Hello everybody, I do hope you are all enjoying my book! Also I have so many readers!! So thank you so much if you have read any of my books and when I am finished with this one and am going to continue Land of the Ashen. So lets see how long this one takes to be done...

I dedicate this chapter to HeartInTheKeys!

Yall er awesome!

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Natsu's POV

She was here, finally here, not in a hallucination or recurring dream that tormented my nights every time I slept. No, this was the real Lucy, her sent, her smile, her soft pale skin, her light blonde hair that cascaded down her shoulders. Every single thing about her that made her the Lucy I loved was just right.

Both of us laid on the ground, fingers just barely brushing and obviously both gone through a lot. But Lucy looked the worst, she had cuts all over her body as blood flowed from each of them, she was severally burned on her lower leg, her stomach had rips through it and a large whole next to her hip. This was the palest I'd ever seen her before besides her lack of tan. Though she was still smiling at him brightly through everything to make sure I knew she was okay when she obviously wasn't.

"Luce..." I sighed at her image.

"Its okay, I'm glad you are alright." She smiled.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Well someone had to hold off the dragons."

"You tried to hold them off all by yourself?!"

"What do you mean 'tried' I have been successful so far!" She sneered angrily.

"But how? Also, why has your sent changed? Its a little different now."

Lucy rolled her eyes as if she remembered something.

"Right, you were gone. I met a dragon-and before you say anything I did ask her about Igneel, she knows him and he is doing fine, missing you." She held her hand to stop the oncoming question she knew would be coming, but this news was the happiest I could have heard for now. Igneel was still alive.

"Also she told me that once dragons teach a human to become a dragon slayer they are banished from Earthland, thats why he they left and haven't come back. Eleanor, the dragon I met hadn't taught a human yet so she was never banished. She was waiting for this moment, knowing it was going to happen some time. So, she taught me...then left."

I was shocked beyond words by this point, Lucy was a dragon slayer too? She was taught by a dragon too, in only a week? That seemed impossible, it had taken me almost three years to master my magic and now she was already using it full combat against the very thing that had taught her.

"She left, she left me Natsu..." Lucy started to cry, as she still lay on the ground her tears hit the dirt below them.

This took me back, her dragon had left her, just like Igneel left me. I knew exactly how she felt.

Struggling to sit up I pulled myself to a crouching position, and lifted her up as well, I leaned her broken body into mine.

"How is she?" I heard a voice from behind me, I looked to see Erza and the rest of the group.

"She will be fine." I answered.

"We have to get to the guild."

Lucy suddenly moved in my arms, reacting to this sentence.

"No, I cant to back. You all should go, yes. But I have to stay."

"What? Why?!" I asked shocked at her answer.

"I am holding back the dragons, I have to make sure they don't hurt anyone."

"Lucy, thats army's work! And your just hurting yourself in the process."

She shook her head with a slight smile.

"I don't mind, I want to protect the place that brought me such happiness so others can enjoy it pleasures in the future."

"You sound like you are going to die!"

"If thats what it takes!" She spit back.

My eyes widened, Lucy was willing to give her life fighting these beasts. She couldn't die, I wouldn't let her. I wont watch that awful sight again, once was enough. And that wasn't even real, but a Lucy from the future, I would not let my Lucy die.

"Now head to the guild, but I stay." She turned her back to us.

"Lucy, the last thing I want is to leave you in this situation. But I see that fire in your eyes, just like I see in Natsu's on many occasion. All I say is be careful and don't you dare let yourself die!" Erza stated almost in tears herself.

The mightily Titania was breaking into tears for their friend. In fact almost everyone was close to those water droplets that leak from ones eyes. All expect me, I wasn't willing to just give up and let Lucy do this. If I did she would die and I wasn't willing for that to happen.

"I'm staying." I looked up at the grey, clouded sky.

Lucy's head looked up into my eyes with worry.

"You cant. Look at yourself, you are in no position to fight!"

"And your one to talk! Your worse than me!" I hollered back.

She stopped talking. Still sitting on the ground and her in between my legs I wrapped my arms and legs around to incase her, smiling back up at the others.

"Well looks like its settled."

"Natsu, are you sure..." Wendy started.

I nodded my head.

"Yes, I will stay and help Luce." My voice still happy and child-like.

"Alright, everybody else lets head out." Grey pressured them forward.

"Good luck!"

"Be careful."

"Take care Bunny girl."

"Don't mess this up idiot."

The following comments were left as they ran by. But once there were gone and out of aight there was silence.

"Why did you stay, you idiot!" Lucy slammed her hands against my chest, but all her energy was gone and the blows were barely anything.

"Its always more fun when we're together." I remembered her words from when we fought one of the seven kin.

Her eyes went wide as I quoted one of her own lines. Then she smiled and shook her head.

"How can you always be so annoying and sweet at the same time?"

I didn't really understand this statement, but I let it slide and pulled her to her feet.

"Lets go and save our home." I held her hand as the dragons finally found us the started to move closer to us. They stomped loudly, like an earthquake was happening in small sequels. But we didn't move, we just stayed there, gazing into each others eyes. Knowing this may be the last time we have such peace.

"I'm all fired up!" Now it was her turn to quote me.