Laxus and Lucy

Chapter 1: Returning Home

"Happy look!!! Fairy Tail is just down the street!" Natsu laughs, "It looks the same since we left it!". Natsu and Happy gleefully skipped along the road towards the famed guild.

Erza sighed, "You'd think after all this time they would have matured by now."

"Mature? Them?" Gray scoffed incredulously, crossing his arms.

"Natsu is always very fun though!" Wendy giggles, Carla sitting neatly on top of her head.

It is good to be home, Erza muses. The guild looked the same; it was slightly more run down, probably because of some random fights caused by various guild members, but it still looked as warm and welcoming as ever. Erza glanced at her group of nakama as they all strolled towards the guild. They all had grown considerably stronger. Erza had mastered several new extremely powerful sets of armor. Natsu had mastered his Dragon Force. Gray's Ice Make was now flawless. Wendy had mastered her Dragon Force as well.

"Erza! Hurry up!" Natsu called, "I can finally see Lucy again!" Natsu and the others had already arrived at the giant front door of Fairy Tail; Erza had lagged behind, distracted by her thoughts.

Erza jogged to the door. Lucy...I wonder how she is... Erza wondered as Natsu threw the doors to Fairy Tail wide open. A resounding cheer erupted from the guild as they spotted who had returned.

5 Years Ago

"You're leaving me here?" The fight had left her voice.

"It's too dangerous, we might not even come back." Erza said softly.

"You know that's not true. I know I'm not strong enough, I can learn! I can!" Her voice began trembling.

"I don't think it's a good idea either..." Natsu said, not meeting her eyes.

Lucy sniffed.

"We'll bring gifts back! I just think you'll be safer here!" Natsu looked earnestly at Lucy.

"We won't be long." Gray sighed.

"It'll be quick." Erza added.

"It will be like a dream, just like you're waking up." Natsu hugged Lucy, and Lucy cried into his shoulder.

The following day, they were all at the train station, ready to leave.

"You'll be back." Lucy stated, with a hopeful smile on her face.

"Before you know it". Gray gave a quick hug to Lucy before he stepped onto the train.

"I'll write letters!" Wendy smiled and wrapped her arms around Lucy in a hug before hopping onto the train.

Erza gave Lucy a quick squeeze, "Don't worry", Erza said reassuringly before following Wendy.

"Luce." Natsu said, turning Lucy's attention away from Erza's retreating back.

"Natsu?" Lucy tilted her head quizzically.

Suddenly, Natsu leaned forward and held Lucy in a tight hug, "I'm sorry we're leaving you behind." There was genuine regret in his voice.

"If you ever need me, I'll be right here." Lucy felt her heart ache. After a few moments, Natsu reluctantly loosened his grasp, and stepped onto the train.

"Oh wait, Luce!" Natsu shouted, "Here!" Natsu tossed a shimmering box into Lucy's hands. Natsu grinned from ear to ear and waved as the train began moving.

"Wait Natsu!!!" Lucy began frantically waving, "What is it?!" Lucy shook her head, "I'll miss you guys! Come back soon!"

Erza looked out the window at the blonde with tears streaming blatantly down her face. Natsu continued waving until Lucy wasn't in sight any more. He sat down in his seat with a glum expression, and he also was ready to vomit.

"I miss her already." Natsu said gloomily, his hand to his mouth.

Erza scanned the room for their joyful blonde, she assumed Lucy would be the first to shout and wrap them in hugs. But before any of the crew could find their missing member, they were quickly swamped by the many members of Fairy Tail.

After the clamor of excitement died down, a party for their arrival was quickly planned to occur later that evening. Wendy had disappeared; Carla explaining that she had something to attend to. Gray was occupied with Juvia who wouldn't let him go. Natsu and Erza were at the bar drinking with Cana.

"Where's Luce?" Natsu asked, downing his third tankard of beer.

"You haven't seen her?" Cana asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope." Natsu shook his head; he couldn't smell her either.

"S-Class mages do tend to lurk in the shadows." Cana signaled to Mirajane for another beer.

Natsu and Erza did a double take. "S-Class?!" They exclaimed in unison, eyes wide.

Cana laughed, "How far were you from Fiore? Lucy is now the strongest mage of all of Magnolia! Heck! All of Fiore!" She clinked her tankard with an imaginary figure that no one could see; Cana was definitely drunk.

S-Class? We weren't even gone for that long. Were we? Thoughts were running through Natsu's head a mile a minute. Then she must be... Natsu looked up towards the second floor balcony of Fairy Tail.

Natsu always imagined that when he saw Lucy again, they would laugh and hug like the old times. When Natsu looked up at the second balcony, he found the blonde occupied in a conversation with someone who was in the shadows, making it impossible to discern who. She was leaning against the pristine white railing and she was dressed in a pale blue bikini top with some denim shorts. She had a shimmering thin anklet around her left ankle, with indiscernible charms hanging on the thin gold chain. Her hair was much longer, it reached down to her mid thigh! It was flowing and she had also grown her bangs out. Her hair had also become a deeper blonde, not quite the light blonde he remembered years ago.

"She's different." Erza said quietly.

Cana gave a loud laugh, "You all have changed as well!" , she gulped some of her beer down. "A year after you left, Lucy cleaned herself up and trained to exhaustion. She rose in the ranks. She became the top, and she got another one of the strongest mages as a partner. They make so much money." Cana muttered the last statement quietly, perhaps with a twinge of jealousy.

"The Heart of Lightning." Erza said thoughtfully.

"Who?" Natsu asked, still trying to absorb the information drunk Cana had dumped on them.

Erza facepalmed, "Natsu do you ever keep up with the current news? Even though we weren't in Fiore, other countries were receiving news about a mage duo dubbed "The Heart of Lightning". There were rumors... I didn't realize the duo was from our own guild." Erza glanced up at the second floor balcony.

"Whose Lucy's new partner then?"

"Laxus Dreyar." Cana eyed Natsu, "Laxus and Lucy, The Heart of Lightning, the heart of Fairy Tail." She placed her tankard down and motioned for a refill from Mirajane.