Lucy and her companions traveled back across Fiore. Weeks later, they arrived back at their home guild. Still accompanied by Lyon and Evangeline, despite Lucy's pleas for them to return to Lamia Scale instead. The Celestial Wizard wore the same determined expression she had when they first departed. This time, she had a new goal.

Natsu pushed open the doors to Fairy Tail, revealing a packed guild inside. Lucy's eyes scanned them all. Everything became still as all eyes fell on the wanted wizard. The others in the group were greeted by their guild-mates. Lucy paid no mind to them and parted from her friends. She passed by Mirajane and Wendy, the girl giving her nothing more than a sad stare.

"Welcome back, Lucy! Did you find what you were looking for?" Mira flashed Lucy her trademark sparkling smile.

The blonde woman's lips curled into a warm smile, pleased to be able to answer that question positively. "We found the library, yes. The information was more than I'd hoped for."

An ecstatic expression appeared on Mira's face. "That's amazing!"

Lucy continued walking towards her destination, up the large flight of stairs to the second floor. She arrived shortly thereafter at the closed door of the Guild Master Makorov. Eager to relay the news to him, he knocked firmly three times, the sound echoing in the sizable room behind it.

"Enter." An old man's voice shouted from deep within.

She did as she was told and turned the doorknob, opening the door. Stepping inside, her eyes landed on a desk piled high with books and various documents. A short grey haired man trotted out from behind it, a delighted grin plastered on his lips.

"Lucy, you have returned. How were you travels, Child?" He questioned, making his way over to her.

Lucy smiled down at the man that had saved her life when she was a child. "Eventful is probably the best way to put it."

Makorov raised a bushy eyebrow. "Eh? Sounds like you have an interesting tale to spin for me. Why don't we have a seat on the balcony?"

The Celestial Wizard nodded her head. "I think that's a great idea."

Lucy proceeded to follow the Master through the fairly large, cluttered room and out a glass door that led to a balcony that over looked all of Magnolia. The massive city had become darkened, street lights sparkling in the distance. A burning orange sunset shinned over the mountains, creating a beautiful silhouette across the skyline. They sat near the railing at a cherry oak set of table and chairs. Lucy placed her hands in her lap. The first part of her mission was over but as she anticipated, she was far from finished.

"So, child, why don't you start from the beginning." Makorov spoke up, giving her a very intrigued expression.

Lucy's eyes flashed over to him as she nodded. "When we departed, our first destination was Hargeon..."

Natsu glanced around the guild, his beaming grin started to fade as he realized he was missing a very important piece of the picture. An overwhelming panicked feeling washed over him when he noticed it had been awhile since his eyes caught sight of Lucy's sunshine colored hair. He spun around, his eyes landed on his furry blue friend.

"Oi, Happy. Have you seen Lucy?" He questioned hastily.

"She went up the stairs, I think she's talking to Master." Happy replied, pointing in the direction he had watched her go off in.

Natsu nodded before pushing through the crowd of his friends and up the long flight of stairs. When he reached the second floor he observed that the Master's door was standing open, unlike how it normally was. He entered the room to find it an absolute disaster. Frowning, he found himself walking deeper into the room, his eyes darting from side to side.

He hadn't ever seen the Master's office in the condition it was then. Normally it was clean and everything had its place. Makorov had always been a very tidy person. Natsu's ears perked up when the sound of Lucy's soft voice trailed through the outer wall of the room.

Natsu then walked out the glass door to see the blonde woman he was searching for and the Master sitting at a table on the balcony. He froze when he saw her, an instant twisting feeling rising in his chest. The sky around her was illuminated in such away it seemed as if she was glowing, her dark chocolate eyes sparkling as she held out the circlet in front of her. Her lips curling up at the ends as she spoke. Wow, she's so beautiful. Natsu thought to himself. But then his eyes widened, realizing exactly what he just thought. Because never before had he truly been memorized by a woman.

It was then Lucy noticed they were no longer alone and turned her gaze towards him. Her words halted in their place as they landed on a man with rose colored hair. His eyes were plastered on her and he held a captivated expression. She felt her face grow hot at the intenseness of his gaze.

"Natsu?" She questioned, snapping him from his thoughts.

He jumped slightly, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Uh, hi. I... uh, I couldn't find you so I got a little worried..."

Lucy tilted her head in curiosity. But the Master spoke up in her place. "You were worried about her? Natsu, did this journey change your views?"

His attention them was drawn to the old man. "I do not believe that all Celestial wizards are born evil. I don't know what happened then, maybe some were evil but not all."

The Master looked back to Lucy with a pleased expression. "I knew one day he would come around. I'm very glad you all had this opportunity. Lucy, you wish to devise a plan against the black dragon." All of a sudden his aura darkened. "I believe that may be the only way to complete your overall goal. This circlet that Evion Grey gifted to you is a very powerful weapon. The holy grail of celestial relics. It will be the deciding factor in our fate it seems."

Natsu was astounded. The two had been up here discussing what to do next. All the rest of the guild was celebrating their return and most would enjoy Lucy's presence. She hadn't given herself one minute of leisure time since they arrived. Every time he noticed how passionate she was, it inspired him. Natsu took a few steps forward and sat down with them at the table.

"You won't be doing anything alone; I'll have you know." Natsu spoke up, his eyes meeting Lucy's.

"Natsu, no one else needs to get caught up in this anymore." Lucy shook her head in disapproval.

"Lucy, if you do this alone you will surely die. Acnologia is a very powerful dragon. There is a reason he has survived this long. You are not the first that has aspired to take him down." Makorov added in, taking Natsu's side.

"I do not want others to die for my dream. But if I must sacrifice myself to change the world forever then I will not hesitate." Lucy replied, crinkling her eyebrows.

Natsu felt a pain in his chest as she spoke of giving up her own life. "There is no way I'd let you do that. You can't leave our lives now, Luc. You just got here."

Lucy was slightly taken back by that, a strange feeling spreading through her. It occurred to her that no one had ever said anything like that to her before. No human after her parents had ever loved her enough to save her life or to care if it ended. She bit down on her lip and looked down at her circlet in her hands, unable to look up.

Natsu placed his large warm hand on her forearm. "You will have a whole guild fighting at you back. Don't think for a second you have to save yourself alone."

After discussing more plans to take down the dragon, Natsu agreed to walk Lucy back to Gray's house. The sun had gone down but the guild itself was pulling a late night. When the two walked back down the stairs most members were still packed into the bar area. Mirajane passing out mugs of booze to Elfman and Gray, who seemed to be having a competition.

"Gray, I'm going home. I'll leave the door unlocked for you." Lucy spoke to him as they passed.

Gray glanced over at her, clearly already tipsy. "You are very kind sunshine."

Lucy let out a chuckle and waved goodbye, leaving them to their fun. Natsu led her through the tables, saying their farewells till the morning. Natsu parted from her for a moment to find Happy, who seemed to be swooning over Carla, the female cat.

But suddenly a burly figure stood not three feet from Lucy, startling her. Her eyes trailed from the floor up, to see a very furious Laxus. His eyebrows were furrowed and he was scowling down at her as if she were garbage. Sparks erupted from the metal spike he had on his head.

"You need to leave this guild. We do not need something as vile as you here any longer." He seethed with anger.

Lucy shook her head. "You do not scare me, Laxus."

"You little bitch, I'll teach you." Laxus raised his first high in the air, charging his lighting in the palm of his fist.

Then he swung, the speed of the attack was so fast Lucy hardly saw it coming. After she closed her eyes, she felt nothing. No impact, no pain. Just the sound of it colliding with something that clearly wasn't her. Her eyelids parted and her gaze landed on rose colored hair. Natsu stood firmly, holding Laxus's fist within his own.

"Laxus..." Natsu started, his voice sending chills up Lucy's spine. "If you ever lay a finger on her, I promise you, you will never see the light of day. Do I make myself clear?"

The guild erupted into whispers, the faces of everyone held confused and questioning looks. The Natsu they remembered had shunned Lucy, treated her as less than nothing. The changed had happened so fast it shocked them. Something in Natsu clicked. He was the last person anyone expected to think differently.

Which meant maybe they were wrong about her.