Sorry about the lapse in updating. Finals and all that. But now it's summer. So hopefully, I will have more updates in store for all you still reading. This chapter is also longer to make up for lost time as well. Let me know what you think in the reviews!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.

*LUCY POV*

When I finally landed back into my body, I felt heavy immediately. The feeling of going from a weightless spirit to a physical form again was disappointing and almost painful. I could feel gravity pulling down on me, as if trying to pull me right through my body to the ground. And then I realized that I wasn't breathing. I opened my mouth slightly and pulled in a deep breath of air as quickly as I could. I had no idea how long I've been out, but I remember from past experiences that my body goes into hibernation when I'm not in it. So I'm sure my body hasn't really been doing any more than keeping itself functioning on the most minimal of needs, such as breathing.

As soon as that air touched my lungs, it felt as though I hadn't been breathing in months. A moment of panic gripped me as I considered the idea that I have indeed been unconscious for months. The panic faded into a new panic as I realized that I was struggling to breathe. It was almost like I had forgotten how. I turned to look around me and immediately locked eyes with a pair of red ones a few feet from me. I tried to convey to him with my eyes that I was struggling. He seemed to get the picture because he was suddenly in front of me, tilting my body to a sitting position so I could lean against him and stretch my lungs back out to their full range of expansion.

With my body upright, I could feel the burning of the air passing through my throat and into my lungs. Filled with mindless panic, I could feel my nails scratching against the skin covering my neck and chest. He kept whispering something at me, but all I could hear was my blood rushing past my ears and my frantic gasping. Hyperventilating. That's what I was doing. He stopped talking to and looking at me for a moment to talk to someone else. He looked back to me and leaned his forehead against mine again.

I could see his lips moving as his red eyes burned into my brown ones. At that moment, above all the hysterics, I couldn't believe a man could have eyes that damned beautiful. I immediately shoved that thought to the back of my mind and focused my attention on my lungs. I needed to fill them with as much air as I could as quickly as I could.

I moved my eyes from Rogue's to his chest. I watched it move with every breath in and out. I needed to match that pace. Easy enough. With my eyes glued to his chest, I slowly pulled in short bursts of air and held it in my lungs for a moment before exhaling it in more bursts. Not the best deep breath I could have ever taken, but at least I have a rhythm set now. So I kept to that rhythm as I slowly paced my breathing to his. Eventually, I was finally able to pull in one solid and stable breath into my lungs and push it out in one fluid motion.

I nodded to Rogue that he could move away from me, that I had finally gotten my breathing pattern back. He didn't move. I looked up to see his eyes glued to my face, more specifically my lips. My breath hitched for a moment, not because I couldn't breathe again, but because a warm feeling spread throughout my entire body at the way he was watching me. His red eyes seemed almost crimson as his chest moved with slightly shorter breaths. His fingers gripped the arm rests of the seat I was sitting on so hard, his knuckles turned white.

I couldn't move or speak as I watched him. Waiting. I was waiting in anticipation of what I could potentially expect from this man in the next few moments. I was seriously hoping he was going to kiss me. God, what I wouldn't give to feel his lips on mine. They look full so I imagine his kiss will be soft and playful. I felt a blush color my cheeks as I flicked my gaze to his lips just in time to catch his tongue dragging over them slowly, like a predator staring down his prey.

I struggled to pull in deep breaths as I watched him. Suddenly his eyes snapped up to meet mine. My breathing stuttered and my lips parted to draw in more air. The longer I stared into his eyes, the bigger they seemed to get. When I felt his warm breath fan over my face, I realized that his eyes weren't getting bigger. He was getting closer. He was a touch away from me. I just had to flinch and my lips would be on his. But he wasn't moving. No, he was provoking. He wanted me to make the first move. He was waiting to see if I would give in to my own desires.

And desires, I had. Oh, how I wanted to rip my clothes from my body and feel his skin against mine. I wanted to feel his nails drag against my scalp as his fingers tangled in my hair. I shivered at the thought. He seemed to notice by the way his arms tensed, like he was going to grab me. It felt like fire was licking at my skin from underneath suddenly. I was breathing shorter, but deeper breaths as I watched him.

I moved my eyes back to his piercing gaze and knew that I couldn't suppress these desires any longer. I pushed forward in an instant, locking our lips together and wrapping my arms around his neck. I was still a little unbalanced so I pulled him down over me as I lay back in the chair. One arm wrapped around my waist tightly as his other gripped the arm rest to keep him from completely laying on top of me. It was a frenzy of gripping clothes and locked lips. We didn't part until both of us were struggling to breathe.

When we finally did, his lips dragged down my chin and over the column of my throat, his teeth dragging lightly over the sensitive skin there. I shivered as my fingers twisted in his soft black hair—much softer than it looked. His warm breath fanned across my neck as he breathed and slowly pulled himself away from me. By the way his hand tightened against my waist, I could tell it took a lot of self-control.

"We can't do this," he rasped. "Not here. Not now. There are still a lot of questions unanswered."

His words were a bucket of cold water. I snapped back to reality just in time to see one of his shadows slithering out under the door, presumably to alert the others to my consciousness. I let go of his shirt that I was gripping in my hands and leaned further back into the chair to put distance between us. He gave me one last, long look with his darkened red eyes before closing them and sighing. He shook his head and made a very visible effort to push himself into the chair adjacent to mine. He leaned back into it as he regained his composure and took a deep breath.

As expected, it didn't take long for everyone to file into our little corner of the library. Laxus was the first person in the door. He took one look at me and charged to my position. He gathered me into his arms the instant he was in my vicinity and buried his nose into my hair.

"Hey!" I squeaked when his nose tickled my neck. A blush rose to my cheeks as I remembered whose lips had been there just moments before. I swatted at his head and told him to put me down.

He stopped his nuzzling and sniffing for a moment and stilled. He slowly turned his head to Rogue and growled low in his throat as he clutched me tighter to his chest. "What did you do?" he rumbled. I frowned when I realized that he had smelled Rogue on me from earlier.

"Laxus," I warned. "You better think twice before you say what you're about to say." He turned his head toward me and took in my appearance. I'm not sure what he saw, but I'm sure he caught the faint blush still glowing on my cheeks and the way my hair was a mess atop my head. I'm sure he also caught the warning glare burning in my eyes because he slowly sat down with me in his lap, almost guarding me.

I sighed. This is probably the best I'm going to get. He was still glaring at Rogue over my head though. Thank the heavens Rogue didn't glare back. I was not prepared to deal with two dragons fighting in the library.

"Lucy," a voice said hesitantly from behind the debacle unfolding. I crawled over Laxus to peer over his shoulder and saw Levy standing there in front of Gajeel, Gray, and the rest of the Thunder Legion. Her eyes were watery and her hands clasped together nervously in front of her. She was staring at me in hope. I smiled at her. She let out a breath I didn't know she had been holding and ran over to us as well.

Laxus loosened his grip on me as she pulled me out of his arms, causing us both to collapse to the floor. She sobbed into my shirt as I rubbed her hair and tried to soothe her. Gajeel came over and picked us both up in a hug. She curled against his chest without letting go of me.

I laughed nervously. "So are we doing a group hug right now?"

Everyone else laughed. They looked to each other before shrugging and joining in the hug. Even Laxus and Rogue joined us in this awkward standing dog pile.

"Glad you're finally awake, Bunny-Girl," Gajeel rumbled. "You had us worried sick."

"How long was I out?" I looked around to everyone, seeking an answer.

"Four days," Gray answered. "Laxus and Ever got back from their search just this morning. But the rest of us have been with you this entire time." Gajeel and everyone separated finally and began moving to various spots around the chair I was forced to occupy by Laxus pulling me back into his lap.

"Rogue never even left your side," Levy giggled. "I think he felt like it was his obligation to stay with you since he was the only one who could keep an eye on Zeref's Shadow thing in your head."

I looked over to Rogue who was looking away from me with a light blush dusting his cheeks. "I am the only one who can help so it's obvious I would be unable to leave your side," he grumbled.

I rolled my eyes and giggled. He's kind of cute when he gets shy. I shook my head and looked back to Levy. "So what did I miss?"

Levy shook her head at me. "No you first. What the hell happened?" She looked distraught as she remembered something.

I smiled softly and nodded. "So the letter in the book you found was real. And I am most definitely Zeref's sister. We are immortal beings from a different world called the Origin by humanity. When I came to this world, I had forgotten my past life and took on the role of Lucy, as you know me. But Zeref has spent the last twenty years looking for me through a very rough method of moving between worlds. Which is why his magic was so unstable; it was unable to adapt to a world bursting with magic like ours to one where magic is so restricted to the body.

"What you all saw was what happens when I am able to communicate between worlds or with other people of my kind. I go into a trance where I enter a neutral dimension that all beings may occupy with the proper training. I spent the last—I guess—four days in that world speaking with Brother. Though it really only felt like an hour or two. So I'm assuming an hour in the neutral plain takes up two days in yours—ours. I'm still trying to get used to having my full lifetime back in my memory." I shook my head as my brow furrowed. It felt like everything was a dream and I was going to wake up soon. I was really struggling with my new—old—reality.

"So what do we do now that we know Zeref is searching for his sister rather than trying to take over the world?" Sting asked.

I smiled a little patronizingly at him. "Well we are going to invite him over for dinner and drinks."

The room went deadly silent in that moment. I looked around at everyone with an arched eyebrow. They were all looking between each other with a nervous look. Levy was twisting her fingers as she looked up at Gajeel. Sting and Rogue were sharing a loaded look. Gray looked at a random pile of books on the table off to the right. Wendy looked at her feet. And the Thunder Legion all shared a look with Laxus above my head.

"Oh, so, we can give Sabertooth, Flare, and literally all of our enemies a second chance at redemption and forgiveness regardless of their mistakes, but not Zeref?" I narrowed my eyes at everyone, before turning my glare on Laxus.

"That's different," Laxus growled. "They never killed anyone."

"Bullshit," I spat as I shoved myself out of his lap and to my feet. "No offense but I remember Gajeel bragging to me about killing people. Sting and Rogue killed their parents. Hell, you and Ever were threatening to kill me and all the other girls during Fantasia! And Fairy Tail all forgave you the instant you bowed your head in humility! Yet, you will turn away Zeref even knowing that those deaths were not intentional, but a result of a very hare-brained idea to get to our world!? Fuck you, Laxus!"

By the end of my speech I was panting with rage as I stared him down. My teeth clenched when he wouldn't look at me. I spun around to level everyone with my heated gaze. My hands were balled into tight fists at my side. Watching how everyone looked fearful of me at that moment brought me to the realization that I needed to calm down. So I took a deep breath and turned back to Laxus, who looked both furious and despaired.

"Listen," I said softer. I fell to my knees in front of him and took his large face in my hands. "You are family to me. But so is he. I will take full responsibility for any trouble he causes here. But he needs my help, and possibly all of ours. He says our world is being targeted by Edolas. And I am the only one able to really stop the magic from being pulled from our world. So I am going to trust in him. I have known him for many many years. Many more than any of you could ever possibly understand. So if nothing else, please trust me."

I gazed into his eyes, my own stinging with tears. His eyes betrayed the hurt and the guilt he was feeling. He closed his eyes and looked down at my knees against the ground. His shoulders slumped and he wrapped his arms around my waist, bringing me against his body. He buried his face in my shoulder and sighed heavily, his breath tickling the skin there. I swatted at his head.

"Laxus," I giggled. "Stop playing. What's your answer?"

He loosened his arms enough for me to pull myself away from him. He looked up at me and nodded slowly. His lips turned into a small, strained smile. "If you trust him, and if he truly is telling the truth in that letter, then I will have to allow him to come to Fairy Tail and say his peace," he acquiesced. I grinned and was about to pull him into a hug when he put up a hand to stop me. "But, he has to gain our forgiveness first, talk to Gramps, and gain some modicum of trust from us before we allow him to go before the guild with his apology with so little support. No one can know he is here. And the second he starts something, I'm going to have to have the entire guild ready to kill. I'm sorry Lucy, but that's the way it has to be."

I nodded and hugged him tight. "Thank you Laxus for trusting me!" He laughed and patted my back before I jumped up to my feet to face everyone with a small blush staining my cheeks.

"I'm sorry guys for getting so mad at you and opening old wounds," I said quietly, twisting my fingers nervously.

They all shared a look before sighing and nodding their forgiveness. Everyone here had made peace with how they had hurt each other and had no problems with the fact that I had brought it up. But the ones I was most worried about was Rogue and Sting—specifically Rogue. I turned carefully to where Rogue was sitting down with his head bowed and Sting standing behind him, staring at the top of Rogue's head. They were really a great and compassionate team. I admired them for that.

"Sting? Rogue?" I whispered as I slowly came to stand in front of them. I got on my knees in front of them and bowed deeply until my forehead touched the ground. My hair fell over my shoulders to form a curtain around the sides of my face. I kept my hands laying out in front of me, flat on the ground. "I apologize deeply for rehashing such a hurtful past and bringing it to light in such a way as I did. I humbly beg for your forgiveness."

I felt Laxus's hand on my shoulder as he tried to pick me off the ground. "Come on, Lucy, that's not necessary," he whispered.

I shook him off and stayed on my position. No one spoke a single word nor tried to touch me again. They knew that if I would pull such a position of apology, I was truly regretful of this. They understood the need for this. Their pasts were dealt with appropriately with the help of their nakama and gained forgiveness for their actions. But what I said about Sting and Rogue. That was simply cruel. They had no one but each other to work through this pain. They were unable to really process what they had done and seek forgiveness for it. Who could they ask? The only parties able to grant that kind of forgiveness were dead because of their actions. And I had no right to drag that through the mud. I can only imagine the amount of pain they have suffered because of this.

It was actually kind of terrifying to take this position on the ground. My head bowed, my body prostrated before them. To give them so much power over whether or not I walked away from this with a clear conscience. I trembled softly at the idea that I had single-handedly destroyed the truce between Fairy Tail and Sabertooth.

"Lucy," Rogue whispered. I felt his warm hand against my shoulder blade, left uncovered by the purple tank top I had donned four days ago. I bent my neck so that I was looking at Rogue and Sting, who both wore matching sad smiles. "We have moved on from our sins. You guys at Fairy Tail allowed us that privilege through your compassion and family atmosphere. We were able to finally come to terms with that part of our lives because you guys."

"Yeah," Sting butt in. "You guys gave us so much more than we could have ever imagined. And we aren't even in the same guild. It's pretty cool. So there's no need to beg for forgiveness because there's nothing to forgive you for. You are right. We have no right to judge Zeref. He's your brother and those deaths were an accident. He wants to atone for those. What more can we ask for of him?"

My jaw dropped and I felt like I couldn't move. Sting was being so mature for once. I could hardly believe it. Rogue grabbed me from under my arms and pulled me up to my knees before getting on his own in front of me. My eyes slowly moved from Sting to Rogue as he chuckled. His fingers came under my chin and shut my jaw for me. My cheeks burned at the memory of what else he could do to my jaw and neck. I looked away from his eyes and nodded slowly for him to say what it looked like he was going to say.

"So?" he said softly. "Why don't you go ahead and call him here and we will go get Master Makorov for us all to discuss the next events?"

I nodded as if in a trance and slowly stood. I sat in the open chair next to Laxus and smiled at Rogue and Sting when I got my mind back together.

"I'm sorry for acting like a ditz. It just surprised me that Sting could be so mature and composed." I laughed.

And like that, the tension was broken. Everyone around us started laughing as Sting looked at us confused. "What? I'm always mature." His declaration only led to us all laughing even harder. I caught a glimpse of one of Rogue's Shadows flitting across the floor and out of the library from under the door. I sighed. I guess it was as good a time as any to let Zeref know he was safe…for now.

I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes, feeling all the muscles in my body relax. I was vaguely aware of everyone in the room staring at me but I immediately tuned out the feeling of their eyes on me. I felt my mind drift as I sought out Zeref's.

"Brother," I whispered into the void between souls. "It is safe to come to Fairy Tail but I highly recommend simply appearing before me where no one can see you. You should also conceal your presence so that no one else in the guild knows you are here. You need to first gain the approval of the people around me before we allow you to beg for the entire guild's approval."

"I understand Sister. I shall be there shortly," he whispered back. I came back to my own body and opened my eyes. Wendy came forward shyly and sat in my lap without any words. I didn't protest and wrapped my arms around her. She was so young and being forced to watch all this must be taking its toll on her.

"How long until Master gets here?" I asked Rogue.

He smiled at me and nodded to the door right as Master came into the library looking excited. Rogue's Shadow locked the door behind him and ushered him over to where we were all sitting. He hopped onto the arm rest on Laxus's seat and looked to me with a wide grin.

*MAKOROV POV*

It has been a tough time lately for my children. I have been helplessly sitting off to the side watching as the light of my guild dimmed slowly but surely. I could do nothing for her. How could I? She would not allow anyone to really get close enough to see the pain she hid. And now, here I sit at my desk, several weeks after the incident with the Twin Dragon Slayers barging through the doors and Lucy finally telling us what has been going on, while she lies unconscious in my library just downstairs.

I sighed again as I looked over all the papers sitting over my desk. Team Natsu have been disbanded for the time being to reflect on their actions and disregard for their nakama, so the number of complaints I've been getting has been halved. It doesn't stop the complaints though. Team Natsu isn't the only group with self-control issues in my guild. I sighed again as I signed away another 2,000 Jewel to a town Cana had just been at. Unsurprisingly, she drank all their booze. I rolled my eyes again at the complaint and dropped my head against the desk with a deep breath.

Such a trial it has been. Poor Lucy being comatose, Laxus finding himself his kin, Bickslow showing interest in his guild as more than just a guild, Team Natsu being thoughtless and cruel. And then there's Rogue. It's obvious there are some feelings there and I really hope they realize it soon. A slow smile crawled across my face at the thought. Oh that would be so cute! The Shadow dragon slayer and the Celestial mage. What a pair! I sighed dreamily as I imagined their beautiful babies sure to come.

Suddenly a cold chill swept over my arm outstretched over the desk. I shivered and sat up straight as quick as I could. I looked around my office, on alert as to what could have caused such a strange phenomenon. Then the chill swept over the back of my neck. I spun around and caught sight of a small shadow dancing away from me, almost as if it were frightened of me. I looked around my office and noted the stillness of the other shadows around the room. I looked to the one in question that was swaying back and forth across my floor. I smiled. Rogue was calling me to the library. Lucy must have woken up!

A large smile pulled my cheeks then as I chuckled softly to myself. "Alright I'm coming," I whispered to it. It poked at my foot and made its way out and back toward the library—an obvious sign that it expected me to follow. I shook my head and made my way over to the library as quickly as I could. I walked through the door and saw my children all gathered around the light of our guild watching me with wary gazes.

I watched as Lucy ushered me over with a small smile on her face and Wendy snuggling into her chest. I walked over and sat in an empty chair across from her with a proud grin on my face.

"Glad to know you are awake again, my child," I said. She smiled brightly and nodded in agreement. I noticed the way Laxus was glaring at Rogue every once in a while and made note to talk to him about it again later.

"So Master, I have something I need to share with you and it's going to be extremely upsetting," Lucy said cautiously. I nodded slowly and readjusted myself in preparation of whatever news she was about to give me. "Zeref is on his way here to the guild. He will mask his presence so that no one else will know he is here. But we need to all have a long discussion about some things."

I stared at her for a few moments, watching the sweat bead on her temple, before I blinked owlishly and laughed. "My dear, for a second, it sounded like you said Zeref."

She gave no indication of laughing with me and neither did any of the other people around us. I stared at them all, hoping that one of them would start laughing and say it was a prank. But all she did was tell me that he needs to reconcile with us and explain some things himself and that he and her are connected by something none of us could ever understand.

As I was about to start yelling about everyone losing their minds, Zeref appeared in a cloud of black smoke behind Lucy. He laid a hand on her shoulder and she laid her own over his. Everyone gasped and seemed to be restraining themselves from moving into action. I, on the other hand, was frozen in place because I couldn't believe that the dark wizard Zeref was actually standing in my guild with someone we all held in such high esteem.

"You've got to be kidding me," I whispered. Wendy seemed to be shaking, but all she did was snuggle further into Lucy and grip her waist tightly.

"We are not kidding, Makarov," a gentle, child-like voice said from next to me. A feather seemed to have dropped on my shoulder. But when I looked over, the First was looking at me with a smile and her eyes told me to keep my mouth shut. "This is Zeref. He and I have known each other for a very long time. But not nearly as long as Lucy and him have known each other. Please just listen to them."

I looked back to the two of them in shock, desperately hoping one of them would break the joke. But no one did. Laxus leaned forward to get closer to me and said something about trust. Levy was whispering in my ear about siblings. And Lucy was begging me with her eyes to listen to their story.

"Just hear me out Master," she pleaded. "I swear there is a good reason for all of this." I nodded slowly, as if possessed, and listened to her retelling of her original life before she became Lucy. She told me about her time with Zeref and why she came to us. She explained her memory loss and why Zeref was here with us now. She even laughed when she talked about his crying in the "void between souls," to which Zeref blushed. "All we ask, is that you hear him out. He wants to legitimately apologize for everything. Please."

"Makarov," he said. I switched my attention from Lucy to him as he slowly came around the chairs to stand in between Lucy and myself. She immediately put her hand on his shoulder as a form of protection. "I understand that every reason you hate me for now is warranted and that none of it can just be explained away by my ignorance. I killed people. I tortured others. I don't deserve forgiveness." He then bent to his knees and leaned forward until his forehead touched the ground. "However, I would like to ask for forgiveness and will accept any punishment you deem fit for a wretch such as myself."

I stared in awe at this man begging for forgiveness on my floor. Lucy had tears in her eyes as she rested her hand against his back. Everyone was staring in shock at the scene before them. Like me, I highly doubt any of them expected to see the dark wizard Zeref on his knees begging forgiveness from the master of Fairytail. I had no idea how to feel. This man had killed so many and had done so seemingly without remorse. How could I trust that he was sincere now? Lucy may have been brainwashed by him. His Shadow was inside her head this whole time!

"Master," Lucy whispered. "What do you say? We don't have much time. I must return to my home world and try to save it. Mystogan must have no idea this is happening right under his nose. I need to get back to my original magic so that I can protect our world from being destroyed by greed and a lust for power."

I looked up from Zeref to Lucy with wide eyes. "He will take you from us?"

Lucy shook her head vehemently and put Wendy down. She stepped over to me and got to her knees beside Zeref where he still kneeled. She took one of my hands in hers. Her eyes suddenly held no more of the bright innocence from when I met her. They now carried a deep and sorrowful pain one would only feel after seeing too much in their life. She still held a purity that glowed untouched beneath the surface of that pain, however. She stared at me expectantly, waiting for my answer.

"He isn't taking me, Master. I am leaving with him to save our world. It is in much danger. There are not any other beings like Zeref and myself who can help them. I came all the way here when your world was in the same danger, now I must do the same for my own world. I'm sorry. I'm not asking for permission. I am only asking for a chance for Zeref to prove himself. He has been stupid and misguided for a long time, I'll concede to that. But now he wants to redeem himself and do something good with his magic. Please allow him that much." Her voice trembled as she begged me for this chance. I could hardly believe my ears. Tears spilled over her cheeks.

"Master," Laxus rumbled from his seat where had been this entire time. "I think this would be a good idea. We have offered a second chance to every previous enemy of Fairytail who showed a sincere desire for it. From what I see, I would say that he fits that profile. I think, under the conditions of his magic being contained and restricted, it would be a good idea to allow him this much."

I stared at Laxus's surprising display of humility and generosity in confusion before turning my eyes back to the siblings in front of me. Wow that felt weird to say. They both seemed sincere in their requests and everyone seemed willing to allow this chance as well. I sighed deeply as I took Lucy's hand again and looked into her eyes.

"We will allow this chance. I will grant him pardon in the eyes of Fairytail. For now. His magic will be contained and he will not be allowed to use it. I will have to report this to the council and he will have to pay for his crimes there as well as here. Under those conditions I will allow a second chance." Please don't let me regret this.

I watched a smile grace her face once again as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around me tightly, thanking me between sobs. Zeref also stood from his position and gave me a small smile with a deep bow as a show of respect and gratitude. After a few more minutes of Lucy suffocating me, he tapped her shoulder.

"Sister, we must return," he whispered. She nodded and detached herself from me. She stood away from me and joined Zeref's side. She took his hand in hers in what seemed like an attempt at making sure this was all still real.

"Now I guess it's time I inform all of you what is to happen next," she announced to us all. "This is going to be a process so I will need your cooperation."

We all waited in anticipation of how we could help Lucy help her world. I only hope it was not wrong to trust Zeref.

So that's the next chapter. What do you think?