So this was uploaded a while ago but I brought it down. Will get back into it eventually.

Disclaimer: Fairy Tale is not mine. Characters will seem OCC-ish (haven't read all of the current manga or watched all the anime is why), but still not mine. Plot of current story-line in fan-fic is mine.

Enjoy.

The Spiraling Flames

"'I could have.' What does this phrase mean? At any given moment in our lives, there are certain things that could have happened but, didn't. The magic moments go unrecognized, and then suddenly, the hand of destiny changes everything."
― Paulo Coelho

Prologue of the Returned

'Y-you've got to be kidding me…' a young blond mage thought in frozen fear as she pressed herself further onto the cold stone wall which she cornered herself to. 'Master didn't say anything about this being in the job description!'

This mage… Lucy Heartfilia… didn't know what to do when she stared at a very large reptilian in front of her. Not daring to move from her place as it could end up as a provocation towards it. She knew with its' piercing ebony eyes, gazing as if she was a chunk of meat, could charge at her if she even twitched… or even hyperventilate. Out of all magical creatures that she had encountered as a Fairy Tail gild's member… meeting demons and talking flying animals… this definitely took the cake.

This is the first time she… actually anyone (except to the Dragon Slayers within the guild)… has met this type of creature since their sudden disappearance from the magical realm. In fact, it is considered the rarest to be sighted in the whole world!

A Dragon…. A bloody live and breathing Dragon is right in front of her!

Red scales all over its body shimmering in the dim light like rubies; talons white as pearls but sharper than that of the finest crafted swords; no doubt that the teeth are the same, easier for ripping her to shreds. Actually it looked like it could swallow her whole without opening its jaws all the way. She could see the folded wings, with webbing skin toning towards a pinkish color with its transparent likeliness and the molded muscles that connected to its scaled back told her that it could fly faster than the Wind Dragon Slayer back at the guild.

There was no way she could defeat this!

'Dammit, out of all the things I have to run into, it's a bloody freakin dragon! And I am here without a dragon slayer! If only Natsu-' she flinched off her thoughts at the name she realized she had unconsciously thought of after avoiding trying to say for a year.

'A year…yet, it felt like only yesterday.'

She and Master Makarov saw him off for a solo mission that fateful day. Like when any of her guild mates go off, she would call out for their safe return. Natsu was no different. He replied with a promise, smiling back at her with his energetic one that always put her heart at ease as well as a fluttering feeling of being on air.

However, that day, she felt something else; something of more akin to dread. Lucy's conscience screamed at her to stop him and not let him go. It was one of the worst things she hated about her woman's intuition. Yet, even though she felt the fear, she ignored it and let the Fire-eating Dragon Slayer walk away, the echoing footsteps following him further into the distance. Three days later, passing the time limitations of the so called B-class mission, with no signs of his return, did her worries started to grow.

The three days went on to four; then into weeks; weeks became months. A year passed and still nothing. She and everyone within the guild searched for the missing member. Even Master Makarov when he had his Guild Master Meetings, looked for him.

But all came up empty… replaced with regret that could never be shut away.

Now all she had of him was Happy, the blue flying/talking cat, the smiling face that told her he would be alright, and his home (which she, somewhere along the line of worries, started to live there).

A warm blow against her made her open her eyes, she didn't know she had closed, and brake her train down the dreary memory lane. 'Stop thinking of the past, Lucy Heartfilia…! This is not time to remember someone that is probably dead!' Her own cold remark that pierced her heart crushing the ice and salt on the wound at the conclusion she had made, but she stood her ground… err, leaning on wall… as she gulped the scream that was sure to probably end her life as the red dragon's eyes kept its eyes on her, though much closer… and closer to her impending doom.

'Erza, Gray, where are you!? I did say I was going to find the requested treasure, since this place was tempting, but it doesn't take you guys this long to destroy a Dark Guild of this level since they are just a group of five!' she yelled mentally looking ready to cry and sink to the floor accepting her fate as dragon food. 'Then again a dragon being held here in their hideout must mean they are pretty strong, but still… SAVE ME!'

"LUCY!" a female voice as if answering her call. The said magician inwardly cried in joy in seeing the strongest mage of their team… even though she scared her when angry. She could see the fiery red head in glinting armor, wounded and bleeding, but still strong magical presence come into view.

"Whoa! Is that a dragon!?" said the male ebony haired ice magician behind her. No shirt in sight, meaning he must have stripped it off due to his habit, showing his muscular tones but with several bruises in sight. The cuts and some minor bleeding told her otherwise of his stripping as a choice. The cross bearing necklace over the Fairy Tail insignia swung as they ran towards her.

But before they could get even closer, the dragons head turned and whipped its tail towards them making them jump back or be thrown back by its sheer force.

"Damn, we can't get closer like this!" Gray yelled before seeing another whip of the tail that's coming towards him. "Ice Make: Shield!" A thick glacier shield appeared in front of him just in time to suppress most of the force before it broke leaving him time to jump onto the walls, and making a place for him to land.

At the same time, Erza was just about to attack the dragon with its attention drawn on the other, but the intake of breath and feeling of heat alerted her of what was going to be unleashed. "Re-equip: Fire-Empress Armor!" within a blink of an eye her usual armor transformed to the familiar fire-resistant mail armor just as the dragon released its flames from its mouth hitting both her and the male companion knocking them to the wall and onto the floor.

"Erza! Gray!" Lucy yelled in shock but yelped backwards as the flames back-flickered towards her burning her exposed skin making her drop to her bottom in pain. When the heat and fire receded she winced at the needling sensation of her scorched skin.

"Lu…cy! In… front!" Erza warned out of breath trying to get her shocked and weakened body up and help the Celestial Mage.

The blond magician froze when the warm breath was on her again. Terrified by the mere close proximity of the dragon's head could be right now, Lucy closed her eyes in fear, curling into a ball (despite the protest of the searing wounds) trying to be smaller against the wall.

"Natsu… Natsu…" she kept calling out as tears welled up behind her eyes when the image of a pink haired Fire Dragon Slayer, with his contagious grin and muscular glory, appeared from her memory… wishing with all her might that he would save her from her closing death sentence and tell him her hidden feelings she has for him. But his calling name was the only thing that comforted her as the jaws came closer, "Natsu… save me…"

"Lu… cy…"

She opened her eyes, heart skipping in her chest at the surprise in hearing the familiar voice that reverberated in her mind. All the fear dissipated as she looked up and into the ebony eyes of the dragon that was laying its head on the ground in front of her.

'Huh….?'

"Lu-Lucy, what are you-?" Gray didn't finish as he winced in pain feeling the fractured rib and added bruises as he fell back into a heap.

"Don't… cry…" the warm voice reverberated again in her mind as she gazed at the eyes… eyes, gazing at her with sadness. The searing pain receded to the background, along with her begging friends to stop her motion. Body uncurled, tears still streaming from her eyes, showing disbelief instead of terror, stared at the dragons with sudden recognition.

"No… No, it… couldn't be?" she asked quietly in a shaking voice as she reached out. "I-is it… is it… really you?"

Once her Fairy Tail Insignia hand touched the dragon's ruby scaled head, the voice… his voice… replied and this time she knew the voice was coming from the dragon. "I'm sorry… Lucy… even though… I promised to return…"

"Na… tsu…" she whispered the name softly. The muzzle nudged to her touch gently in response. "Natsu!" she cried out his name loudly, burying herself onto the hard scaled flesh of the dragon (much to the disbelief of her fellow teammates both in the action and name). The red dragon only kneaded its head closer to her tearing sobs as to comfort her, also repeating his apologies.

The Fire Dragon was her Fire-Eating Dragon Slayer…

This was Natsu Dragneel….