?"

"Sure."

Lucy swallowed thickly as Levy left after a quick apology when she shifted her. Lucy closed her eyes again. She listened to the others murmur to one another for a short while and then blinked when a third person dropped onto the couch by her head. The smell of smoke told her who it was. "Natsu."

"Lucy," he retorted playfully. "Nice to see you not being weird anymore." She pried her eyes open and met his onyx gaze. He gave her a huge grin, showing off sharp teeth. "I don't know what Levy was talking about me needing to do."

Giggling, Juvia stepped in to help. "Juvia knows." She knelt by Lucy's head, taking Natsu's hands and planting them on Lucy's head. "Heat your fingers. Don't light them on fire or let Lucy light on fire and just...massage her head. It helps her feel better. Lucy," she added suddenly, looking to the blonde, who flinched. "Juvia was thinking. Maybe we should take you to the emergency room."

"What the hell is that?" Natsu demanded.

"The hospital," Lucy groaned, closing her eyes as he went to work on gently rubbing her scalp, trying to help. "Why? We need to...avoid them as long as we can-"

"When Juvia was experimented on," Juvia said gently, "There was a moment. In which Juvia nearly died. They put too much of something into the substance they injected into Juvia's blood. Juvia was in excruciating pain and doesn't remember much, but it took them weeks and even months to bring Juvia back to normal. Juvia doesn't want you to suffer. Not like that."

Gray, who'd leaned against the back of the couch, suddenly reached out and gently poked her forehead. "I think Juvia's right," he admitted. "For all we know, your brain could be swelling, Lucy. That pressure could kill you."

Natsu puffed smoke from his nose in agitation.

"I don't want to," Lucy said firmly. Her eyes flashed. "They'll ask questions. They'll find weird things and then the government will come and take the dragons and Juvia away. They won't touch Yukino and I because we don't have anything physically wrong with us. I don't want them to take our friends away, Gray."

Gray furrowed his brow. Gently, he said, "Lucy. What are you going to do if you're dead?"

"She's not going to die," Natsu said sharply. "She'll be fine." He went back to work, lightly working his heated fingers against her temples, where he knew it hurt her the most. She sighed softly at the small amount of relief it brought.

Gray took a deep breath and then crossed his arms. "I talked with Erza. She's...not doing so good. She got through that whole interview without breaking, she said, and they even stuck Jellal in there as the one giving it. She got the job, but to ensure she stays quiet, they've started...trying things. New things. She told me they're calling this group Tartaros. This is the first branch Zeref came up with. It runs the other branches. Except for one, which Zeref keeps close. Zeref's not in Magnolia. Not now."

Natsu's shoulders tightened. "So I'll leave town when I go?"

"Yeah. Probably." Gray raked a hand through his dark hair with a huge sigh. "My family...Ur agreed to let people work in her shop. I told her. About everything. She got into contact with Makarov and he's going to help her out."

"Good," Lucy breathed. "Tell her we are really, really grateful, would you?"

"Yeah." Suddenly, he frowned. "I wish Lyon and Ultear were here."

"They went to Hargeon, didn't they?" Lucy mumbled.

"For work, yeah. Lyon went because Meredy went." Gray pressed his lips together. "I hate this. I hate the fact that life's just gone to hell because of things outside of our control. I'm not going to lie, Lucy. I wish I'd never been introduced to these guys. I don't think I'll ever be able to date someone seriously or even go so far as to have a family now. Because I'll never know if that person is trustworthy enough to keep this sort of thing a secret."

Juvia suddenly scowled and shot to her feet, glaring at Gray. "Juvia would keep it a secret. Juvia would never tell anyone. Because if Juvia tells someone, Juvia will get murdered or worse." She huffed, cheeks puffed up as he gave her a look of surprise. Without another word, she sidled off, muttering under her breath.

Gray gaped, looking bewildered.

Smiling a little, Lucy reached up and patted his hand. "Juvia likes you, Gray."

"She tried to practically kill you," he said bluntly.

"Maybe. But she's a good person now." Lucy winked and then swore under her breath. Natsu froze, heated fingers not moving until she relaxed. He went back to work, his gaze serious. Gray lifted a brow. The dragon was taking his work incredibly seriously, determined to help even if he had no idea what he was doing.

"Wasn't looking for a girlfriend anyways. Just an example, Lucy. This kind of thing makes life a hell of a lot harder," Gray said finally. "People won't trust us because they'll know we're hiding something."

"Even so," she murmured, her voice softening. "I wouldn't change anything, to be honest."

Natsu beamed down at her and she returned the smile.

Gray watched the pair of them with a thoughtful expression on his face and then pushed away from the couch, shaking his hands as if they'd been dampened with water. "I'm going to head on out. I just stopped by to tell you about Ur and Erza. Lucy...I know you're all fond of your new friends, but don't forget about Erza and I, okay? We were here first. And we've been here through it all. We'll be there if you need us, okay? Give the word, and I'll drive you to the hospital."

Lucy inclined her head a fraction and then took a deep breath, reaching up to push Natsu's hands away gently. He shifted back, watching intently with sharp onyx eyes. She looked at Gray and then forced a huge smile to her face. "I'll never not need you two. Levy's the same. But I can't go to the hospital like this, Gray. I can't."

Natsu clenched his jaw and then suddenly rumbled, "You won't have to. I'm going to fix this. Where's Gajeel?" he added to Gray. "Did ya see the Iron Freak?" He paused, and then jumped to his feet. "Never mind. Found him."

"Natsu, what are you talking about?" Lucy demanded, reaching out to snag his wrist.

He yanked it away.

"You've suffered enough," was all he said before striding from the room. Yukino watched in silent confusion from where she stood, arms wrapped around herself. Sting stood at her side, gnawing on a bone that Wendy had given him as a gift of friendship.

As if oblivious, the dragon asked, "Can we play Monopoly again? I want to beat Wendy at it."

Rogue lifted himself from Sting's shadow just to make a sound of disgust.