Gray tapped his finger slowly on the counter top. He was waiting for Mira to bring him his drink and he had nothing to occupy his mind. He probably could have wrestled around with Elfman or Gajeel if he really wanted to. He glanced back at the two men in question. Elfman was sitting with his wife and Lisanna at the other end of the guild. Gajeel and Gale were nibbling on some nails by Levy. It wouldn't be the best idea to fight them. It wouldn't even be as fun.

Gray let out a sad sigh. It hadn't been the same since Natsu's death. Things around the guild were quieter without him. There was no one to say "good morning" as loudly as possible. There wasn't anybody to challenge him to a brawl. There wasn't anybody to argue with about which mission to chose.

There wasn't anybody to take care of Lucy and Nashi.

The two Dragneel's hadn't really come to the guild since the death of their family member. Gray didn't blame them; when Lisanna died, the guild didn't see Mira and Elfman for a month. Happy would drop by from time to time; in fact he was there right now, staring at a fish blankly.

Natsu told Gray to take care of his family, but how was she supposed to do that? Sure he could go on missions to get money for them or treat them to dinner from time to time, but he could never replace Natsu. Not by a long shot.

His glass was placed in front of him and he looked up at Mirajane. She smiled sadly at him. She placed a hand on Gray's shoulder in comfort.

"Everything is going to be okay Gray. You'll do your best."

"That's the problem Mira," muttered Gray, stroking a hand through his hair, "I think that no matter what I do, it won't be enough."

"They'll understand Gray. Isn't that enough?"

Gray shook his head, "No Mira. I'm not Natsu. I can never replace him. He will always be Lucy's husband and Nashi's father, and I can't take his place."

"You don't have too. Natsu didn't ask you to replace him. He wanted you to take care of his family. Wherever he is, he'll understand that you are doing your best, not just for them, but also for him. Because you care about him."

Gray smiled up at Mira who returned it. She picked up a glass and started drying it, "Everything will work out in the end Gray. You're a Fairy Tail mage."

The Ice Maker chuckled, bringing the glass to his lips, "I hope so Mirajane. I just wish this was a real fairy tale with a happy ending," he said before downing his drink. Just as he was about to finish, the doors to the guildhall burst open, revealing three members they didn't expect to be at the door. Lucy waved at the guild members in the hall. Nashi rushed in to go find Gale. The third person was someone that caused Gray to spit out his drink.

"I'M BACK!" Natsu yelled, his infamous grin on his face. He was wearing his usual black one sleeved coat with gold trimming, however he was missing his scarf, revealing his jagged scar on his neck. Everyone dropped what he or she was doing when they saw the fire wizard. They had no idea how to react at the "dead man" before them.

It took a couple seconds before the whole guild burst into cheering and tears of joy. Everyone ran up to Natsu hugging him. Some punched him in the shoulder for scaring them all.

Gray placed his mug on the counter top and walked slowly to where the pinkette was standing. He pushed through the crowd until he and Natsu made eye contact. Natsu smiled sheepishly at him.

"Hey Ice Princess. Sorry for the scare." Gray didn't say anything. He simply stared at Natsu like he had come out of a dream. Natsu took this as a sign that he was angry with him. Gray strolled toward Natsu, his eyes covered by his bangs.

"I know you're mad with me Gray," said Natsu, rubbing his arm, "I'm sorry. I'm sure you probably hated yourself for letting me fall back there. I don't blame you for that Gray. I knew I probably wasn't going to-"

Natsu was cut off as Gray socked him in the jaw. Before he could react, Gray suddenly pulled him into a hug. Natsu couldn't tell what was more shocking the hug or the punch in the face. Gray tightened his grip on Natsu's coat, his hands shaking.

"Y-You stupid jerk," he whispered, "how could you be so stupid?" Natsu's expression softened. He gazed out into the crowd of guild members and saw many of the same expressions on their faces. They were all worried for him. His "death" didn't just affect his wife and daughter, but his whole family.

"I'm sorry," said Natsu, "I guess I didn't think it through very well."

"You're darn right you didn't think it through. You don't think at all," Gray chuckled pulling away and wiping away some stray tears, "You had us all scared back there."

"Welcome back Natsu!" yelled someone from the crowd. The whole guild burst into cheers again, hugging or punching him. Eventually he was dragged off toward one of the tables. Lucy rested her head on her husband's shoulder. Nashi was on the other side of him, hugging his arm. He was surrounded by his friends as they all caught up.

"Natsu?" Erza said as the group grew quiet, "I'm sure everyone has been wondering the same thing so can I ask you something?"

Natsu smiled, "Shoot."

"How did you survive?" she asked. Natsu's smile suddenly dropped as the others began to murmur amongst themselves. Lucy lifted her head up to meet her husband's eyes.

"How did you get back?" she asked softly. It had been bothering her for a while now. Gray and the others said he fell into a deep pit and since he had no more magic he couldn't fly out. They also mentioned that they sealed the only entrance to Hawthorne. So how did he live?

Natsu's eyes drifted to the table top in front of him. In all honesty, he wasn't exactly sure how to tell them what happened. It all seemed so unreal to be the truth. He had no idea how they would react to what really happened.

Everything was dark. He had no idea what had happened. His back felt sore and so did the top of his head, but other than that he was fine.

He tried to remember what happened leading up to the darkness that now surrounded him. He remembered a bridge and a very deep pit. He also remembered a little girl with pink hair. What was her name? Natalie? Nadie? Nancy?

Nashi.

Nashi!

He remembered. He was on a mission to save his daughter Nashi and the rest of the children from Fairy Tail from the clutches of that Hawthorne place. He just defeated their leader when the bridge gave out and he sacrificed himself so Nashi and Gray would live. Which meant, that he was inside the pit.

Am I dead?

No.

He shifted around, the ground beneath him making his back spike with pain. He tried listening for the voice again, but was met with silence.

Who was that?

You know who I am. Remember.

He concentrated on the soft voice. It sounded so vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place. An image began to form in his head of a young man. He smiled at Natsu. The pinkette began to recognize the face in his mind. His heart stopped.

Zeref?

It's good to see you again Natsu, the black haired man said, you've changed since the last time we met.

What do you want Zeref?

Zeref smiled softly, I just wanted to tell you how proud I am. You have a beautiful family and I'm very happy for you.

Stay away from my family!

I don't want to hurt them Natsu. I could never do that to you. But that isn't important right now. What is important is if you don't return home, they will be in pain.

What are you talking about?

He could feel himself slipping back into reality. The image of the dark wizard began to fade from his mind.

This is the only time I'm helping you Natsu, because of how important your wife and daughter are to you. The next time I release you, you will have to kill me. Goodbye Natsu. Zeref slowly faded into the darkness. His ghostly smile was all that was left.

Until we meet again.

Pain began to grow throughout his body as he came out of unconsciousness. It took a lot of effort just to pry his eyes open. His eyelids flickered slightly. Even as his eyes opened, darkness filled the whole area. Despite his body's protests, he sat up. Dirt worked its way in between his fingers as he grasped the ground beneath him. His eyes began to adjust to the darkness and he looked around.

They landed on something a few feet away. He recognized the figure as Mother Agnes. She was lying on her stomach, her head turned toward him. Her body looked so broken and twisted. Her eyes were looking blankly into space. He cringed and scooted to the side, away from the horrifying corpse. As he moved, he felt something on his back dragging against the dirt floor. He looked over his shoulder but his view was blocked by a strange formation. He moved his hand round his back and felt the structure. To his surprise, the growth was attached to him. The objects now attached to his back must have been the reason it hurt so much.

He reached for the top of his head where soreness was also emanating. His hands stilled when they came in contact with two more growths on the top of his head. He couldn't explain what they were. He looked around the dark cavern he was in. A couple feet from Agnes's body he spotted a reflective surface. He crawled over to it and discovered it was a puddle. He inched closer to it, leaning over to see what was on his head. His eyes nearly popped out of his skull and he threw a hand over his mouth.

On top of his head were two large horns. Dried blood covered them from when they sprouted out of his skull. His skin was a light shade of red. Decorating his face and arms were dark red streaks. He could see two large, red wings protruding out of his back. He looked like a dragon.

A demon.

He could almost hear Zeref saying it. The man thought about what Zeref said to him before he woke up and it all started to make sense. As a demon, a fall of that height wouldn't kill him. But that meant...

He drew away from the puddle, utterly terrified by the sight. His body trembled. He almost felt like throwing up. How was this possible? How could he have turned into something so horrible? He couldn't begin to understand why this was happening or even what this was. He sat in the darkness of the cavern, alone. What would he do now that he knew the truth?

That he, Natsu Dragneel, was a demon of Zeref.

After the discovery he had flown out of the pit and dug his way out of the horrid city. The next thing he remembered was waking up outside the Necoon Canyon the next day. His wings, horn, and scaly skin were all gone and he wondered if it was nothing more than a dream. His hopes were crushed when he found the two large cuts in the fabric of his coat where the wings once were. He walked alone through Tiar back to the sky port, wondering what he would do now that he knew.

What would Lucy think? He asked himself at the time. He pondered this question all the way through the empty plains and mountains. His mind was everywhere leading up to the moment he was reunited with his family. As he pulled Lucy into a hug, all worry and confusion washed away. He was home and that's all he cared about. But now...

"Natsu?" his wife asked him, her eyes glimmering with worry. Natsu snapped out of his trance and smiled down at his wife as if nothing happened.

"I'm fine Lucy. Just a little lost in thought is all."

"Daddy, how did you get back?" Nashi asked, pulling on his sleeve. The others in the group murmured along. Natsu laughed.

"Do you really think a little fall could stop the Salamander of Fairy Tail? After I woke up I just climbed out and blasted a hole in the canyon."

Erza shook her head in disbelief, "We never should have doubted you Natsu."

"Sorry we left you there Natsu," said Elfman. Natsu waved them off.

"It's okay. Thank you for getting Nashi back home," he said honestly. He held his little girl close, eyeing the scaly scarf around her neck. This was how it was supposed to be; him and his family, without a care in the world. Now everything was going to go back to normal.

Almost.

Lucy watched her husband laugh and mess around with Nashi and the other members of the guild. A nagging feeling left her anxious. She could tell her husband wasn't telling her everything, and she was going to find out what he wasn't telling.

The day dragged on into the late evening. This was the first time in almost a month Fairy Tail had been in good spirits. The people of Magnolia chuckled as they passed by the guildhall. It was good to know their favorite guild was back to normal.

Natsu and Lucy sneaked out of the guildhall around midnight. Nashi was sleeping in Natsu's arms and Happy was in Lucy's. Natsu could feel his wife staring at him from behind. He felt his heart quicken. She suspected him of something. He prayed she wouldn't question him about his return. Natsu didn't know how he was going to tell her the truth. What would she think of him if she knew he was a monster? He tightened his grip around Nashi. Would she take her away? He couldn't bear the thought of losing both of them again.

Natsu opened the door to their house silently. Lucy took Happy to his room while Natsu took Nashi upstairs to hers. The small child was sleeping peacefully as Natsu slipped her pajamas on. He laid her down gently in her bed, putting Igneel in her arms. He placed the blanket on her and smiled when she nestled deeper into her bed. He tiptoed out of the room, closing the door as quietly as possible.

Running a hand through his pink hair, he walked into his bedroom. Lucy was already there, wearing a silk pink nightgown. He strolled into the bathroom to change into pajamas. He threw on a black tank top with forest green pajama pants. The bathroom door creaked open as he walked out. Lucy was still sitting on the bed staring at him. Breathing out, he drifted to her side and took a seat next to her. He wordlessly looked down at her hand with the pink mark of Fairy Tail. He took that hand in his, rubbing the pink stamp. Lucy tightened her hold on her husband's hand.

"You know I'm not being fully honest," he whispered. It was more of a statement than a question. A couple seconds passed before she wordlessly nodded her head.

"I want to tell you," he said.

"Then why won't you?"

He looked up at her, black eyes meeting brown. She looked so beautiful in the dim light of the moon coming from their window. When he was younger, he never cared about romance or relationships. All that mattered to him was Igneel. Now all these years later, he saw how much of a fool he was. He was blessed with a loving wife and the greatest child in the world. The values and ideals he once had changed like so many things do, but he knew one thing wasn't going to change no matter what. He felt stupid for believing Lucy would hate him if she found out. That didn't matter, because there were more important things.

"Lucy," Natsu said softly, " I can't tell you yet. One day I will, but not now. I know you're worried about what happened to me out there, but you don't have to be. Trust me when I say that everything is going to be okay. I will always love you and Nashi, and I'll always be with you, no matter what."

Lucy sat in silence. Her eyes fell on her lap. Natsu tightened his grip on his wife's hand.

"I was so scared," she whispered, "I thought I lost you. When you came back out of nowhere I thought it was a dream. I feared about what happened to you and what you went through every day, and what that would do to you," she looked back up into her husband's eyes, tears gathering in her own, "Eight years ago, before Nashi was born, you told me to trust you about all these crazy things you knew about Nashi even before we had met her. Now you are telling me to trust you about something that happened to you in another country. And though I am hesitant," Lucy wiped away one of her tears, smiling tenderly at her husband, "I trust you. I know one day you will tell me the truth, and even when you do, everything will be okay, because I know you love me and our children."

Natsu smiled. He was so happy his wife understood him. Their relationship was built on trust, and it was through trust that it would grow. He closed his eyes and pulled her into a loving hug. He took a deep breath of her hair, relishing in her lavender and vanilla scent. As he was relaxing in his wife's hold, his eyes snapped open, Lucy's last words echoing through his mind.

"Lucy?" he questioned softly, "what do you mean by "children?"

Lucy pulled away from the hug, smiling in embarrassment. Natsu eyed her curiously. He followed her line of vision to her stomach. His eyes widened with realization. He looked back up at Lucy, trying to confirm his suspicion.

"Are you?" he asked, too afraid to finish the sentence in case he was wrong. A light blush decorated Lucy's cheeks. She nodded her head softly. A second or two passed before Natsu's mouth formed into a huge grin. He laughed out quietly so he didn't wake up their daughter. Without warning he pulled Lucy into another hug. Lucy threw her arms around her husband's shoulders with joy. He continued laughing with his wife in his arms. It was all too good to be true.

They were having another baby.

Natsu placed his lips delicately on Lucy's. Lucy responded merrily, pressing back with all the love she could muster. They felt the warmth of their love spread through them. Nothing could make this moment anymore beautiful or special for the both of them. Natsu pulled away slowly, resting his forehead against his wife's.

"I love you Lucy."

FAIRY TAIL

The wind blew Nashi's hair softly in her face, but she made no move to adjust it. Flower petals decorate the grassy floor beneath her. She stood calmly at the foot of the sakura tree she was at just the day before. In front of her was the small grave her mother made for her father. She smiled down at the picture of Natsu as he smiled back at her. Though the grave was once a place of sorrow, it no longer made her want to cry.

It was hard to imagine that just the day before she was there, crying over the death of her father. Now there was really no need for the grave, but she didn't want to get rid of it.

Her parents had always told her that the ones you love never truly leave you, but she never fully understood it. They both lost their family, so it was clear how they understood, but she had never even known her grandparents. She couldn't truly relate.

At least, until she lost her daddy.

Now, the grave served as a reminder of the day she fully understood their words; the day when she really realized the extent and the truth of them.

Nashi heard footsteps behind her and detected the scent of smoke. She smiled and turned around to face her father. He walked up beside her and looked down at the grave.

"I didn't think I'd find you here," he admitted.

"I needed to come get your scarf," she responded. Nashi knelt down and untied the scarf attached to the small grave. She stood up and handed it to the Dragon Slayer. Natsu gripped it in his hand for a moment or two before finally wrapping it around his neck. He glanced back at the child to see her still staring at the grave.

"It's really nice," he said, "I'm glad Luce put it out here."

Nashi nodded, "She thought you would like it"

The two sat in silence for what felt like forever. Natsu watched her questionably stare at the grave that was supposed to be his.

"Are you going to get rid of it?" he asked. Nashi sighed quietly.

"Yeah, probably. You aren't really dead so it might throw people off." The two pinkettes chuckled, "but I'm finding it harder to do than I though," answered Nashi.

"Why?" asked Natsu. The small child looked up into her father's eyes.

"You always tell me that I'm never alone. That the people I love will forever be with me. I never fully understood what you and Mommy meant. It wasn't until I came here that I understood." Nashi rose to her feet. Natsu kneeled down to her level.

"You aren't always going to be with me, are you Daddy?" she questioned. Reluctantly, Natsu nodded his head. Nashi looked back at the tree.

"You won't always be physically here. But, that doesn't mean I can't hold you in my heart." She looked back at Natsu, her doe eyes filling with tears, "And I'll always hold onto you for support. Even after you're gone, I know I can count on you to lift me up."

Natsu nodded, "That's right Nashi, because we're a family, and I'd never leave my family." Natsu wrapped his arms tightly around Nashi's little frame. The child stuffed her head in the crook of her father's neck.

"I love you Daddy," came her muffled voice.

"I love you too Nashi. And I always will, no matter what." Natsu released Nashi and stood up. He held out a hand for her to take. Nashi placed her small hand in her father's. They walked back into the sakura forest, a trail of petals behind them.

Natsu glanced back at the tree where his grave sat. What was supposed to be a symbol of his death was now a symbol of his life, and it gave his daughter meaning; the meaning to keep living for the ones who loved her. He glanced down at the child beside him who smiled up at him.

Nashi was one of the greatest people to have ever entered his life. Thinking about what could have happened in the alternate future made Natsu laugh. Since the day of her birth he pledged that he would never leave her, Lucy, and now their coming baby, and he never would.

In body or in spirit, Natsu Dragneel would always be there to lift up and protect his family.

And that was a promise.