The Dragon Heiress

♔3♚

Natsu looked down at the multiple scratches, cuts, and bruises on his arms.
Five years, huh? He miserably thought as he read the Magnolia Newspaper. He had recently arrived at the town that morning.
"Did you see anything, Ha--" Natsu looked over, forgetting that he and Happy had departed. It was just too hard for the Exceed to continue.
"I can't go on, Natsu...I have to go back to the guild. Are you coming with me?" He remembered the last conversation he had with Happy since he left.
"I-I can't," Natsu had said. "I won't stop looking for Lucy."
"Damn!" Natsu screamed aloud.

----------------------------------------------
A/N:
Sorry for all the time skips, but all Lucy did the past years were training and learning about the dragons. And Natsu was searching for Lucy through the years, still not knowing she was 'dead')
----------------------------------------------

Natsu grabbed an apple from a nearby tree and took a large bite from it.
It's been long enough...I should go back to Fairy Tail and see the others. He thought as he got up and headed to the guild.
"Is that Natsu?" Lisanna whispered to Mirajane.
"Dang, he actually looks mature now." Cana slurred, chugging a barrel of alcohol.
"Flame Brain?" Gray muttered as he got a better look at Natsu.
"You got that right, Ice Princess." Natsu gave a deep chuckle.

♠♤♠

In the Dragon Realm...
Lucy balanced her baby Exceed, Cleo, on her head as she looked at the intricate marks of Royalty adorned around her shoulders and down her arms, ending in a swirl on the back of her hands.
"It's time." Layla hugged her daughter.
"Oh, Natsu! Stop it!" Igneel mimicked Lucy, making little kissy faces.
"For the last time, I don't like Natsu!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Sure." Igneel winked as Lucy rolled her eyes.
"Let's go, Cleo. Bye, everyone!" Lucy waved as her mother turned into her Dragon form and patted her head to make sure that the white furred, exceed was still there.
"Wait...do you have any extra clothes I can borrow?" Lucy asked.
Soon, Layla was flying in the sky with Cleo and Lucy, who wore a black cloak to hide in. Lucy sucked in a breath at the sight of her old guild. She felt her heart racing faster and faster each step she took until she reached the entrance.

♠♤♠

"Natsu," Gajeel called out when Lucy walked in. "Friend of yours?"
"Who is that?" Natsu murmured.
"Let me speak to Makarov." Lucy kept her head down, disguising her voice, and trying not to giggle with Cleo squirming around the inside of her cloak.
"Why would Gramps need to speak to someone like you?" Gray asked.
"If you want to speak with Gramps, you've got to get through me." Gajeel challenged.
"Waste of time." Lucy waved him off, which only made him angrier.
"Say that again and I'll turn you into a popsicle." Gray snarled, making his shirt fly off.
"Waste. Of. Time. I don't have time to deal with a dense stripper like you." Her voice quivered a bit at the end.
"Oh, that's it!" Gray was about to punch Lucy when...
"Cleo! Now!" Lucy shouted and Cleo leaped out of her cloak, lifting Lucy into the air and out of Gray's reach.
"Now, let me ask politely again: Let me speak to Makarov." Lucy repeated.
"Why is it so important?" Master Makarov came out of his office.
"Mas--Makarov," She remembered that calling him 'master' would blow her cover. "I wish to speak to you."
"Very well...come with me." He walked back into his office with Lucy and Cleo following. Once Makarov closed the door, Lucy tackled him in a hug.
"W-what?!" Makarov stuttered.
"Master!" Lucy smiled and lowered the hood of her cloak.
"L-Lucy Heartfilia?" He murmured.
"Yes, Master."
"How are you alive?!"
"Well, you see, I never actually died. Igneel saved me."
"Igneel?!"
"Yes, Natsu's father. Aside from that, he took me to the Dragon Realm, and I learned that my mother was still alive and is living as a queen," Lucy explained. "I trained a lot and wish to join the guild."
"But you're already a member." Makarov gestured to her right hand, where her pink mark was partially covered by her royal markings.
"I'm giving myself a new start. I want you to take off this guild mark, and give me a new one." Lucy said.
"Okay," He removed the mark from the skin of her right hand. "Where do you want your new guild mark?"
"I want it gold, and on my right arm." Lucy said.
"Mirajane! Give me the stamp for the guild marks!" Makarov called as Mira came in the room.
"This is--" he was interrupted by Lucy.
"I'm Tessa Ashley." Lucy smiled, taking the surname from Edo-Lucy and the first name of a character from one of her favorite books.
"Hello, Tessa," Mira smiled and handed Makarov the stamp. "So I see you want to join Fairy Tail?"
"Yup!"
"I hope you'll enjoy it here!" Mirajane gave one last smile as she swept out of the room. Makarov sighed as he stamped Lucy's shoulder and took her by the hand out of the room.
"Everyone! This is Tessa Ashley! She's new to the guild and would like to keep her face hidden for the time being." He announced.
"Hi!" Lucy waved a hand. "I hope I'll be able to make new friends here!" She said as Cleo waved from the top of her head. When Makarov went back into his office, Lucy and Cleo went to where Wendy and Carla sat.
"Hi, Wendy!" Lucy smiled. Wendy cocked her head, a slightly frightened smile on her face.
"How do you know her name?" Carla asked.
"I, um, uh...who's that?" Lucy pointed to Natsu, although she truly didn't know who he was. He had changed from the last time she saw him. His once spiky salmon hair was long and unruly, with streaks of dirt, and was pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck that ended at his elbows. His usual smile had turned into a thoughtful frown, and his once bright and determined eyes had become narrowed and clouded. He sat, staring at the table, before his eyes locked onto Lucy's. She jumped slightly and turned back to Wendy and Carla.
"That's Natsu Dragneel. He just got back from a search. He was looking for Lucy Heartfilia ever since the day she died. I don't think he ever found out she was...she was..." Carla whispered and looked down as tears formed in her eyes. Wendy covered her mouth as silent tears flowed down her cheeks. Lucy immediately felt guilt overcome herself.
"I-I'm sorry." She whispered so nobody could hear her undisguised voice.

----------------------------------------------
(A/N)
So...do you guys think Lucy should tell Wendy about what happened?

Should she tell Levy?

Who do you think she should tell... but, I don't want her to tell too many people, though.

~Cress