#fairy tail fic

[dragneelshmagneel]

Natsu Smut Teaser 

AN: decided to at least give you guys a teaser of my Natsu smut that is taking WAY too long to finish. Also yes I see your requests, they are amazing, I shall try to write as much as I can 🖤

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“Natsu…” you breathed his name, your heart fluttering at the sight of him as he walked over. Hands clenched into fists and fire licking up his arms. You had seen him when he was angry, this we beyond that, this was pure rage.

“Say one more filthy thing to y/n and i’ll rip your head from your body.”

Natsu’s voice rumbled through the guild hall, catching everyone’s attention. Sting tensed, taking steps away as Natsu neared. Even Gajeel seemed at an unease.

“Take it easy Salamander.”

“I wasn’t talking to you, Gajeel.”

Gajeel clenched his jaw but said nothing else as Natsu stepped closer to Laxus, and before Laxus could even utter a word Natsu threw a fire fisted punch sending him flying back… and knocked him out cold. You gasped again, covering your mouth to keep the sound to yourself but Natsu noticed. He kept his head down, but you noticed how his body shook. Felt the intense magical energy rising in the air. You made to raise your hand to touch him, but he grabbed it instead. At first he used too much strength as he wrapped his hand around your wrist, but it lessened as his grip changed, opening so that his fingers laced with yours.

“Natsu—”

“I—need—your help.”

You tilted your head in confusion, opening your mouth to ask with what when Natsu spoke, his face still looking down as he said,

“Please.”

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Tags: @natsuwife

[the-matildxe]

i headcannon that the fairy tail next gen kids are SICKKKK(jokingly) of seeing their lovey dovey parents. specifically the couple where one of them always loses his clothes. GRUVIAAA, because they make me sick (in love) they also annoy the nxt gen kids with their loving antics. storm gets so embarrassed when they flirt in front of him like all kids do with their parents

[angel13xo]

something about levy being the one to narrate the gmg arc.... 😭😭💔

[icedcoffeeandsunshine]

Hi! I’ve just read your Gray Fullbuster work and it was incredible! I’d like to ask you Gray x Ethernano Dragon Slayer s/o.

Maybe when they have feelings for each other but can’t confess because of Juvia and everybody’s opinion that she will be the best girlfriend for him

Actually, I’d be happy to read everything about these to

Sorry for interrupting

hello thank you for your request :) sorry for the delay!

i’ve been super busy because i had a politics exam a couple days ago and in all honesty, i haven’t written in a while so ya girls very rusty and this will be crap but i hope you enjoy some parts of it at least <3

the reader’s name is Lillian Ellara btw, i cannot take “y/n” seriously if i’m being honest 😭

Unrequited - Gray Fullbuster

“Ethernano Dragon’s Roar!”

It was a sunny day in Fiore and as usual, the members of the Fairy Tail guild were having impromptu competitions to find out who held the most power in the guild.

Today’s match was between Gajeel Redfox, the Iron Dragon Slayer and Lilian Ellara, the Ethernano Dragon Slayer.

And boy, was it a chaotic one.

“Iron Dragon’s Lance!”

Gray Fullbuster watched the two Slayers fight, though his focus was only on one of the two.

Lillian swiftly dodged Gajeel’s spell and swiftly launched a counter attack, earning her a yell of approval from the Titania, Erza Scarlett. She was truly a sight to behold when it came to combat.

Gray had always had a crush on Lillian, ever since he had joined the guild. The brunette was an enigma to him. She was sweet, charming and incredibly sassy but in a loveable way. He definitely had feelings for her and suspected she felt the same thanks to listening to the ramblings of a very drunk Cana.

However, there was one issue.

“Gray-sama! Juvia was thinking of going for a walk. Would you like to come along?”

The Ice Make Mage sighed as he turned to face the Water Mage. Juvia had pursued him relentlessly despite him turning her down at multiple occasions. She was stubborn, for sure but it was clear that the other members of Fairy Tail always encouraged her to keep trying because they thought Juvia and Gray made an ideal couple.

“No I-”

Before Gray could answer, Lucy pitched in.

“He’d love to, wouldn’t he?” The Celestial Wizard winked at him and he blinked. Turning back to Juvia, he was about to reject the offer but the look on her face made him agree. He huffed as he put on a jacket.

Why was it so hard for him to just tell Juvia he liked someone else?

With one glance back at Lillian, who was smirking as Gajeel fell to the floor, he walked out of the guild hall with Juvia.

───◌┈┈───♡⃝───┈┈◌───

“Guess I underestimated you, pipsqueak” Gajeel groaned as he stood up and Lillian smirked.

She looked around the guild for the one person she wanted to see but he was nowhere to be found.

“Where’s Gray gone off to?” She asked Erza.

“With Julia probably” the Titania sighed dreamily “Young love, am I right?”

“Erza, you’re 19 and those two are 18”

Erza simply rolled her eyes in response.

Lillian bit her lip. Nearly everyone in the guild shipped Gray and Juvia but nobody knew that the Ethernano Dragon slayer had feelings for him too. Well, nobody except Mirajane, who was shooting a warning glance to Lillian at that moment. She had noticed the way Lillian looked at the Ice Mage and simply told her to ‘get over him because Juvia would be a better fit’.

She couldn’t disclose her feelings to anyone else. Not when there was a chance of Gray finding out. Believe it or not, the big bad powerful Dragon Slayer was fearful of rejection. Besides, everyone in the guild felt Juvia would succeed in getting Gray to reciprocate her feelings and by the looks of it, she already had so what was the point?

Maybe they could be together. Maybe not. Maybe Gray even had feelings for her. Or maybe he was with Juvia now. Or maybe he just wasn’t interested in her.

Lillian shook her thoughts off. What was wrong with her? She needed to focus on getting stronger, not focus on one sided romance..what was it called again?

Unrequited love— as her dragon, Zenith would call it.

Erza’s voice suddenly snapped her out of her thoughts.

“I’m going to Sabertooth to meet Frosch, you wanna come with?”

Lillian nodded and followed the redhead.

A distraction could possibly be just what she needed to eliminate her feelings for Gray.

[fics-n-stuff-n-stuff]

Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia Gray Fullbuster/Juvia Lockser Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox

all fairy tail characters basically

Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic

Follows Fairy tail but with my own twists set in modern day

Fluff and Angst

Romance / Friendship / developing feelings

Lucy has new spirits I checked constellations and gave her ones I thought were cool

Summary

Lucy is thrown into a world she didn’t know existed. Join her as she unravels this new world full of magic that brings adventure, romance and destruction along with it.

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Just a modern re-telling of Fairy tail following its arcs with a few twists and turns along the way💞

You can also read it here

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Chapter 19

"You found it." The man said with a hint of relief in his voice as he moved to walk closer to them.

Natsu's form tensed up as the man approached with slow, hobbling steps and moved a step to the right, so his whole body was standing in front of Lucy.

"Who are you? And what do you want?" Lucy asked as she moved to watch the man over Natsu's shoulder.

The closer he seemed to be, the stronger a feeling of sorrow seemed to envelop Lucy. His existence was screaming agony, and it was like she could feel a part of it.

"I was hoping that you would find it before anyone else figured out where the other half was buried." The man kept talking, ignoring her previous questions as he took careful steps towards them.

"Though I see that you had some company before I made my way here." He commented as he looked over to where Helena's body was tied up.

"I don't like attacking someone who can't defend themself, but if ya don't stop walking I'm not gonna have a choice." Natsu's voice cut through the clearing, making the man stop in his tracks and turn back to look at the pinkette.

With his nose raised in the air he sent an unimpressed look towards her partner, Lucy saw him scoff slightly before turning his gaze towards her.

"Of all the people to team up with, it had to be him?"

The question was directed towards her, but Lucy was too scattered by everything that's happened so far and majorly pissed at how this person was treating Natsu to realize that he was addressing her as if they know each other.

"I don't see how that's any of your business." She shot back at him with a small glare.

He seemed to think himself above Natsu, and Lucy didn't like that. "Now, I'm going to ask again. Who are you, and what are you doing here?" She asked him as she moved to stand next to Natsu instead of behind him.

"My name is Loke, I'm the one who sent the job request to Fairy Tail." Loke answered her after a few moments of pondering and Lucy's mind went into overdrive at his confession.

He's the reason they're here?

Who was he to do such a thing? He wasn't working with whoever possessed Helena, that much was obvious.

But what were his motivations then?

"Why did you do that?" Natsu asked that question as Lucy was busy spiraling in her mind.

"There have been whispers of a spirit summoner for months, I didn't believe it myself until just before the New Year. It was around the same time that Franmalth took possession of Miss Helena." Loke explained his actions as he motioned to the unconscious woman, but they still made no sense.

"Franmalth? That is the creature possessing her? Why is it after Leo's broken key?" Lucy asked the man, if he knew the name of whatever took over the head curator, he must know more of what was happening.

"I have many suspicions about what their plans could be, and I promise it is nothing good. Which is why I needed you to find the second half." He said, trying to take a step forward, only for Natsu and Lucy to take a joint step back.

Loke let out a sigh at their actions and raked a shaky hand through his hair.

"None of that explains who you are and why you sent out a fake job to our guild." Lucy noted sharply, crossing her hands and raising an eyebrow in Loke's direction.

Did he think to just hobble his way into this clearing, declare he was the one to send them on a fake job, and expect them to, what, trust him?

If Lucy was honest with herself, she doesn't trust a word out of his mouth. He was hiding something, she could see it, feel it.

Her words seemed to amuse him, as he let out a pained laugh, holding his stomach as he did. "I haven't explained much, you're right." He answered simply, but it was vague enough for it to be frustratingly familiar.

Getting answers out of him was like trying to get information from her spirits.

When they answered her summons that is.

Yes, she was still mad at them.

"If you're not going to tell us anything, why bother coming here?" Lucy tried a different approach this time, hoping that if she prodded enough, she might find something that would set him off.

"I came here to assure myself that it was indeed you and that you located both halves of the broken spirit key." Loke answered, but there was something about the way he said it that sounded rehearsed.

She could picture him reciting the same words to a mirror.

Narrowing her eyes Lucy went to walk towards him.

Natsu's hand caught her arm before she could take a step, but when she looked back at him with a determined look in her eyes he let go without a word.

Trusting her, and his own instincts.

"See, the thing is, I don't believe you."

Lucy said as she took small, slow steps towards Loke.

"The art of telling half-truths is hard to master. But once you do, it's easier to see through other people's bullshit."

There was a look of shock on his face at her words, and Lucy only smirked in return.

"That's not the proper language for a Lady." Was the only response she got from the man, and it made her laugh.

"I see no ladies present. Just two partners, an unconscious possessed woman, and a dying man who can't seem to tell the truth." Lucy said as she stopped a few steps in front of him.

There was a sadness in his eyes as he started back at her that she didn't catch across the field, and the feeling of anguish was even stronger, now that they were only a few steps from one another.

"If it is what you truly desire, I will tell you the truth. There are no consequences anymore, as you said I am dying." Loke told her, with a hint of depreciation in his voice.

Lucy was partially stunned by his comment, and she felt bad for phrasing it like that and throwing the words at his face.

It wasn't very compassionate of her, whatever his reasons for lying were, she didn't think they were for evil.

And he was still dying.

Everyone deserves a chance to explain themselves.

Everyone in Fairy Tail gave her a chance after what happened with Phantom Lord, Loke deserves the same courtesy.

"Okay, I want the truth, we want the truth." Lucy told him as she looked back at Natsu.

He was surprisingly silent throughout her whole exchange with Loke, deciding to observe their interactions and intervene if necessary.

He nodded back at her and started walking towards them.

"Yes, We would like the truth." He said as he pressed his front against her back, and propped his chin on the top of her head.

Lucy rolled her eyes at his behavior but was glad for the proximity. His warmth always called out to her when they were near.

And it was below freezing in the clearing.

Loke was once again slightly put off by Natsu, but when Lucy shot him a glare, he opted not to comment and instead started talking.

"Franmalth is one of Zeref's demons." He started with that, and Lucy felt a shiver run through her spine at the sound of the name.

"I already put those pieces together." She told him with a flat look.

Loke let out a chuckle at her before it turned into a coughing spree. "Sorry, that's been happening a lot more recently." He said as he moved to stand, somewhat straight.

"I believe he was after the key so that they could use the residual magic left in it."

"Who is 'they'?" Lucy asked, feeling like he was going to gloss over it if she didn't.

"They, are his followers, more than just the demons he's created. There is a threat coming." Loke said ominously, and Lucy felt Natsu stiffen from behind her.

Loke turned to look at him, and this time there was none of the hostility in his gaze. "You can sense it." Is all that he said.

Not a question, but an acknowledgment.

"It was why I used what was left of my magic to send that fake flyer to your guild. There were, as I mentioned, rumors of a Spirit Summoner in Fairy Tail. So I took a chance. It was imperative for you to find it before Franmalth."

Lucy was unsure of what to think of all this yet, there is more to this story.

He was still holding back.

"How were you aware of the key's location? And of what importance is its safety to you?" She asked as she crossed her hands, moving back into Natsu more.

There was a twitch to Loke's eyebrow at her question and he let out another sigh, before moving to sit down.

"If we're gonna do this, I might as well get comfortable. No use swaying on my feet."

He waited for a few moments to see if they would join him, before sighing again.

There was a pause, where all they could hear was the crashing of water, and the birds singing around them.

"I was, cursed, almost 14 years ago. The circumstances around it bound me to Leo's key. It was my duty to watch over the broken pieces. One half was donated to the museum by Lord Jude before I could do anything."

His posture was slumped as he talked, head turned to the right looking at the trees. "The other I managed to take and bury here." He told them staring off into the distance as if caught in a memory.

Lucy watched him as he talked.

He was telling half-truths again, but there were more details this time. She was getting closer.

"That's still not the truth, we're getting closer though. Why were you cursed? I thought my mother had all the zodiac keys before she died, so how do you fit into all of this?"

Loke seemed to be shrinking into himself with her every question, he lifted his head for a moment and his eyes were filled with tears.

"Please, Lucy, don't make me." He pleaded with her, and she was once again struck by how he addressed her as if they knew each other.

"Who are you?" Lucy asked, feeling frustrated with his carefully chosen words.

Talking to him felt like listening to a script being read. He was prepared for her every question, each answer parried with a carefully crafted and frustratingly vague response.

He said he would tell her the truth and she would settle for nothing less.

"He's a spirit." Natsu's words shocked both Lucy and Loke to the core.

Loke's face was horrified as he turned to glare at her partner, Lucy in turn moved her head to give him a confused look.

"What do you mean?" She asked, looking between him and Loke.

"I couldn't smell it till he was close enough, and even then it took me a second to place it, over all the death and decay that's covering him. But it's there, just like all your spirits." He told her with a shrug and Lucy turned back to look at Loke.

She carefully studied every part of him.

His hair was severely disheveled, but if she tilted her head she could see what looked like ears. His suit was well made, tailored to fit like a glove, and even tattered and sullied, you could tell it was high quality.

It reminded her of the suits that Capricorn wears, the quality looks the same, and so does the material.

That would explain why she seemed to be able to feel his pain, though it's never happened with any other spirit until now.

The look in his eyes, when they met, solidified her thoughts even more.

"You are Leo." She stated bluntly, not giving him a chance to deny.

He let his head fall into his chest at her words, his shoulders curling in on themselves even more as he started shaking.

No, not just shaking, he was crying.

Lucy was stunned for a moment as she watched him weep, feeling his sorrow with each breath.

What had finally made him snap? Was it the use of his name?

Pushing through the assault of feelings Lucy found herself taking a step towards him.

"Leo, please, you need to tell me what is going on. What happened, how are you here, if your key is broken? Why is it broken? Why are my spirits keeping secrets?" Lucy rambled out before she could stop herself.

She needed to get him to calm down first, but there was a sense of urgency driving her.

She was tired of half-truths, she needed answers.

"Please." She tried again, begged.

"I- I'm so sorry Lucy." His words were barely audible through the muffled sobs, and it made her heart clench at the desperation in his voice.

Lucy turned to look back at Natsu, who was as stunned as she was by the turn of events, he shook his head at her, raising his hands in defeat.

She turned to look at the leader of the Zodiac Spirits and crouched down in front of him.

"Leo." The sobs had ceased by this point, but he was still shaking like a leaf.

He was still dying.

He took a few deep, calming breaths before sitting up as straight as he could and looked at her with such sorrow, that it made Lucy want to weep with him.

"I- I was cursed in a way, that wasn't a lie." Was the first thing he said, his voice was a bit rough as he spoke. "For killing my previous master. My key was broken, I was cast out of the spirit realm and left to roam this one until death takes me."

Out of all the things Lucy could have expected, this was nowhere on the list.

A spirit killing their master.

That was not something Lucy thought her spirits were capable of.

"There are other spirit summoners?" She blurted out and immediately regretted it, out of all the things to ask.

Leo tensed at her question and looked back down at the snowy ground.

"You are the last living spirit summoner, Lucy Heartfilia." He told her with an almost sharp tone that she knew wasn't aimed at her, but at himself.

"What happened then? How did you kill your summoner? I know my spirits, and I know that none of them are capable of killing me." Lucy said as she moved to stand back next to Natsu.

"14 years ago, I helped your mother perform a spell that has been forbidden, and in doing so, was a direct cause of her death."

It was as if someone pierced her heart.

She felt like she couldn't breathe, and for a moment everything went still. It was just her and an almost forgotten memory of her mother, bedridden but still smiling at her.

"But, my mother didn't die 14 years ago, that's around when she got sick. She died three years later." Lucy told him, as she scrambled trying to put the pieces together.

"And why was she performing a forbidden spell in the first place?" She asked, mind numb at this point. With every answer received, a thousand new questions bloom.

It was all just too confusing, and she was tired.

This day has felt endless.

"It was paramount for that spell to be cast. The repercussions of it drained Layla of not only magic but life energy."

"I tried talking her out of it." Leo let out a bitter laugh. "I knew it was in vain, but it was my duty, as one of her closest friends to try." He kept talking, voice unsteady as he did.

"You know what she said to me? 'If you're not going to help me Leo, I'm going to do it on my own.'" The chuckle he let out this time was genuine, the smile on his face fond as he remembered Layla.

"If she had done the spell herself, she would have died instantly, with my help, we had hoped she would survive." His voice cracked at the end of the sentence, and he took in a deep breath to steady himself.

"When it was all over,  we were convinced that everything went smoothly. It was only after a couple of weeks, when she started getting sick that we realized it only gave her so much time." He was crying again, but his head was high, and he tried to reel himself in.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Lucy." He kept repeating as he shook with tears, and probably a fever as well. "Please forgive me!"

Lucy was even more confused now.

The story that Leo is telling her doesn't speak of him killing Layla, if anything he's the reason she got to spend three more years with her.

If there was one thing that Lucy remembered about her mother, it was that Layla Heartfilia was a stubborn woman. If she had set her mind to casting that spell, her life was a price she was willing to pay.

So why was Leo cursed? 

Or maybe the better question is, who cursed him?

"Leo, I'm sorry, but, you, this.." Lucy trailed off as she tried to gather her thoughts. "This is bullshit!" What she realized was that she was angry.

Here he was, on his knees on death's doorstep, sobbing and begging for her forgiveness, for something that wasn't his fault.

He was dying for trying to save her mother, dying and cast out of his realm, left to rot for years.

And Lucy was livid.

"Who did this to you?" She almost growled with rage, taking the spirit and her partner aback with her sudden mood shift.

She didn't notice that she was channeling her magic as her emotions started overtaking rational thought.

Light was swirling around her as she thought about the 14 years of agony that Leo had endured.

"Who gave themselves the authority to make such decisions? Because I have to say that this is the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life!" She was laughing now, it sounded a tad maniacal, but Lucy was past the point of caring.

Leo stared back at her, mouth open and eyes wide in shock.

He had not expected this reaction from her.

"I want to speak with whoever thought that putting the person who saved my mother through years of torture was a good idea! Because frankly, they sound like an idiot!"

Lucy was yelling by this point, feeling fury at what she'd found out.

The thought of Leo, alone and suffering for all these years made her blood boil with rage. He has lived 14 years blaming himself for her mother's death.

How dare they?

With no further thought, Lucy moved her hands to dig through her pockets and pulled out the broken key.

Looking at the pieces in her palm she felt like there was only one thing left to do.

"I refuse." Lucy said with determination as she turned her gaze back to Leo.

Her magic was still surrounding her and she felt it intensifying with every second that passed.

The key pieces started glowing in her hand, and she moved to bring them together and channeled all her power into them.

"I REFUSE TO LET YOU DIE!" She yelled as she willed the key to fuse back together.

"NO! No! Lucy, you can't do that!" Leo yelled as he tried to get on his feet, stumbling through the pain as he fell over.

"You'll use up all your magic and die trying, please!" He was on his knees, pleading with her but Lucy refused to listen.

There was nothing he could say to get her to stop now. Her mind was made up, she would save him if it was the last thing she did.

"I am not dying today, and neither are you!" She shot back at him, channeling more of her power into the key.

Unbeknownst to Lucy, all of her spirits started appearing by her side as she focused her power on restoring Leo's key.

They materialized one by one until they were surrounding her, their teary gazes meeting Leo's huddled form.

"You.Will.Mend." Lucy said through gritted teeth as she glared at the key, putting all of her magic into the bond that could be felt between them, and with a sudden shockwave the key clicked back in place.

Lucy stumbled back several steps, feeling the aftershock of the blast as her knees buckled. Thankfully there was a warm hand around her waist, steadying her.

Blinking through the sudden haze, Lucy looked down at her hand and was half-stunned to see Leo's key fully intact.

"I did it." Her voice came out small, her chest heaving and her breath shaky as she continued staring at her palm.

The feeling of joy lasted for half a second before the earth started shaking violently underneath them, Lucy turned her head with a panicked look to where Leo was huddled before the blast.

She found him standing a few meters from them looking down at his hands with wide eyes and confusion. Lucy watched the spirit pat himself down as he realized what had happened.

A weight lifted off of Lucy's shoulders as she noticed how healthy he looked.

His cheeks were no longer hollowed out, she could see the colour on his face, his suit was intact, hair was styled in a way that pronounced his ears.

After several moments of inspecting his newfound body and strength, he turned to gaze at her with a mix of awe and disbelief.

"How did you do that?" His voice was small as he asked and Lucy wasn't given a chance to answer, not that she really had one, when everything around them stopped shaking and came to a sudden halt.

The birds froze mid-air. The Waterfall behind them was suspended in place, the whole clearing was left in a deafening silence.

Lucy turned and looked around for the source of the spell, only for the sky itself to part above them.

There seemed to be a different sky from beyond the crack, with a giant man looming over them.

His eyes were sharp, and his mustache twitched as he observed them. "Who are you to question my authority, little girl?" The man spoke, his voice booming through the clearing.

At his presence, Leo seemed to freeze in place, not daring to move a muscle.

Natsu was ready for action the moment the giant man spoke, but Lucy stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder.

This was her fight.

She couldn't explain why, but she felt no fear looking at the giant, even with his booming tone and glare.

Still fueled by anger, adrenaline, and a sense of justice Lucy glared right back at the giant man, refusing to stand down or be intimidated.

"I am Lucy Heartfilia, the last of the Spirit Summoners. It is my duty to protect the keys, treat the spirits bound to them with honor and respect, and use our magic to help those who need it."

She stated proudly as she walked forward, passing Natsu and making her way to the middle of the clearing.

Her posture was regal as she stepped forward, shoulders back, head held high and she looked at the giant man head-on.

"And who are you, to think you can just leave Leo in agony for years? Over something that was not his fault!" She shot back at him.

"You know not what you speak of girl!" He warned, but Lucy was passed reason. "Do not test me, I am the King of the Spirit Realm, it was my authority to do so."

Lucy only half faltered at his admission. 'King of the Spirit Realm?' She scoffed at the thought.

'Some King, to leave his subject in such a state.'

No, Lucy was not backing down. This wasn't right, Leo did not deserve the punishment he received, and to hell, she would fight the King if she had to!

"My mother would have cast that spell whether he helped her or not." Lucy said with conviction.

"Now tell me, Your Majesty, would have it been better had he let her die?" She shot back, curling her hands into fists as she tried to control her emotions.

"What he did helped her live." She argued through clenched teeth. "And your decision to do this to him is frankly inhumane." Lucy finished with a glare in the King's direction.

There was a moment of silence as she finished her speech and Lucy knew that she was trembling with adrenaline.

She heard footsteps from behind and then Natsu was at her back, his warmth was enveloping her as he offered his support without a word.

Lucy let out a sigh, grateful for his proximity, and welcomed the grounding effect he had on her.

Leo, Lucy could see from the corner of her eye was frozen in shock and fear as he stared at the man in the sky. It seems like he hasn't moved a muscle since the King appeared.

"Lucy Heartfilia, you say." The King's voice boomed through the clearing, bringing everyone's attention back to him.

He seemed calmer as he observed them, and there was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he stroked his mustache. "It is an incredible thing you have done here Lucy Heartfilia. Giving a spirit its key is something no one has done since the very first summoner."

A gasp echoed through the clearing and Leo's head snapped to look at her in awe.

"She was the first to call upon the stars, and pull them from the sky." The giant continued with his story as he looked down at Lucy.

"The keys were formed by her power. Shaped to represent the opening of doors between our realms." There was a wondrous tone in his voice as he spoke of the first Spirit Summoner, and Lucy was amazed by the tale.

There was nothing written on the origin of her powers, and she felt privileged to learn how the connection between the stars and her family came to be.

"In her lifetime she formed many bonds with many spirits, and when she passed away, her bloodline continued to thrive.

You remind me of her. She was a dear friend of mine." There was a twitch to his lips as he spoke before he turned his gaze to Leo.

"Leo, the lion. You have been given a second chance, I suggest that you do not waste it. My official rule is that you pay your sentence by serving Lucy Heartfilia."

His tone was serious, but the wink he gave them put everyone at ease.

"I hope we meet again, old friend. Thank you for caring about the spirits enough to challenge even me." The Spirit King addressed Lucy with a smile.

"There are great and terrible things in your future, Daughter of the Stars and Son of Fire Dragon King Igneel. I hope you are both ready for what is to come." And with an ominous warning time seemed to restart.

The crack in the sky was gone, leaving behind a picturesque sunrise.

"How did he know about Igneel?" Lucy heard Natsu's strained voice from behind her, but she was suddenly too tired to react in any way.

With the adrenaline leaving her body, all Lucy was left with was her exhaustion and the empty, almost cold feeling coming from where she could usually feel the tingling of her magic.

There was movement from behind her, and she could hear Leo and Natsu's voices getting louder, but she couldn't focus on what was said.

Everything was slowing down again for Lucy, and she let herself fall into the abyss.

* ********* ********** ********** ********* *

"There are great and terrible things in your future, Daughter of the Stars and Son of  Fire Dragon King Igneel. I hope you are both ready for what is to come."

Natsu froze the moment the stash-faced man mentioned his father, trying to figure out what he meant by the warning.

Before he could say anything, in a blink of an eye the man was gone, and time seemed to be back to normal.

Tightening his grip on Lucy's waist, Natsu moved his glare to the no longer dying spirit.

"How did he know about Igneel?" He growled at him, if these spirits had any clues as to where his father could be, Natsu needed to know.

"I don't have the answers you want." Leo sneered his way as he turned to look at him and Lucy.

"But you know something, now tell me! He is my father. Tell me what you know!" Natsu shouted at him, feeling the control over his anger slip as he glared at the orange-haired prick.

"I don't answer to you! Honestly, it is beyond me what she sees in yo-" The spirit was cut off mid-sentence when Lucy suddenly collapsed in Natsu's arms.

There was a flash of pain in his gut as she fell into his hold, head lulled on his shoulder as he held her.

"Wha-? Luce? Lucy!" Natsu yelled frantically as he moved to pick her up.

He could see her chest was moving up and down, her breaths were shallow and her skin was unhealthily pale.

The usual glow she had around her was fading fast, making her golden hair look dull in the morning light and Natsu felt like he couldn't breathe for a moment.

There was a bubbling pain forming in his gut as he watched her light go out.

Holding back a curse, Natsu turned his wide-eyed gaze back at Leo for

answers. "What's happening to her?"

"She used up too much of her magic."

Leo's voice sounded as shaky as Natsu felt at that moment. "This- this is what happened with Layla when she cast the spell. I told her not to do it. Stupid girl." The spirit said through tears as he watched the blonde in Natsu's arms slowly fade away.

A feeling of dread crept its way to the back of Natsu's head, along with the growing pain in his gut as he cast his gaze down to his unconscious partner.

His brain was fizzling as he tried to think of something he could do, maybe if he could remember all the lessons about sensing and estimating a person's magic.

It isn't something he even needed when fighting. Natsu always went head first and all out, no matter the opponents' strength.

This was different.

This was Lucy.

He moved to connect their foreheads and focused on his magic.

Not really knowing what he wanted to do, Natsu continued channeling his magic and aimed towards Lucy.

There was an unexplained, unspoken bond between them.

It's been there from the moment they met, and he hoped that this would work.

It has to work.

He will not let her die, she said she wasn't dying today, and he wasn't going to let her.

He didn't know if he could, there was no world without Lucy.

He stayed like that for what felt like hours, pooling his magic and trying to create a bridge between the two of them.

There was no guarantee it would work, Natsu barely knew what he was doing, healing magic and fire do not mix well but there were no other options left.

It took him by surprise, it started as a slight zap from where they were connected before it unfurled into a fluttering sensation in his stomach, and he could feel tingles all over his body as her magic flowed through him.

Natsu moved his head back in shock, and stared down at Lucy, only to witness the colour slowly come back to her face and her breath even out.

He felt like a weight lifted off his heart and the pain in his gut disappeared as a little spark of his fire began to burn her magic back to life.

"That was incredibly stupid of you." Looking up he saw Leo's unimpressed eyes stare back at him.

He had forgotten the spirit was there.

"I don't even know what happened." Natsu answered truthfully as he stared back at him.

All he knew was that Lucy dying was not an option, so he did what he could until they could get back to Fairy Tail.

There was a scoff from the Zodiac Leader, and Natsu was getting tired of his attitude.

"You'll see with time, it was too late to begin with. But now you've sealed her fate, and yours too."

[lisannastraussisanangel]

I would love to read that fic with fairy tail members adopting kids 💕

It's a little dark so be warned!

What it means to love

[legendoftheotherside]

Out, in the light

Gratsu Week 2023 Day 3: Secret / Day 4: Angst / Day 7: Journey

Rating: G

Summary:

This is their secret and it will last as much as it can. ... He’s starting to think his purpose is to be by Natsu’s side. ... Gray is weak, but Natsu is there to be strong for him. ... Yes, it’s time to burn down the shackles that bind him. One secret at a time.

Click to read

Excerpt:

Other times, it’s just a stray thought when he watches Natsu laughing. So bright and so pure, his smile is perfection, and Gray is a stain to Natsu’s everything, dark to his light, winter to his summer. 

Whenever he does think like that, Natsu seems to know, and he stops whatever he’s doing just to approach Gray. 

“You’re thinking too much.” 

Sometimes those words are accompanied by a faint punch to his shoulder. Yet when they’re alone, it’s different. Then it becomes a gentle finger that smooths the frown on his brow, a tender kiss that leaves his lips tingling, or a hug from behind that warms him deep inside. 

He’s starting to think his purpose is to be by Natsu’s side. 

[fairy-tail-trash]

Hi my Fairies, I realized something.

I've been showing you all these little headcannon things for my fic, and haven't actually shared with you my fic. So, here it is.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/49798189/chapters/125704858

The Name of the fic is 'Our Souls Weave Through' it is a dragon slayer telepathy/connected souls fic, with all 7 Slayers.

Currently it's only 2 chapters in, which is way before any of the events that lead to them being how they are in my Headcannon Recolorings.

But I hope you guys will check it out, and leave comments on what y'all think.

[miyu-writings]

Forehead Touch

After the events on Galuna Island.

Pre-slash

Fortunately, after destroying the moon, the mages of Fairy Tail stayed with the demon tribe to the celebratory feast.

Erza was emitting some ominous vibes at first but she soon relaxed and started to have a good time.

Everyone did have a great time. There was music, food and drink and both relief and happiness were in the air.

The feast became a party, the ritual demon dance was performed to the excitement of the demons and awe of the mages.

The night only ended in the wee hours of morning and everyone turned in to their beds as the horizon was becoming a light grey.

The guests had gotten assigned into provisory tents, one for the boys and another for the girls.

Natsu was lying down but he couldn’t sleep.

He was tossing and turning – to no avail.

Happy, on the other hand, was laying down on his back. Content in his sleep and snoring lightly.

And Gray didn’t seem to be having any luck with sleep either.

“Hey Gray,” Natsu whispered, “are you sleeping?”

There was a pause and the movement on the other cot paused.

“I’m awake. But maybe you’d awakened me anyway.”

“Sheesh, what a grouch.” Natsu complained as he sat up, crossing his legs. “You need to sleep.”

Gray turned to his side so he was looking at the other and then sat up. “No shit, genius.”

Natsu pouted. Then he tilted his head to the side. “Why aren’t you, then?”

“I guess…” Gray let out a huff. “There’s too much on my mind.”

Natsu nodded.

“Are you thinking about the mission?”

Gray threw Natsu and incredulous look. It was his ‘are you dumb?’ look – Natsu was used to that look so it didn’t bother him.

“It makes sense.” Natsu mused. “What with Lyon and your Master and everything.” Natsu shrugged.

“And everything.” Gray echoed, subdued.

“But,” Natsu said, with his very optimistic – so much so that sometimes it could almost grate on one’s nerves – tone, “you’re not alone.” He punctuated his sentence with a finger almost poking at Gray’s sternum. “You have us all.” His smile had brightened and he got up and plopped himself beside Gray.

“I know that.” Gray turned his face to the side, ignoring the fire mage.

“No. Really!” Natsu slid his hand behind Gray’s head and pressed his forehead against Gray’s. “There’s us. And you have me,” he paused dramatically, “I’m always here to kick your butt.”

Gray leaned backwards and threw a half-glare at Natsu. But he couldn’t help the smile that had formed on his lips.

“Not if I kick your butt first.”

Natsu chuckled. “I’d like to see you try.” And he cheekily slid his hand onto Gray’s. Holding it tight. Gray allowed it.

It was then that sleepiness got to them and they curled on Gray’s cot. It was no novelty, sharing a bed. In no time they were fast asleep, cuddling.

They slept peacefully until the morning when Erza’s voice cut through the calm.

///

A/N: supposedly there would be a small fanart accompanying this but it's too shabby and I don't think I'm ready to inflict that on the internet yet.

Thank you jinx for reblogging a post that got me thinking.

[superspookyjanelle]

OC AESTHETIC: Emelia Ryuko

❝ Could you maybe just like… stab me… right in the gut. Just REALLY twist it in there. ‘Cause that honestly seems less painful than this conversation. ❞

TAGGING: @witchofinterest @fiercefray @sweetenemyfire @eddysocs @arrthurpendragon @villanele @bookstorebunny @roseygirl203 @valdrinors

[bumblebeehug]

you guys will have so many nalu fics this summer, i promise, just wait until i’ve graduated😭 there’s gonna be angst, fluff, modernAU, maybe i’ll make a chaptered fic, i’m just so nalu depraved that wether u guys want it or not i’ll be posting a ton of them

[dragneelshmagneel]

do you think Natsu gets horny sometimes and just jerks off thinking about his s/o, no matter the moment, he just go and grabs his big cock and--

I feel like Natsu has no idea what’s happening to him when he gets horny. This is 100% a Laxus thing tho, like he would FOR SURE just sneak off some place if he was turned on.

[the-matildxe]

there's something crazy about the idea that out of all the next gen kids, Gajeel's and Levy's would be the oldest. especially with the tease we got in the manga of Levy being pregnant. like imagine being a GaLe/Galevy/Gajevy kid and growing up around the guild. and also being the one to witness all the other next gen kids as babies. like that's so cute, the guild's first next gen baby from Gajeel and Levy. but i bet their kid can ACTUALLY sing lol.

[angel13xo]

why did virgo never go gorilla-mode ever again?? (to my memory - i don't think she did other than that one time waaaaaayyyyyyyyy back in the early days?)

[icedcoffeeandsunshine]

Could you do a sting eucliffe character analysis?

hello and yes ofc i can! i’m so sorry this took so long to respond to, i’ve had board exams so it’s a little bit all over the place 😅 but i hope you like!

Sting Eucliffe Character Analysis - Requested

CANON ANALYSIS

one word to describe this man ; COCKY.

but sliightly lesser so after the events of the grand magic games.

sting is definitely sometimes overconfident and arrogant however he does have an insecure side to him, as seen specifically during the alvarez arc. from believing in fighting to win, after the gmg arc, sting has been influenced to fight for his comrades and not just for the sake of that sense of victory. he also has seemingly gotten rid of his sadistic side (displayed when minerva beat lucy). throughout the anime, it’s made clear that he’s developed a caring, empathetic, protective and cheerful nature towards others and also feels a sense of responsibility as the master of his guild.

MY HEADCANONS FOR THEM

in my version of events, rogue becomes guild master instead of sting, i really feel like sting wasn’t fully mentally prepared for the responsibilities and the challenges that come with holding that title.

or maybe both become co-masters, to balance it out?

sting doesn’t like wearing full shirts (like fully covered) simply because he feels hot (temperature wise) in them, so he wears crop tops

a modern au! one is people come up to him randomly on the street and ask if he’s a kpop idol because dude literally looks like one

OH a cute one is that sting has an earring collection for his piercing but the crystalline one was a gift from weisslogia so that’s why he wears that specific one most of the time (fav one tbh)

i think sting either has some sort of adhd or is just hyperactive in general honestly

in my version of events yet again, sting is not natsu 2.0 because he’s taller one natsu is enough

i don’t think i have much for him? more so for rogue honestly, i find him to be much more interesting (don’t @ me i have a thing for broody dark haired emo-ish men)

STING IN LOVE + FRIENDSHIP

since sting is kind of insecure, i think he’s gonna have some form of communication or commitment issues simply because of his negative thoughts (“everyone’s gonna leave me one day etc”)

his love language is definitely words of affirmation

i think he’d be super protective of his loved ones

again, the insecurity plays in with when someone he loves gets hurt, he’d blame himself for not protecting them or not being strong enough to protect themselves

otherwise, this man is quite confident and low-key horny most of the time

ithink he’s like a best-friend type of lover, in the sense that the relationship would be easygoing fun and serious but at the same time unserious if that makes sense

he is, and i know i’ve said this word 25757 times but COCKY however will be the softest, sweetest, most caring boy if he truly loves you.

WHO DO I SHIP THEM WITH?

though i definitely think minerva is attracted to women, stinerva as a ship kinda makes sense to me, it works wayy better than rogue and minerva. stingyu isn’t my cup of tea really.

stings heart yearns for natsu so honorary mention to stingsu here.

as for stingue, i can see the appeal but at the same time they just give me very brotherly vibes and as someone on tumblr mentioned (can’t remember the user) i ship stingue PLATONICALLY in a context that doesn’t stem from homophobia.

sting x gray is a funny crackship honestly.

but overall i don’t think i ship sting (atleast concretely) with anyone really. i forgot to mention in my headcanons but he really just strikes me as either aroace or demisexual/ demiromnatic or JUST simply not actively looking for a relationship or a partner.

PERSONAL OPINION ABOUT THE CHARACTER

it’s not that i dislike sting but i used to find him somewhat annoying and a rip off natsu and in some aspects, i still think the same but his character development was one of the better written ones in the series. personality aside, he’s one of the hottest characters in fairy tail. he’s not my favourite character but he’s not bad either? i just want him to not be natsu 2.0-esque honestly, that’s one thing i cannot get out of my mind.



[fics-n-stuff-n-stuff]

Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia Gray Fullbuster/Juvia Lockser Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox

all fairy tail characters basically -

Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic Follows Fairy tail but with my own twists set in modern day Fluff and Angst Romance Friendship developing feelings Lucy has new spirits I checked constellations and gave her ones I thought were cool

Out of Character probably because it is an AU

Summary

Lucy is thrown into a world she didn’t know existed. Join her as she unravels this new world full of magic that brings adventure, romance and destruction along with it.

———

Just a modern re-telling of Fairy tail following its arcs with a few twists and turns along the way💞

You can also read it here

———————————————

Chapter 18

The key, as it turns out, wanted them to go back to the forest.

It seemed to be leading Natsu and Lucy deeper into the woods compared to their light walk earlier that day.

The greenwood surrounding the East side of Sakuramori Village was vast and spread out for several kilometers. It was known for being tricky to navigate, due to the density of the tree line even in the harshest winters.

The earth was covered in snow as they trekked through the fields, and everything around them was covered in a white blanket, with a slight peeking of greenery from some of the trees.

Looking around Lucy wondered just how far into the forest they were going.

They'd been walking for a couple of hours at least by this point and she was about 50% sure that they were lost. Though Natsu would probably be able to sniff out the town, so she wasn't too worried.

Their walk was quiet for the most part.

Natsu's heat was still helping to keep her warm from the biting January air and the sound of snow crunching and sloshing followed them as they in turn followed the broken key piece to an unknown location.

"It's warming up again, I think we're close to wherever the hell it's leading us." Lucy muttered to Natsu, who was walking a few steps behind her.

He was insistent on keeping watch of their backs in case unexpected creatures were lurking in the forest.

"Well, we're a long way from the Village, that's for sure. And I can hear running water coming up ahead, a river maybe? What do you think's out here anyway?" She could hear him ask from behind her as they continued their way through the woods.

"I have no idea, maybe there are ruins of a temple or some kind of hidden cave." Lucy speculated as she continued following the tugging object.

"I remember reading that my ancestors built shrines and temples dedicated to the stars." She told him as she automatically went to look up at the night sky.

It was a clear winter's night and this far out into the woods you could usually see them, but the tree lines were preventing her from catching a glimpse of the various constellations painted in the sky.

Looking at the stars always reminded Lucy of her mom, and how they would camp out in their garden during the summer months and spend hours naming and counting the constellations.

"That was a long time ago, but there are remains of both found in a couple of places around Fiore. I was actually thinking about, maybe, visiting one of them." She trailed off absentmindedly as they continued walking.

It was one of those moments where Lucy wished her mother were here with her, and they could go see the ruins together.

And not for the first time since her death and finding out about her magic, Lucy wished that Layla would have shared more of their history with her.

Not for the first time, Lucy wished that her mother never left to begin with, and sometimes when she was younger, she wished it was her father who died instead.

Was that selfish of her?

To wish for such things?

Or was it childish naivety?

Her train of thought was cut off when the trees suddenly parted and they found themselves entering a large clearing.

It was a vast space, currently covered in snow and with a ledge overlooking a beautiful waterfall.

How far into the forest were they, to end up in such a place, Lucy wondered as she looked around.

As a child, Lucy liked studying and memorizing maps.

She wasn't allowed to travel anywhere or leave her estate, so she found her escape in books, charting the stars and pouring over various maps.

And though her memory was somewhat muddled over the years, she was sure they were closer to Mountain Village than Sakuramori if they were near a waterfall.

And just as she'd suspected earlier, the stars were lighting up the sky beautifully and she could see several of her spirits gracing the heavens.

On a closer look, Lucy could see that they were almost unnaturally bright.

Her spirits' constellations, that is.

The rest of the stars seemed to be shining, for lack of a better term, normally.

Lucy could see Aquarius, Virgo, Cancer, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Libra, and Taurus glimmering extraordinarily back at her.

It almost looked like the stars themselves were dancing.

Which made her wonder if it was because she was led to this snowy meadow by the broken spirit key of their supposed leader, or if this was their way of apologizing for burning her and refusing to come out earlier.

"I think this is it." Lucy voiced her thoughts as she slowly started walking closer to the ledge, wanting to take in the beauty of the Waterfall.

The broken piece of Leo's key was still simmering in her hand, but no longer tugging.

'What is it about this place?' She thought as she looked around.

Sure it was a beautiful sight of nature, but why would a broken spirit key lead them here?

But then again, what was it doing in the museum? Why was the key broken in the first place? And who sent the fake job request to Fairy Tail?

There were too many questions jumbling around in her head that Lucy didn't know where to start.

"Okay, what do we do now?" Natsu's voice pulled her from her thoughts and brought her back to the clearing.

She turned from the waterfall to look back at him.

He was standing casually in the middle of the clearing, hands in his pockets as he surveyed the surrounding area.

As if sensing her gaze, he turned back to look at her.

"I- I'm not sure. The key is still hot to the touch, but the tugging stopped." She said as she looked down at the hand holding half of Leo. "So we're in the right place, but I have no idea wh- " Lucy's sentence was cut off when another sharp tug pulled her to a large stone at the ledge, overlooking the waterfall.

Not expecting the sudden pull made her stumble several steps before she fell to her knees next to the rock.

"Fuck."

"Luce, you good?" Natsu was at her side in an instant at her sudden topple, one of his hands on her back with the other gripping her arm to help steady her. "I'm okay, it just startled me."

Lucy explained as she moved her gaze to inspect the rock, expecting to find a clue as to what was going on.

Only to see it was just a plain slab, there was nothing engraved, and there were no markings on it.

Nothing that would indicate any importance to a Spirit Summoner.

"There must be something, the key literally dragged us here." Lucy said with a hint of humor in her voice. "I can't find anything written on the stone though."

There was a moment of silence between them as they both started at the rock, not knowing what to do next.

"What do you think it could be?" Lucy turned to look back at him over her shoulder.

She was stumped as to what they should do, and she had a feeling that Natsu would have thought of something she wouldn't have.

He stared back at her for a few seconds, looking properly stunned that she asked for his thoughts on the matter.

"Maybe the other half is buried under the rock, or something?" He said with a scratch to his head.

"Hm, that's not a bad idea." Lucy said as she looked back at the rock and then at Natsu. "Wanna help me dig? I don't think Virgo will come out to help with this one." She asked with a smile and he nodded as he crouched down next to her.

"I just want to know why my spirits are so insistent on withholding the truth." Lucy huffed out suddenly as she watched Natsu melt the snow surrounding the rock and warm the earth so it would be easier for them to dig.

"They obviously know what happened to Leo! And none of them were willing to come out and tell me the truth." She continued ranting, feeling the need to vent suddenly.

"They must have their reasons, I mean Virgo seemed like she wanted to tell you, maybe they're following orders or something." Natsu answered her ramblings with his line of thinking as he started digging through the earth.

"Yeah, maybe you're right, but whose orders would they be following?" Lucy wondered out loud as she moved to help him.

"Grampa Crux said that Leo is the leader of the Zodiacs. Is it his orders that they're following? I swear every time I find out something new about my magic, it only leads to more questions than answers." Lucy huffed as she dug through the earth.

Now that she thinks about it, she doesn't know anything about the inner workings of the Spirit Realm.

Was it a Democracy? Monarchy?

Did they have any type of established government official or was it something completely different to how people here live?

"I have no doubt that you will get your answers, Luce." Natsu reassured her with a smile.

She smiled back at him and looked back to their hands in the dirt.

Lucy wanted to tell him that she believed he'd find Igneel someday, but she didn't want to stir up any unwanted memories, so she focused on their task.

The earth was cold beneath her fingers as they dug through it, and she knew that it would be hell getting the dirt out of her nails.

But it would all be worth it if they found some answers.

Natsu, it would seem, had no problem getting dirty. It didn't surprise Lucy per se, it was just a shock to see every time.

He shoveled his way through the earth at a quicker pace, taking out more of the dirt than her, and within a few minutes of digging, there was a glimpse of something gold underneath the layers.

It looked bigger than a key, but it was something.

"There, I see gold." Lucy called as she moved to shovel as much dirt as she could with her hands.

Natsu moved at her words, and with his help, they managed to dig out a golden box.

"It's kinda heavy." Natsu said as he weighed it in his hand before offering it to her. "Do you wanna open it here?"

Lucy looked between him and the box once, and then once more before taking a deep breath and grabbing it out of his hand.

"I can do this." She said under her breath as a form of reassurance, not caring that Natsu would be able to hear her talking to herself.

The box was heavy, and she suspected it was because it was made of solid gold.

With almost trembling fingers, Lucy worked the box open and was only half surprised to find the second half of Leo's key inside.

"You were right." She said as she turned the open container to Natsu. "That was good thinking."

His response to her words was peculiar, at least from what she'd seen of him so far.

His spine straightened, shoulders back and he beamed back at her, a slight blush on his cheeks.

He seemed bashful to a point at her praise, and she found it adorable.

"But how did this get here? I mean someone must have purposefully buried it here." Lucy asked not expecting Natsu to answer, more so resorting to asking the questions out loud.

If only to see if that would help her think of an explanation for all of this.

"It makes no sense."

"Well, if someone buried it, that means they didn't want it found by just anyone. That's gotta be a good thing, right?" Natsu asked and Lucy had to agree.

But who would do such a thing? Was it her mother? Or someone else entirely?

Feeling a headache coming on from everything that's happened in one day, Lucy suddenly felt exhausted and ready to get out for the snow.

"Well, we should get going, no use in staying here in the cold. We can take the train to Magnolia in the afternoon and investigate more of this when we get back to Fairy Tail." Lucy finally said as she stood up and dusted the snow off her pants.

"Ugh, do we have to take a train?" Natsu whined as he got to his feet.

"We could take the bus, or rent a car. Although I don't have a license, and you obviously can't drive, so bus or train?"  She gave him the options and suppressed a laugh at how his face turned multiple shades of green as he pondered his fate.

"Bwah, fine! Train it i-" He didn't finish his sentence, and in a split second Natsu's demeanor shifted from partly nauseous and hunched over, clutching his stomach to on guard. Standing tall and sniffing the air.

"Natsu, what-" He cut her off with a hand gesture and continued tracking whatever it was he smelt.

"Someone is approaching the clearing, it's two people." He said suddenly and Lucy felt her heart start beating faster in her chest.

"They're not together, I think, and one is closer than the other. I don't know how I didn't catch it earlier." He muttered as he turned his head to the path they came from and took another deep breath. "It's cheap perfume and something sinister on the first person. The second one-"  Natsu stopped for a moment.

"The second one smells like death."

Now that freaked her out.

"So what I'm hearing is we're in for a fight and none of my offensive spirits want to come out? Fan-fucking-tastic." Lucy mumbled the last part under her breath as her hand went to her belt.

She took Scutum out of the loop and readied herself for whatever was coming their way.

"Should we move to intercept them, or stay put and wait for them to come to us?" She asked him as she gripped Scutum.

Natsu turned to look at her and pondered over the question for a second. "Stay put, no reason in leavin' when they're the ones after us. They'll probably just follow us back to town. It's safer this way."

Lucy nodded, agreeing with his logic.

This far out in the woods, only the animals would be witness to whatever showdown was coming.

As they waited, Lucy, for what felt like the hundredth time that day was irritated with her spirits.

She saw them as her friends and her partners and trusted them with her life. But they obviously didn't have the same kind of trust in her.

What other explanation was there for their actions, why were they not letting her summon them still?

Even when it was for her protection.

"The perfume smells familiar, I can't remember from where though." Natsu brought her out for thoughts and she turned to look at him.

"Well, a lot of women use similar perfumes, I'm sure you caught a whiff of it somewhere." Lucy tried to reason as they waited for their enemies to approach.

"How far away?" She asked after a few minutes of waiting, she was getting antsy with anticipation and anxiety.

"Getting closer by the second. But one of them is lagging behind a bit." He told her and she nodded in return.

It was no more than five minutes later when they saw a figure emerging from the trees.

It was a woman, not surprising, considering the perfume Natsu smelled.

What was surprising was the fact that it was the same woman they'd talked to in the museum that morning.

What did she say her name was?

Helga?

No, Helena! The head curator.

What the hell was going on?

"What are you doing here?" Lucy decided to ask when the woman stopped a few meters from them.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Heartfilia." A disembodied voice rang through the air when the woman opened her mouth, and Lucy felt a shiver run down her spine.

Natsu was in front of her in an instant, as if sensing a threat in the greeting and Lucy gripped Scutum tighter in her hand as she looked over his shoulder back to Helena.

Only it wasn't her.

The woman that they spoke to this morning was not the being standing in front of them now.

Was she possessed? Is that a thing?

Lucy honestly had no idea.

"Now, now little guard dog, or should say Drakon, there is no need for that. I am not here to hurt the precious summoner, I am only here for the key." She was taunting Natsu with her words as she moved a step closer to them.

The tone in her voice seemed to be almost implying that while she wasn't here for Lucy yet, the day was coming.

A shiver ran down Lucy's spine as a name she had seen so many times while reading about her family and magic echoed around her head.

Zeref.

"Like hell I'm gonna let you touch Lucy or any of her keys!" Natsu yelled back at the woman, who in turn only offered a smirk.

But it looked more like a snarl on her face.

"Well it's a good thing Leo isn't one of her keys then. That is all I want, the pieces. What use is a broken key to spirit summoner?" It seems the taunting was turned onto her this time, as Helena directed the question towards Lucy.

And she could tell that Natsu was getting rilled up with her words.

Lucy could almost see the smoke coming from him as he stayed on guard in front of her.

"I am the last of the spirit summoners, it is my duty to protect the keys. That includes broken ones." Lucy shot back, not letting this thing parading around in this poor woman's body intimidate her.

"Have it your way then, I'm sure it will be no problem getting rid of you, I would be doing you a mercy and our Lord a favor at the same time." The threat was clear this time and Lucy did not wait another second before moving her right hand through the air.

"Open, gate of the shield, Scutum!" She called and the shield appeared in a flash of golden light. "It is my pleasure to guard you, Lady Heartifilia." He greeted her upon arrival.

"Thank you, Scutum." Lucy said as she grabbed ahold of him and took a step back, letting her partner take point in this fight.

Natsu, following her strategy, moved before the woman could attack and went to take her down.

"Natsu! I think she's possessed, that's a thing that can happen, right?" She called out after him, hoping that he would listen to her and answer.

Lucy learned the hard way that just because he can hear you, doesn't mean he'll listen.

"It is very much ' a thing ' Lady Heartfilia, and I am afraid you are right. The woman is possessed poor thing." Scutum informed her and Lucy's heart dropped as turned back to the battle and saw Natsu clock Helena in the face with his fire fists, and send her flying back.

'Idiot.'

"Natsu! You can't hurt her, she's human! Just knock her out without using magic, so no fire! She's being possessed!" She yelled at him again, knowing that he would listen this time.

Natsu looked at Lucy and then back at Helena, and they both saw the split second where her eyes turned a yellowish red before flashing back to their normal brown, a smirk on her face as she sneered back at them.

"Smart little summoner you are." Helena said with a laugh.

Lucy heard him let out a curse as he realized what was happening and quickly changed his tactics.

As soon as Natsu stopped coming after her with fire, Helena seemed to be dodging his attacks with ease and trying to advance towards Lucy.

But there were no attempts at attacking on her part.

"Why isn't she attacking?" Lucy wondered out loud as she watched Natsu lunge at her again, only for the brunette to swerve the punch and fall back.

"I suspect it is because of the form it chose to possess. As you said, she is human, and while the creature that is possessing her is a powerful one, the human body has its limitations." Scutum once again explained, and Lucy was grateful to have at least one spirit that would answer her questions without any riddles.

"Thank you for explaining that, I don't really know that much about how magic works and what the limitations are." Lucy said to the shield.

"Hell, I barely know anything about my own magic." She mumbled with an almost bitter chuckle as she watched Natsu finally wrestle the brunette to the ground, pin her face forward, and knock her unconscious.

"Gatcha ya slippery bastard." She heard him say before he turned to her. "Ya got any rope, Luce?"

"Yeah, give me a second." She said back and let go of the shield. "Thank you Scutum, you can go back now." She told him with a smile.

"The pleasure was mine Lady Heartfilia." He said with a tilt as he disappeared in the same golden light he came from.

Lucy rustled through her bag for a moment before finding a rope and those anti-magic cuffs.

"Here." She tossed the rope to Natsu as she walked towards them.

She watched as Natsu tied the rope around her torso, with her arms behind her back, and once he was done, Lucy decided to put the cuffs on for good measure.

"Maybe they'll keep whatever's possessing her at bay until we can find a way to help her." She said when Natsu gave her a weird look.

"Well that wasn't fun at all, I couldn't even fight properly." He pouted as he went to stretch out.

"I'm sorry that the fight wasn't up to your standards, I'm just glad that you managed to knock her out without too much damage." Lucy said as she looked down at the unconscious woman.

'Was she possessed when we talked to her this morning as well?' She wondered.

Was Helena the one who sent the job request to Fairy Tail?

That was the most likely answer. It was probably in hopes of luring Lucy out and having her find the second half of the key.

Whoever was possessing Helena is working for, or worships Zeref. The dark mage that is responsible for the death of seemingly every spirit summoner.

'What could they possibly want with a broken spirit key?' A shiver ran down Lucy's spine at the thought.

Nothing good.

Gods, when did her life become a fantasy drama?

"Do you know who we can get to help her? I mean we can't just leave the woman possessed." Lucy decided to focus on what she could do now, instead of pondering over uncertain things.

Now was not the time for that.

Speaking of time.

"It's almost 4 am, I can't call Mira now. We'll have to wait till morning." She started rambling as she paced back and forth through the snow.

"Do you think we should try and get some answers from the thing that's possessing her? Or would that be a bad idea?" Lucy continued pacing as her thoughts ran wild.

"Why are they coming after spirit keys if only summoners can use them?" The questions poured out of her mouth and she could feel herself starting to panic.

Feeling dizzy all of a sudden, her knees buckled under her and Lucy found herself falling on the snowy ground.

"Hey, hey, Luce, what happened?" Natsu, who up until that point had been watching her pace with a worried expression, asked as he crouched by her side. "Are you okay?" She looked up at him and saw the wide-eyed panic in his gaze.

"Sorry." Lucy replied automatically "I got dizzy for a moment and lost balance." She said as she went to slowly sit up. "It's been a long day, I probably used up more magic than I realized. I think that Leo's half was draining a bit of it while it was leading us here."

Natsu's shoulders dropped at her words and he puffed smoke in her face. "Don't scare me like that." He mumbled as he helped her stand up.

Lucy coughed slightly as she stood and shot him a glare.

"So what are we going to do with her?" She asked him and he looked back at the unconscious woman.

"Well, we can take her to town, and call the Council, they'll send someone to expel whatever is possessing her and deal with everything." Natsu answered with a shrug of his shoulder and turned back to face her.

"We have one more to go." He reminded her and glanced back at the tree line surrounding them.

Lucy turned to look around, not seeing anything.

She had completely forgotten that he said two people were approaching.

The threats from the being possessing Helena shook her enough to temporarily forget.

"Are they near?" She found her asking as she watched him concentrate on his hearing and smell.

What was it like to have such enhanced senses? Being able to hear, and smell everything around you. 

Lucy wrinkled her nose at the thought of smelling everything and everyone around her.

'No wonder he gets sick on trains, with his senses.' She thought as she watched him try to determine how far away the second threat was.

"Almost here, they seem to be moving slowly." Natsu finally answered with a scrunch to his nose before adding. "They smell like death and decay."

He turned from the forest back to her and took several steps in her direction.

"So they're dying?" Lucy asked, finding it fascinating that he could smell something like that. "What does death smell like?" She asked before her brain could filter it.

Natsu looked at her with a tilt of his head as he pondered her words. "No one's ever asked me to describe what something like that smells like." He told her as he looked for the right words.

"Rotting, but not like fruit, it's much worse. With hints of spoiled fish and sulfur. This one has a distinct magic scent as well, so I don't know what we're dealing with." He answered and Lucy was torn between being amazed by his abilities and regretting asking him.

What else can his senses tell him?

From what she's been able to observe and learn in her time in Fairy Tail, it was obvious that everyone thought Natsu was just a one-track mind.

She heard Levy and Mira call him dense on several occasions, and Gray is constantly calling him stupid.

His reaction to her asking for his input earlier only solidified that he assumed she thought the same.

But Lucy felt like she could see more of him than the others. That he lets her see more of him, even if he doesn't realize it.

It was in the way he would randomly tense up while they were in public out of nowhere.

How he would sometimes pick fights with people at random and for seemingly no reason.

How he knew exactly when during the month not to piss her (and all the women of Fairy Tail) off, and treat her to chocolate raspberry cakes.

It's in the way he fights.

Going head first is the usual ammo, yes. But he is a master strategist, she's seen it firsthand.

No, Natsu Dragneel is anything but dumb, or dim-witted. It was just something he let other people assume of him.

Why was that?

"Whoever they are, how much of a threat could they be if they're dying?" Lucy said hopefully, and Natsu shrugged back.

The sound of crunching snow made them both turn to look at the left side of the trees, where a figure could be seen hobbling slowly toward them.

Natsu moved in front of Lucy as they both waited for the figure to emerge.

It seemed to be a man.

Unnaturally pale and skinny, cheeks hobbled out, with shaggy orange hair.

He was dressed in a fancy, well-tailored suit. Only it was tattered and stained in several places.

The look on his face as he saw Natsu and Lucy standing in the clearing was unreadable.

There was a tense moment of silence where no one moved, and they started at each other.

"You found it." The man said with a hint of relief in his voice.