#would draw her with gray erza natsu loke cana ANYONE as long as lucy was there and i respect that so hard

[captainuranium543]

My favorite genre of fan media is when a creator has an obvious favorite and invests all their time and energy into them to the point you can watch their improvment as an artist/writer through media based on that character alone.

There's a level of love to that I find wonderful, like clearly this character hit you the way nothing ever has. Whether you're a friend or a stranger, whether I like the character or not, it will always be a joy to see you happy.

keep doing what you do fr

[pyropsychiccollector]

            Out in the woods, an Ice Make Wizard was pounding away at a tree with reckless abandon. If the enemy wound up finding him out here, well… At least he’d finally have something to really vent his frustrations out on. He wasn’t using any Magic, and his knuckles were beginning to bleed, but Gray Fullbuster still didn’t care. He was so pissed. He was so sick of crying, yet all he could do to take his mind off the tears and stinging in his eyes… was react in the way Natsu would. By beating the tar out of anything he could get his hands on. And since every available hand was needed for fighting the Alvarez Empire… he had to go with beating up harmless trees and rocks.

            Not that it made him feel any better.

            “That idiot…” The Ice Wizard seethed as his punches slowed down, and he dug his nails into his skin even deeper, drawing more blood. He threw another punch and panted as he held it against the obliterated tree trunk. “Were you even thinking? No. I bet you weren’t. Even if Zeref spelled it out for you, I bet you killed him with every intention of keeping your promise. There’s no way you died without knowing Zeref had done something to you… Stupid… stupid, stupid, stupid Flamebrain!”

            Gray howled with every ounce of oxygen in his lungs. He howled in anger for the loss of an indispensable rival and friend. He howled in rage at the unfairness of the world that another loved one was taken from him too soon. Perhaps most of all… intentionally or not, he howled in fury at the scarlet knight, who kept him from going after the Pyro.

            If only he hadn’t listened for once. Erza said to leave it to Natsu, to have faith in Natsu, and now that idiot was dead. Sure, he kept his “promise”, but it wasn’t worth it. It was just like when Master Ur cast Iced Shell on Deliora. Only this time, he had no inkling this would happen, even though he could have stopped this. If only he’d been ballsy like Natsu had been, going off on his own like that. Zeref remaining alive would’ve been a small price to pay.

            It was too late now. Natsu was gone, and there was no bringin’ him back. There was no use piling the blame on Erza’s shoulders, either; when they’d received the news, she had been the first to bolt off from the group. She was probably grieving just as hard, if not harder than he was. It made him and Wendy decide to deal with their grief on their own for now, while everyone else was filled in via Warren’s telepathy.

            Shakily, Gray fell to his hands and knees. The tears around his eyes swelled as they dripped to the ground. They were going to keep fighting because they had to, for their own sake just as much as Natsu’s, but that wouldn’t erase the pain. That wouldn’t bring Natsu back. There was gonna be a huge void in their lives from now on. Moving on was gonna be rough…

            Kami. He couldn’t even stomach the thought of Fairy Tail without that infuriating Matchstick. Not now… and maybe not ever.

            ~*~

            “Wendy…” Carla whispered soothingly. The girl hadn’t stopped crying ever since Gray took off. She’d put on a brave face when Grandeeney died, but that had largely been due to the fact she had friends that were now her family. They filled the void that Grandeeney had left behind, and now one of them, a very precious someone, had died as well.

            Carla understood Wendy’s pain better than anyone. Even though saving Cait Shelter from Nirvana had been a group effort, it had been largely due to Natsu’s strength that they’d succeeded. He took down the Master of the Oracion Seis. He looked out for Wendy like she really was his little sister. And most of all, after the ordeal with Tartaros and the Guild disbanded, Natsu had come looking for her to bring Fairy Tail back. It was really little wonder that he held such a special place in the Sky Maiden’s heart.

            “He’s… He’s gone…” Wendy sobbed uncontrollably, seated under a tree with her knees drawn to her chest. “Natsu wasn’t supposed to die! Nothing could keep him down!”

            Carla could only nod quietly.

            “I know, child… I know.” Closing her eyes solemnly, Carla did her best to find the words that would ease Wendy’s pain, even a little. It wasn’t easy for her, either. Though Natsu had been a ruffian that got on her nerves a lot, the Pyro had grown on her, as well. Finally, Carla reopened her eyes and spoke as gently as possible. “Wendy… I won’t tell you to dry your tears. But do you think Natsu would want you to sit here, while our friends need our help? The Alvarez Empire isn’t going to leave our shores, not after Natsu killed their Emperor. We have to keep fighting.”

            “B-But…” Wendy trailed off quietly. She knew Carla had a point. If she didn’t lend her strength, more people were going to die. Possibly more people that were close to her. And Natsu… of course he would encourage her to stand up, even now. But that didn’t make it easy…

            “Summon… your courage.” Carla told her in a heartfelt tone. “We can’t let Alvarez win. This isn’t even about revenge… it’s… Natsu might have been a fool to the end, throwing his life away like that, but we should try and appreciate that he did it for us. He believed that we could handle the rest. We can’t let him down!”

            Again, Wendy knew she was right. Painfully so. For that reason, Wendy rubbed the back of her hand over her face, drying her tears as best as she could. She still felt so sad… But for Natsu, her hero, her friend, her brother… she would pick herself back up. Because in a lot of ways, Natsu had taught her what it “really” meant to be a Dragon Slayer.

            And she wasn’t going to disappoint him.

            ~*~

            Loke let out a tired sigh as he laid Lucy against the wall, farthest from the cell that was keeping some prisoner contained. He could pick up on her distress from the Spirit World, so imagine his surprise when he popped over, and Master explained what “happened”. Loke found it difficult to believe, but also knew Makarov wouldn’t lie about something like this. Natsu was… dead. He still couldn’t wrap his mind around those three simple words. It shouldn’t have been possible for them to be in the same sentence. Not so soon, not while Natsu was still young.

            The Lion Spirit had done everything he could to comfort Lucy, but she still cried her heart out, still fell asleep from exhaustion. Cana hadn’t been much better, in her corner of the room; and frankly, Loke wasn’t better off than either of them. As a proud member of Fairy Tail, as someone who likened himself as an older brother of sorts to Natsu and Gray… this hurt. Like no other.

            In the end, he found himself sitting next to the slumbering Lucy and dwelling on all the happy times he’d had with the mouthy Pyro. Not long after, a concerned Capricorn also materialized in the human world, hovering over the both of them.

            “Is there anything I can do that may be of assistance?”

            Loke merely shook his head.

            “This one’s just going to take time to heal… Even then, there’ll still be scars.” Loke eyed Lucy for a moment. “She’ll pull through. She always does. All we can do is be there for her.”

            Capricorn looked down at him solemnly, the light of the room reflecting off of his shades.

            “And what of you?”

            Loke chuckled softly.

            “I might be spending a lot of time over here for the foreseeable future. Now more than ever, Fairy Tail needs to stick together. I have just as many responsibilities being one of them as I do being leader of the Zodiac.”

            Capricorn smiled at the Lion Spirit’s commitment. He really was an amazing leader and friend.

            “And I shall endeavor to be by Lady Lucy’s side as well.” The Sea Goat echoed his leader’s sentiments.

            No other words needed to be spoken.

            ~*~

            For the first time since Tartaros, Erza found herself overwhelmed by grief. She knew that she had pretty much abandoned Gray and Wendy to their own sadness, but the Requip mage couldn’t help it. She’d reacted on impulse. How else could she react? There was only so much pain that she could take before she couldn’t hide it anymore, and this time… just this once, she needed to be alone. Even moreso than when Jellal had been arrested.

            Because the man that had melted the barriers she’d erected around her heart… he was gone. At least Jellal had been alive, if not in a bad spot when he’d been arrested; she might have reacted violently to anyone approaching her during that time, but she would have come to accept their comfort. But now�� now she was at a complete and utter loss.

            Natsu wasn’t coming back. She had stood up for him when all others wanted to run after and support him, and he… This was like a slap in the face. Everything she’d learned from him… how you lived for your friends… It felt like Natsu had spat on that. As if he’d turned his back on “finding another solution.” If Natsu’s life force was tied to Zeref, the Black Wizard would have brought that up during their confrontation, if for nothing else than to dishearten the Dragon Slayer.

            … But apparently, Natsu had been too strong in his convictions, too hung up on “keeping his promise.” As if she would have been disappointed if he’d retreated! If he’d just done that, he would have made it back alive… Or if she had gone after him, to back him up… Instead, just like so many times before, she had placed her trust in him. Even for something as miraculous as killing Zeref... she believed in him.

            But the thing about that trust was that there was also a silent agreement that he would make it back alive. That had always been the deal. He even said it himself, during the Battle for Fairy Tail, demanding that of her. The enemy had been very powerful this time, but she had complete faith in him. Because he was Natsu Dragneel, and Natsu Dragneel pulled off miracles as if they were nothing.

            There was no miracle this time. Not… Not a true miracle. Zeref was dead, but so was Natsu. Fate must have really hated her, to deal this blow. Natsu was one of two people that she never, ever wanted to lose; Gray was the other one, and he was likely venting right now. As much as she cared about Jellal, he just wasn’t in the same league as Natsu and Gray. Erza accepted that he had to pay his debts, to atone for his sins, and so she had been able to move on from the time of his arrest.

            This loss was so much worse. As if she had lost a significant part of herself in Natsu’s death. She had relied on him so much. His warmth. His spirit. His compassion… Erza was just as angry as she was sad, but it was the very thought of a Fairy Tail without Natsu Dragneel that was keeping sadness as the dominant emotion at this time. The notion itself was unfathomable, as if Natsu and Fairy Tail were one and the same.

            And so Erza wept. She wept for what must have been hours. Tears were even pooling from her right eye, but Erza had stopped noticing a while ago. She knew that she had to pull herself together, for the sake of the Guild, but she just couldn’t manage it as quickly as she normally would. This time was so very different. This wasn’t just a friend being hurt or in trouble… this was Natsu, and he was dead. Never coming back.

            “Erza…”

            The scarlet knight stifled a gasp. That voice… belonged to Natsu. Whether it was real or just some delusion on her part… it didn’t matter. All she wanted was to hear his voice. She needed this, so she listened very intently.

            “I hate to see you cry. That’s… this isn’t you! You’re as tough as a dragon, so start actin’ like one!”

            “But Natsu…!” She looked skywards and objected woefully, only to get cut off again.

            “I’m gonna tell you what Igneel told me to do… ‘Cause out of everyone, you need it most of all! GET ON YOUR FEET, ERZA!

            Erza didn’t know why she complied… Natsu had turned his back on the “Fairy Tail way”, and yet she found herself wobbling as she rose to her feet, leaning on the tree behind her for support. Her gaze was still focused on the blue skies above.

            “I probably shared more years with you than I did with Igneel… and y’know what? You two aren’t different at all! I was always watching your back, playing catch up as we trained hard, and you’re the strongest person I know! Even stronger than Gramps or Gildarts! ‘Cause even when you stumbled, you got right back up!”

            “But this time’s different, Natsu…” Erza whispered with a frown. As expected, the Dragon Slayer denied it.

            “NO! Nothing’s changed! Even now, I’m alive in your heart, aren’t I?! You’re listening to me right now!” The voice went on, even as Erza was overwhelmed with emotion once again. Though this time, there was definitely a layer of happiness in there. A happiness that blossomed in her chest. “I want you to keep on growing, you got that?! If you give up now, I’m never gonna forgive ya! Hell, I’ll count this as a victory over you! You want that?!”

            Erza released a deep breath that she didn’t know she’d been holding. She was still angry over his selfish sacrifice… still immensely sad… But she supposed that she shouldn’t allow herself to fail now. Not when the “old” Natsu would have kicked her ass for faltering now.

            The scarlet knight couldn’t fight the grin tugging at her lips. Real or not, that was exactly what she needed to hear. She would continue to get stronger, and she’d postpone his Punishment until she joined him on the other side. She’d get strong enough to make that loveable idiot regret throwing his life away… The first step to secure the future was to defeat Alvarez… and she was very easily “fired up” for that now~.  

          ~*~

Note: I just couldn't keep Erza-chan sad... She deserved some comfort, so why not have Natsu pass on what Igneel told him~... ^___^

[rainteaanddragons]

Smoke & Mirrors: Eighteen - Natsu

Prologue |  Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch 7 | Ch 8 | Ch 9 | Ch10 | Ch 11 | Ch 12 | Ch 13 | Ch 14 | Ch 15 | Ch 16 | Ch 17 | Ch 18 |

Read on ff.net and ao3

Wendy knelt in front of where Gray and Natsu still sat, while behind her Rufus had begun to pace. Luckily for him, once cast, the spell only drained the physical and emotional energy of Natsu and Gray. Otherwise he'd be exhausted by now. It had been almost half an hour and there had been no movement until now.

Wendy frowned at the small shift in both Gray and Natsu’s expressions. “I think something’s wrong.” She said, worry lacing her voice, “Natsu looks like he’s in pain.” She was certainly right. Natsu’s brows were creased firmly, and his jaw had tensed, while his grip on Gray’s hands seemed to have tightened.

To the relief of most of the group, Rufus stopped his pacing. “He may well be.” Though he sounded blatantly relaxed it was easy to tell his lack of concern was for the right reasons.

“Can’t we do something?” Lucy demanded.

“From here, sadly not,” Rufus answered steadily.

“Hmpf.” Lucy crossed her arms. She was about to continue but a loud knock on the front door of the guild hall drew everyone’s attention.

“Hey,” A familiar voice said, “It’s Matt. I’m just coming to check up on Gray. I have some family who live in the area and I was coming to visit so I thought I’d drop in and see how he’s doing.”

Matt? It took Lyon a moment before it all clicked, “Oh, Matt, of course!” He watched as the nurse approached. Sensing something wasn’t quite right, he placed himself between Matt and the pair seated in the centre of the room.

“Lovely to see you again.” Erza grinned, “will you be here long?”

“Just until some family business has been sorted, but I’m only here to check on Gray, I don’t have much time.” He glanced around, “Where is Gray anyway?”

“He’s here.” Lyon stepped reluctantly to the side again. “We’re trying to work out exactly how Natsu was taken from Gray’s mind. We hope it will shed some light on how to get Gray’s memory back.” If that is possible at all.

“Anything yet?”

“Not quite,” Loke mused, “but time will tell.”

“Oh. Well, I hope you work something out soon.”

“You’re not the only one.” Cana spoke up, “it’s damn quite around here without those two causing a scuffle.”

Matt grinned. “Okay, I better head off. If you find out something you can give me a call at the Magnolia Inn.”

Erza’s head snapped up, a frown creasing her eyebrows. “The Inn? I thought you were here visiting family.”

“Huh?” Matt’s breath caught in his throat, as the silence settled between him and Erza. “Ohh. Not enough room at my cousins’ apartment. Plus, you know, family gatherings…” He let out a sharp chuckle, “they get loud.”

“You can say that again.”

Matt nodded his head, grinned, then turned and left with a wave.

“Who was that?” Sting had stayed uncharacteristically silent throughout the whole conversation.

“Oh, him?” Loke replied. “That was Matt, Gray’s nurse from the hospital in Gladiolus.”

“Nurse?” Rogue repeated, “I didn’t know nurses made house calls like that.”

Lyon nodded in agreement. He was about to speak but a sharp intake of breath then a sob from behind him brought his attention back to Natsu and Gray. As Gray let out another sob, tears began to leak out from beneath his closed eyelids.

“Gray?” Juvia whispered, staring wide eyed at her friend.

At this point Natsu was dry eyed, but it wasn’t long before he had tears rolling down his cheeks too. Then suddenly the pair began to shake. The scarf shifting over their clasped hands as they gripped each other’s hands tighter still.

“Shit!” Loke cried out, “What the hell is going on in there?”

“There is no way of knowing, not until they ask to be broken out of the spell. If I release them now and they are in the middle of a memory it will be very painful for them to come back to reality.”

“But–”

“–There is no telling when Natsu is in memory limbo, and that is the safest time for him to be forcibly removed from Gray’s mind.”

“What!” Juvia snapped, a fearful look in her eyes.

“If Natsu says the code word in the middle of a memory it breaks the spell on his end and I can safely release the sp–”

“–Smoke and mirrors” Natsu spoke in a broken whisper. Turning every head in the room.

~

Natsu let out a cry of pain as the magically charged whip came down upon his, well, Gray’s bare chest again. How did he endure this? Why didn’t he just tell them?

“I hope you're ready to talk now," the beefy man, whom Natsu now knew as Giganto, snapped, “you've been here three months, most would have cracked by now. So why haven't you?"

"I'm surprised you're still trying.” Natsu shot the man a glare. “I won't tell you a thing." As the words left his lips Natsu’s stomach sunk. He knew that resolve very well.

"You will tell us!" Giganto spat the words out, "Who is E.N.D.?"

"NO!"

As he took another hit from the whip, Natsu felt the skin over Gray’s guild mark tear and beads of blood leaked onto his pale chest. Shit. Natsu grit his teeth in pain but as the burn flared on his skin again he couldn’t help but yell in pain. Panting now, he glared up at the beefy man in front of him. “You bastard! I won't tell you anything!" Gray no!

"No, we know you will!" Giganto smirked, "no one can hold out like this forever."

"Well you're about to be proved wrong." Natsu couldn’t help the small smirk, that’s the Gray I know, it didn’t last long as another lash from the whip pulled a strangled yell of pain from his lips.

"Who and where is E.N.D.?" Giganto yelled.

"I. Won't. Tell. You. Wha- whatever you do to me I will not say a word." How much more of this did he have to deal with?

A momentary silence settled before Giganto broke it with a dark chuckle. "You don't just know who E.N.D. is, you know E.N.D. personally. More than that, you care." He sneered, "Anyone who doesn't know this demon personally would have cracked by now. No one can endure this much for someone they don't even know."

"I can."

Though Natsu had known the truth deep down, he could feel Gray’s despair as it settled in his stomach. All of it, everything Gray had endured over that year had been because of how much he cared. Feeling that fear of somehow telling them the information they needed, Natsu was sure of just how little they believed him. Gray had felt it too. If anything, the look on Giganto’s face said it all as he turned and slammed the door behind him.

Natsu didn’t have much time to collect his thoughts as moments later he felt his skin begin to tingle, then sting, then a dull ache flooded his whole body. It wasn’t exactly painful, but it annoyed him, more and more as the feeling refused to subside. Then as the ache began to radiate throughout his body, it worsened until it felt like he was burning inside and out. A feeling quite alien to Natsu. Then as a bolt of magically fuelled fire flooded his already weakened body Natsu yelled out in pain. Blacking out entirely. At this point he was in so much pain he wasn’t sure if it was that or the memory spell pulling him into the darkness.

Natsu was still shaking as a dull light filled his vision and he found himself back inside Gray’s cell. He watched as Gray curled in on himself. I’m so sorry my friend, I put you through this. I wish I could have got you out of here earlier. I really am so sorry. “This is all my fault.”

Natsu spun round as the cell door opened behind him and two men barged in. They grabbed Gray under the arms and half marched, half dragged him from the room. Natsu followed with a sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew what was about to happen, he could feel the finality of the whole situation. As they walked towards the brightly lit room, the corridor felt much longer than it probably was.

As the door slammed shut behind him, Natsu watched helplessly as Gray was chained to the chair in the centre of the room.

Natsu said the only thing he could think of. Though he knew it was no use. “You sure about this?”

Natsu felt his heart clench as Gray looked up straight into his eyes, “I’m sure.” There was something in his expression, sadness, or maybe even guilt. Either way, Natsu never wanted to see that look on his friend’s face again.

“I’m going to give you one last chance Fullbuster. Tell me who E.N.D. is and we won’t have to do this.” Giganto growled.

Please Gray, just tell them the truth. I can deal with them, trust me.

“Fuck you.”

Natsu didn’t want to watch but he couldn’t seem to draw his eyes away. It was as if his vision was locked directly on Gray, he could only listen as a disembodied but strangely familiar voice started to work the Kakusareta Omoide spell. Then as the light surrounding Gray began to grow, the mage began to mutter under his breath. It wasn’t long before the light began to fade. At the same time, Natsu felt as if he was being pulled backwards from the room.

No. Please, no.

“What's he doing?” Giganto’s voice sounded panicked.  

“He’s hijacking the spell!” The caster replied, his voice laced with confusion.

“How is that even possible?”

“It shouldn’t be, not for him, not with how weak he is right now.”

“But he is, so do something!” Giganto spat the words out.

The nameless man continued to speak, but it was now in a completely different tone. This spell sounded more aggressive, forceful. When he stopped speaking, Natsu could hear he was panting from the exertion.

“Did you stop him?” Giganto asked him. The man looked familiar to Natsu, but in his distress he couldn’t quite pick as to why.

“No, but I did manage to do something.”

As Natsu listened to the young wizard as he explained what he’d done to Gray, he felt his stomach sink. There was nothing he could do now, not without putting Gray in more of a difficult position than he already was.

Silence settled over the room as if no one quite knew what to do.

Natsu could feel an emptiness spreading throughout his chest, starting from where Gray’s guild mark would have sat. He knew then, that though he was no longer ‘Gray’ those feelings were Gray’s. Fear mixed horribly with sadness, it settled in his stomach. Natsu still couldn’t seem to shake a feeling of deep rooted guilt. You’re still thinking about everyone else, Gray. Even now, even when you’re the one in trouble.

Gray – and now Natsu – knew that this would be the last time he would know who Natsu was. There was only one thing Gray could think of which would maybe stay beyond the spell. “Smile for me, Natsu, please...”

Gray’s shaking voice brought Natsu from his thoughts. I didn’t know you could see me here. His stomach clenched. How can I smile now? But as he looked as his friend, and felt his fear, his sadness, Natsu knew he had to. So through his tears Natsu pulled his face into a wide grin.

Gray smiled. A sad, broken smile. “Thank you, my friend. Goodbye…Natsu.”

Fighting the urge to be sick Natsu forced himself to keep watching as his friend’s eyes glazed over and seemed to stare right through him. Natsu knew Gray couldn’t recognise him now.

There was nothing else they needed to know. Nothing at all. With a deep breath, Natsu tried to steady his voice, and this time, he knew these were his own words.

“Sm– smoke and mirrors.”

~

A massive flair of white light filled the room as Rufus countered the spell. As the light cleared it was easy to see the boys were definitely not alright. Natsu’s breaths came in ragged pants as he stared at the ground while tears dripped off his nose, soaking into the thick scarf wrapped around his shaking hands. Violent sobs wracked Gray’s frame, his face turning a sickly, ashen colour.

The scarf slowly unravelled and fell to the floor between them.

In that moment, Gray stood. His shaking legs only just carrying his weight. His chair hit the wooden floorboards with a crack making Natsu jump. It wasn’t until Gray was out of the Guild Hall that he doubled over. Bile rising in his throat he crashed to his knees in the gravel driveway. Shaking, tears still damp on his cheeks, Gray didn’t even move when Lyon put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“I saw it all too. Everything that Natsu saw, I watched it all through the eyes of my own consciousness.”

“What do you mean?” Lyon whispered, not quite sure what to do.

“I– I remember now. What happened to me in that place they took me to. I understand why they took me, any one of us could have known the identity of the demon E.N.D..”

“…but that doesn’t explain–”

“Their end game was always to kill E.N.D., and they knew they couldn't kill it themselves, but they knew I could. That’s why they took me.”

“Ohh.” Lyon had no words. Just more questions. First, how did they know about Gray’s Demon Slaying Magic?

“It wasn’t long before they realised I was protecting someone I knew. So when they saw I was hijacking the Kakusareta Omoide spell they put in a fail-safe.” Gray swallowed, “He guessed that either I would, or someone else would want to bring back my memories, and he used it against me.”

Lyon knelt down in front of Gray. “Gray, what did they do?” Panic was rising in his throat. When he’d run after Gray, Natsu hadn’t yet spoken a word and was just staring blankly at the floor of the guild hall. So whatever he was about to hear it couldn’t be good.

“If we bring back my memories…” Gray brought his eyes up to meet Lyon’s. “If we bring them back I won’t just find out who Natsu is to me. They put part two of their plan into action without knowing who E.N.D. actually is because they guessed I knew E.N.D. personally.”

“Spit it out Gray!”

“If I get my memories back I will try and kill the demon E.N.D., and I won’t be able to stop trying until I have done so.”

[riverofmemoriesft]

. Between the Lines . 168

. Between the Lines .

They reached the stadium without further trouble, much to the surprise of them all. They entered through the massive archway that stood dozens of feet over their head, made of a beautiful gray stone. Lucy kept close to Natsu, keeping an eye on him after his outburst. He didn't seem to mind. He threw an arm around her shoulders and let his eyes dart this way and that, a grin appearing when he saw who awaited them there.

"Natsu!" Sting shouted, waving excitedly when he saw them. "You made it!"

Natsu dragged his girlfriend over and she groaned her protest as Erza and Jellal went to speak with an official that waited. Gray followed Natsu and Lucy, hands pushed into his pockets. "Sting!" he greeted eagerly.

Rogue's sharp gaze swept over their team as Lyon sidled away from his group to go greet Gray. "Interesting choice in team members," he said thoughtfully, gaze lingering suspiciously on Jellal for a moment. "I didn't expect Jellal Fernandes to be allowed to compete."

Lucy raised her chin. "He's nakama now, not some criminal, Rogue. He's a good person and we like having him in our guild."

Rogue's lips twitched into a smile. "Whatever you say."

"Lucy!"

A familiar voice had her turning her head a second before her arm was grabbed by a beaming pink-haired woman. "Meredy!" she greeted warmly. Meredy beamed at her, eyes glowing with excitement. "It's been a while! How's Lamia Scale treating you?"

"Beautifully," she said honestly, flushing a little. "I was told to work with Lyon, Chelia, and Jura. Jura suggested that I compete alongside them because of it. It's the only reason I was allowed in the Games this year." Her gaze shifted to the startled Sting and Rogue. "I'm Meredy," she added, smiling in greeting.

"Sting Eucliffe," Sting drawled, eyeing her with a thoughtful look as Yukino jogged over, greeting Lucy with a happy hug. "Nice to meet you."

Yukino giggled, elbowing the guildmaster of Sabertooth. "Don't start flirting," she scolded. "We have other things to worry about."

Sting pouted, but his blue eyes twinkled as Yukino and Rogue introduced themselves to Meredy. Meredy greeted each of them warmly and politely asked them about how they were doing. As she did, Lucy turned to Sting and asked, "Where's your new member? We heard she was on your team."

His eyes flashed uncertainly, much to her surprise. "Minerva," he said, indicating a cross woman that stood near a calm Rufus. Her lips were pulled back in a hint of a sneer, dark hair piled atop of her head. "She's...strong. She's not done anything illegal, so we had no reason to not let her in, but...her attitude makes the guild uncomfortable. She was particularly brutal to Sorano the other day. I told her to knock it off, but it's like it didn't mean anything."

Natsu turned his gaze on Minerva, openly staring. "She's watching Erza," he said a moment later. "She's staring at her...she got something against her? Erza could kick her ass."

Sting relaxed, grinning as he playfully punched Natsu's arm. "Like hell - oh, shit, you've got to be kidding me."

"Ugh!" Lyon wailed, "That's not fair, you bastards!"

"Gray, my dear," a cheerful Juvia sang as she jogged over, throwing her arms around Gray's neck and practically throttling the poor guy. "We succeeded in arriving! Juvia made sure that no one touched her for you!"

Gray looked a little concerned. "What the hell does that even mean?"

"Chelia!" Wendy shrieked in excitement as she ran over, and Laxus, Cana, and Gajeel approached. The two men fought to look unimpressed, but Lucy could see the pride in their eyes, and Cana wore a grin on her face as she waved her alcoholic beverage in the air, shouting that they'd done it.

Yukino looked amused. "Congratulations, Fairy Tail," she murmured.

"You did well, too," Lucy argued.

"Ah, but only Fairy Tail will likely get two teams in," Rogue commented as Mermaid Heel entered, followed by an exhausted Blue Pegasus team.

Erza looked horrified when she saw Ichiya was among them.

It wasn't long before a massive siren rang through the air. A second later, a voice began to scream over the sirens, "Congratulations to Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, Fairy Tail Team A, Fairy Tail Team B, Mermaid Heel, and Blue Pegasus, all of which have passed onto the actual Games. We give our sorrow to the three teams expelled and hope you will participate next year! If you have succeeded onto the first day, please pay attention to the schedule that will be sent to each of your team leaders. That is all for tonight; get your rest and prepare for tomorrow. It'll be a long day for all of you."

Lucy waited until Erza had been handed a piece of paper before she joined her teammates in looking over her shoulder. "Okay," Erza said thoughtfully, dark eyes narrowed at the paper. "It looks like each day will consist of a game and a fight. We'll fight a member of each team on various days. Tomorrow, it looks like I'll be the first one to play a game. Jellal will be fighting against... oh. Jellal, you'll be against Lyon, actually, that ought to be interesting."

"Damn," Gray said with a pout.

Erza read the rest of the days off for them.

On the second day, Gray would play a game and Lucy would fight. Lucy had taken on a nervous look at that, but said nothing. Natsu had scowled.

The third, Natsu would play and Erza would fight.

The fourth would place Jellal in a game and Gray in a fight.

The fifth, Lucy would play the game and Natsu would battle.

"On the sixth day, it looks like there'll be a team fight." Erza's lips twitched in a smile. "Natsu and Lucy are going to be put up against Sting and Rogue. Gajeel and Juvia will be against Meredy and Jura."

Natsu's eyes sparkled with glee. "Yes!" he cheered, even as Lucy shifted, rubbing her arm uneasily. Loke's key heated at her hip to attempt to offer her comfort, but she said nothing, fiddling with the gauntlets that Sting had given her.

"The seventh day's going to be a huge one," Jellal realized. "We'll all go up against everyone on every team."

Natsu faltered at that, suddenly going quiet. They glanced to him curiously. "That's July 7th," he said bitterly. "I don't want to do anything that day, Erza. Can they replace anyone with Mira or something?"

There was a moment in which the group was quiet, and then Erza said gently, "No, if you are able to compete, you must. You'll have hopefully gained favor from the crowd at that point, Natsu. It wouldn't bode well if you didn't finish the Games. I understand the importance of the date, but I ask that you please push past it and finish with us."

Natsu clenched his jaw, frustrated. "Fine."

"Thank you," Lucy said quietly, rubbing his arm soothingly. He relaxed only a fraction before turning his attention elsewhere. "Anyways...doesn't that put us at a huge advantage on the last day?"

"It would...except they're taking out one of our teams," Erza explained. "They want that one to be fair, so we're going to have to pick and choose five members." She pointed to a written note on the bottom of their paper. "See? Due to the nature of what's happened, we can have up to four S-Class mages on our team so long as any newcomer has been in the guild for five years." "Laxus, Jellal, and you from the whole Games, and then Mira," Gray muttered, glancing at Jellal. Jellal's face gave nothing away in regards to his thoughts. Instead, he stayed quiet, focusing only on the paper.

"Alright, then that settles that," Erza murmured, tucking the paper away. "Jellal and I will rest up for tomorrow. You three can-"

"Wait," Natsu suddenly cut in. "If we fight a different guild each day, what about Team B?"

Erza's expression twisted into one of discomfort. Jellal looked somewhat unhappy as he admitted, "They've set Lucy up against Gajeel for a fight."

Lucy stiffened, memories of the blows he'd delivered when she'd first been kidnapped by Phantom Lord flooding into her mind. "No," she pleaded. "No, no way. I want to drop out. I'm not...no." Her hands trembled violently. "I won't fight Gajeel."

"Ain't no way around it, Bunny Girl," Gajeel said as he passed them on his way to find Levy. He stopped and gave a grimace. "Already asked. They won't change anything unless one of us is physically unable to fight."

Lucy whirled on Natsu, eyes blazing. "Break my leg."

He jerked back, shocked. "No way, Luce, I'm not going to break your leg! What the hell, woman!"

She rounded on Gray, who held his hands up and took a few steps back, shaking his head hastily. "Lucy, we're not going to break your leg, okay?"

Gajeel looked somewhat offended. "I ain't gonna break you in half or beat the shit out of you like before, Lucy. This ain't an undercover mission with Juvia. We've got ten minutes to try and get the upper hand and then they either declare a draw or one of us loses."

Lucy turned her sharp brown eyes on Gajeel. "...you promise?" she pleaded. She shivered, practically tasting the blood in her mouth, remembering the heat of flames as Natsu knelt over her, shocked.

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "If I do more than leave some nasty bruises, I'll let that bastard electrocute me." He jerked a thumb in Laxus' direction and then wandered off, leaving Lucy to hug herself uncertainly.

Sure, she'd learned magic over the course of the last few months.

But this…

Someone had some cruel sense of humor.

"You good, Lucy?"

Lucy glanced up to discover an anxious Natsu looking at her, Happy looking just as worried as he sat on the dragon slayer's shoulder. He held two plates of food, onyx eyes studying her. "Yeah," she said finally, scooting over a bit so he could join her on the bench.

Fairy Tail had gone to a bar to celebrate, and it was clear that mostly everyone was having a blast. The commotion had earned hateful looks from various other occupants, though Fairy Tail hadn't cared. Cana was loudly singing in a drunken slur with a giggling Levy joining in.

Gajeel had his face in his hand, a groan leaving him every few minutes.

Natsu dropped onto the bench beside her and shoved one plate in her direction. Lucy picked up the fork and took a bite, thoughtful. "Thanks," she murmured. "Sorry, I know everyone's excited, but…" He blinked quietly at her, recognizing that she wasn't in the mood for his wild antics.

She sat back. "This is going to bring back bad memories. I don't want to think of Gajeel like that because I know it's not his fault and I know he's not truly like that, just...the idea of fighting him isn't pleasant."

Natsu shoved a chicken leg in his mouth and replied, "Gotta face your fears, Luce. You'll be okay. I'll be cheering for ya, okay?"

Her lips twitched. She didn't think he really understood what the issue she was having was, but she could appreciate his attempt to be good about it. "Thanks, Natsu. I...Natsu." She blanched at the sight of his empty plate. "How on earth did you do that?"

"He's really good at eating fast," Happy told her as he hopped over to seat himself on her head, purring loudly. He rubbed his cheek against her hair. "I'll cheer for you, too," he promised.

Lucy smiled. "Thanks, Happy. Natsu Dragneel, if you touch my dinner, I swear on Loke's key that I will shave that pink hair of yours right off…"

"Is it ready?"

"Yes," the serious man beside her confirmed. "Shall we begin the process of bringing them in, your Highness?"

Hisui E. Fiore leaned forward, resting her elbows on the balcony and gave a curt nod, thinking of how people expected that she was in Bosco. Instead, she was home, dealing with something much more important.

"Yes. Begin the search for Yukino Auguria and Lucy Heartfilia if you would. Be careful. I don't think the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth or Natsu Dragneel will appreciate it."

His lips curved into a smirk. "Don't worry, your Highness. We always appreciate a challenge." He turned and walked away.

And Hisui felt a flash of guilt as she buried her face in her hands.

I'm sorry, Lucy.

[riverofmemoriesft]

. Between the Lines . 157

It was another two days before Sandra was delivered to her aunt. Lucy felt guilty about it, but the aunt had reassured them that it was fine. She'd received a call from Sandra, who'd told her that she wanted to make sure Jellal was doing okay before joining her. When they finally had gotten the young girl to her family, the aunt had been beyond grateful, praising them for their troubles with a large donation check to the guild.

Lucy had been pleased when the news people had shown up again to make note of this, asking she, Natsu, Happy, Wendy, Charle, Lily, and Gajeel for interviews. While Gajeel had been grouchy about his, the rest of them had been eager to agree.

They'd all hurried home after that, eager to see how their friends were doing.

When they'd arrived at the guildhall, they were all greeted with exciting news: the curfew had been lifted and a few people had stopped by, curious to see how the guild worked and if they could see mages work magic. Under a request from the Council, who'd been happy with this, they'd begun to have a sort of show every day at noon in a park near the guildhall, soldiers from the royal family's personal army making sure no violence broke out.

Many of the guild had worried over Natsu upon their return, asking how he was feeling after seeing everything on the news. He'd merely done a flip off of a table to get them off of his back, hanging happily off of Lucy afterwards.

Mirajane had given them a few teases about their relationship, as had Cana, but other than that, everyone seemed to have grown used to Natsu and Lucy being a couple. When Lucy had mentioned her relief, Mirajane had laughed and told her, "There's no ‘just Lucy’ or ‘just Natsu’ anymore, Lucy. There's only ‘Natsu and Lucy’."

Lucy had flushed, but hadn't said she was wrong.

It was on the day they'd come back, while Natsu had wandered off to eat and perhaps even spar with Gray, that Lucy summoned Loke. Already knowing her intent, he'd presented Layla's diary with a flourish, murmuring quietly, "Don't show anyone else until you've finished it, Lucy. This...what you'll soon be reading will be hard for several people to understand, alright?"

"Right," she muttered, smiling faintly and taking the diary from his hands.

Loke left, and Lucy knew Natsu had seen her, because she could feel a heated stare on her. But she ignored him, and she trusted that he'd stay away for the time being. She'd promised to share with him, of course, and he truly believed she would.

She flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for and took a deep breath before reading.

January 1st, X776

Only the stars and I know what Igneel has been hiding for all this time, and I regret that I have to admit that I disapprove of what he's done. At the same time, however, I can understand. He did what he thought was right. I won't state the secret in written words. It is not one that should be anywhere but in someone's mind.

Lucy's magic is growing unpredictable again. We've decided that it would be best to block off any mention of magic from her memories. Mavis will be returning to help, as her magic surpasses my own. She and Igneel will perform the necessary magic. The Spirits are upset, of course, but understand. They hope that Lucy will someday see them again.

Supposedly, blocking magic from her mind will reset her own...or something like that. It will help her heal, and that is all that matters to me.

It pains me to admit that against Jude's wishes, I have accepted Igneel's proposal. A year and a half from now, when magic is at its strongest point - a point it won't reach until August 8th of the year X888 - I will do as he asks.

Forgive me, Lucy.

This is not what I wanted for my daughter...for any of us.

~Layla

Lucy's hands trembled as she flipped through the pages, skimming various entries. Nothing of importance happened for quite some time.

And then, she reached a date that had her stopping dead in her tracks.

July 7th, X777

As the sun fell today, I did what was asked of me. With Leo's help...with the help of Igneel and Mavis...oh, it hurts to state this. It hurts me deeply, to admit what I've done.

Today, at the place where everything began, the four of us sealed the last of the dragons away.

Igneel, Grandeeney, all of them.

Leo has been banished for his part in this; the Spirit King specifically told him not to and he was sent to live in Igneel's hoard until a celestial mage of the Heartfilia bloodline can find him on their own. He cannot help, or ever speak of what I've done without the holder having prior knowledge, or his key turns to dust.

My Leo...I'm sorry.

I can no longer use magic, and it hurts terribly. I miss them, the Spirits I've cared for for so long. I sent them all - except for Taurus, who wished to be kept in the Heartfilia vault - to Mavis. She has agreed to hide them all for me.

But how can a ghost do such a thing? Yes, she told me. She has never been alive. Not since those treasure hunters retrieved her from Tenrou Island. My memories are so jumbled, for she has told me that she was once very much loved by Zeref, the emperor of the Alvarez Empire…

But how can a ghost be loved like that? Has Zeref been around longer than we thought?

And Lucy…

Oh, my dear Lucy, if you choose to read this, I'm sorry.

I am so, so sorry.

I can feel time slipping through my fingers, and Jude has sent you away so that you don't have to watch me wither away within hours; the lack of magic in my veins has crippled me, and I fear I won't see tomorrow.

But I hope you know that I did not choose to give my life up for no reason.

It was to protect you.

Please, when you are able...find Leo. Tell him how sorry I am. And I want you to find Natsu and stay with him, so that neither of you have to be alone. I love you, Lucy.

Forgive me, please.

Farewell.

~Layla

Lucy stared at the page. She read it again, and then over and over several times as tears gathered in her widened eyes. Finally, the diary dropped to the ground from her fingers, her hands shaking so violently that she nearly jabbed her eye when she went to swipe the tears away.

She hadn't expected it.

They'd suspected that Layla had something to do with the dragon's disappearance, but to read that Layla Heartfilia had killed herself sealing them away…

But, she supposed, one good thing did come out of this.

Two, even.

One, the dragons were quite possibly alive.

And two, they had a clue on where they might be.

"Lucy?"

The sound of her name had the blonde's head snapping up, shaking her out of her stunned stupor. She licked her lips, and then smiled faintly at Natsu when she saw that he'd begun to approach, hesitant. He hadn't wanted to get too close, knowing that Lucy didn't want him to see her mother's diary yet. But his onyx eyes were full of concern, and the smoke that curled from his nose and the corners of his mouth told her that he was ready to fight whatever had made her cry.

But he couldn't fight death itself.

His actions caught others' attentions, and immediately, Erza was storming over, demanding furiously, "What has happened? Why are you crying? Did Natsu do something again, Lucy?"

She gave a broken laugh. "N-no," she managed to choke out, her dark eyes flashing with amusement briefly. She took a deep breath, and then croaked, "I'm fine. I just...I read something from my mother in her diary and it upset me, that's all."

Levy, who'd been reading a book and had stopped to look up when Natsu had spoken, gave her a sympathetic look, and Natsu finally took Erza's approach as a signal. He strode over, opening his arms, and she didn't hesitate to tackle him in a tight hug.

The warmth he offered drove away the grief, reminding her that while her mother was gone, her father never to be forgiven for what he'd done due to his death, she still had a family. Erza decided to join in the hug without asking, making Lucy laugh when Natsu cringed in pain, his head slammed into her chest.

And suddenly, it was a guild-wide hug.

Lucy squawked when Wendy and Levy tackled them tightly, followed closely by Happy. Cana squished herself in with a drunken laugh and Mirajane scrambled over the bar with Lisanna. Elfman joined his sisters fairly quickly, and Juvia dragged Gray over. Even Jellal was dragged in somehow. Several others joined in, excluding Cobra, Laxus, and Gajeel, who gave the group blank stares.

Smashed up against Natsu with her family around her, Lucy smiled, pressing her forehead lovingly against Natsu's. He grinned, onyx eyes glittering with relief as she closed hers. A happy rumble filled the back of his throat, and Lucy wondered if it was a dragon slayer thing.

For the briefest of moments, his lips brushed against hers, and then the contact was gone.

Lucy snorted softly, and then pulled back, laughing loudly when Happy screeched that he wanted to hug Lucy personally. She tucked the blue-furred cat against her chest and kissed his head.

When everyone finally went back to what they were doing, Lucy picked her mother's diary up and summoned Loke, giving him a long look when she tenderly placed it in his hands. "We need to talk," she said quietly.

Loke sighed softly. "I guessed as much. I'll use my own power tonight. So it doesn't draw on your strength." He gave her a kind smile. "Just remember, Lucy. Even if you know everything, I still can't speak of many things. I'll do my best to answer questions."

"Right," she murmured, and then looked over her shoulder at Natsu, who'd gone back to scarfing down Gray's food while the ice-make mage wasn't looking. His attempts failed and Gray saw him after mere moments, scowling viciously before launching himself at him.

"And...Loke? Say nothing about the dragons to Natsu."

"Of course not, Princess." Loke smiled at her and as he turned to leave, Lucy thought she heard him say something that chilled her to the bone.

"To think this is all because of his stupid choice."