Author's Note: This is word emphasis

- This is sign language-

This is telepathy, thoughts, or internal conversations between previous incarnations

This is dreams

Chapter 1

Year x784, Port of Hargeon:

Lucy looks at the new key she had gotten wearily, why was she still going through the motions, no one cared about her. No one cared if she lived or died save for Umiki. Though she was pissed she got caught under a love charm until the scent of flames, ash, and dragon hit her nostrils. She shakes her head, blinking slowly as she comes out of her daze, following the scent to a pink haired teen around her age wearing a white scarf, and with a darker blue cat than Umiki. Fairy Tail's Dragon Slayer, Salamander. She weaves her way through the enthralled crowd, offering him a hand up.

Onyx eyes look at her in confusion even as their owner accepts the help, " Thanks for helping me up, I'm Natsu. "

Umiki sighs wearily as she makes her way over, " Her name is Lucy and I am Umiki. "

Natsu's onyx eyes take in the light blue cat, " You're a dragon slayer? "

Lucy nods, " You'll have to forgive her, Natsu, Lucy hasn't spoken a word since her mother's funeral, from my understanding Umikana, the one who taught her to be a dragon slayer was more of a favored aunt, her mother dying, Umikana disappearing, and her father taking his grief out on his daughter that grew up to resemble her mother heavily hasn't helped. "

Understanding fills Natsu's eyes immediately while his fingers fly through a certain sequence. Brown eyes widen, " Yes, I do know sign language. "

- Finally, Umiki constantly has to translate for me, it was hard enough getting a new Gate Key at the only magic shop in town.-

" Come on, let's go get some grub. " Natsu says.

While the cats enjoy some fish Lucy, with her order being interpreted by Natsu, gets some water, spaghetti, garlic bread with melted mozzarella cheese, and chocolate chip cookies. Natsu orders the spiciest food he can while carrying on a silent conversation with Lucy. Finding out she wanted to join Fairy Tail was surprising, but then again they were the best guild in all of Fiore after all. He didn't need to ask about her headband, he knew she got it from her dragon like he got his scarf from Igneel. Normally Natsu would never show his true intelligence, but something about Lucy drew him in. Well after they parted ways Umiki practically falls out of the air in her haste to reach him, Natsu catching the exhausted cat, " Bora the Prominence grabbed Lucy when she threatened to bust his little operation wide open. "

Natsu curses under his breath, he had been hoping he wouldn't have to deal with the damned identity thief, " What condition is she in? "

Umiki whimpers, " He used Script Magic, just enough to keep her from fighting back. It was your presence that broke the love charm that she succumbed to because she wasn't expecting it. "

" Fuck. " sums the situation up in his opinion quite well, " Happy, let's go, we have a future guild member to save. "

" I should mention he said something about a boat. " Umiki murmurs, curled up in Natsu's arms.

" I hate transportation. " Natsu snarls under his breath before he flies off with Happy's help.

Lucy meanwhile is gathering her magic to try and bust out of the damned spell the bastard had her under. She manages it just as Natsu busts in. Lucy somersaults over to him, already casting a spell to deal with his motion sickness. Natsu blinks at this before laying down the law with Bora, handing Umiki to her. Lucy is the only human not surprised by the fact that Natsu ate the attack that Bora hurled at him. In her one moment of inattention someone gets entirely too close to her. Lucy reacts on instinct using the Claw of the Water Dragon to send that idiot sailing right past Natsu.

Once they dealt with Bora, which somehow ended up with the idiot hitting a Bell tower, and making the bell gong they race out of Hargeon. Natsu looks at his companion, she was looking a little paler, Umiki was passed out in Lucy's arms while Happy was sitting on his shoulder, " You alright, Luce? "

- Just overdid it busting that damn spell that was on me.-

" Hey, which element are you anyhow, judging by your dragon's name I'd say water, but I don't want to guess wrong. "

- I am a Water Dragon Slayer which was apparently the last straw for my father. He decided to wash his hands of me by marrying me off. I ran away instead, it's not like it was home after mama died.-

Natsu hands her a canteen of water, letting her drink her fill, as a dragon slayer he understood the need to have your element. Thankfully Bora filled up his magic tanks. Lucy hands the canteen back, a little color having returned to her with refueling. Natsu slows their pace once he's sure the army aren't following them though he did make sure to pin the blame on Quatro Cerberus for the damages. He was damned good at shifting the blame to other guilds since he portrayed himself as an idiot no one realized he was in fact capable of such deviousness. It was only when Lucy sways that he stops them for the night, scooping her up, and carrying her off to the side of the road to set up camp.

Generally Lucy would not trust someone so quickly, but Natsu was different. Lucy wasn't sure why she had such a hard time trusting girls her own age. Something about Natsu's personal scent put her at ease. The pink haired fire dragon slayer looks down at the water dragon slayer as he sets her down gently before heading off to get firewood, leaving Happy to watch over their future guild mates. Her scent had hit him hard when she first helped him up in Hargeon, rain, sweet pea, and nighttime when the stars were out full force seemed to make up the majority of her scent. Most people would not relax that quickly around someone. Dragonslayers were different as they went by scent, scent often told more about a person than they wanted known. The way she relaxed as he carried her was very telling. She trusted him, probably by scent alone, though he did wonder what it was that had broken her out of the love charm she'd been caught off guard by.

Love charms were not easy to break, the fact that his presence somehow woke her up...he just wondered whether it was his scent that got through or his magical aura. He also manages to catch a wild pig so they could eat. Once back where he left his travelling companions he quickly gets the campsite set up before skinning the wild pig and roasting it, though he did use a little script magic to make damned sure that no wild animals were attracted to the scent of cooking meat. He was surprised to see that Lucy had gathered some edible roots and wild spices as well. The male dragon slayer looks at his elemental opposite, - How long have you been living off the land, Luce?-

The blonde blinks at the question from her travelling companion,- A couple of months at most. It's easy enough to hunt. I have to save my money to get Gate Keys since I'm also a Celestial Spirit Mage.-

Natsu looks at her more closely, - Why Celestial Mage?-

Lucy sighs silently at this question, - I inherited most of my keys from my mother. In order to protect them I learned how to wield Celestial Spirit Magic as well.-

- How did you deal with my motion sickness anyhow?-

- Umikana taught me healing magic and how to be a dragon slayer. She said most dragon slayers end up having a problem with motion sickness because they go flying with their teachers. Since Sky and Water Dragons are more inclined toward healing rather than violence their dragon slayers don't have that problem.-

- Lucky, there's a reason why I walk everywhere I can. -

- Thanks for coming after me, Natsu.-

- You're a future guildmate and fellow dragon slayer, besides, someone needs to watch your back.-

- True enough, there's never been anyone I've trusted enough for that except for Umiki and my spirits.-

Natsu checks on the pig and rubs a few of the wild spices Lucy had found on it to give it more flavor. He loved being immune to fire, made things like this a lot easier, " Found no one with a trustworthy scent, huh? "

Lucy rolls her eyes, - Not until you, no. Most males are idiots that only think with their hormones though there are three males that are now terrified of blondes with brown eyes.-

Natsu blinks as he looks at her, " They harrassed you at the worst possible time of the month, didn't they? Human females are bad enough hormonal, I'm actually petrified to find out how bad a female dragon slayer is. "

- As long as you don't go announcing that certain time at the guild I'll try to spare you from most of my hormonal wrath.- Lucy signs to him.

" I can agree to that, especially since Erza is absolutely terrifying when she's not hormonal, she's worse when she is. I do not under any circumstances want the wrath of a female dragon slayer while she's hormonal directed my way. "

Happy shudders just thinking about what had happened when Wakaba had made an offhand comment that Erza had to have been on her period when she was extra bitchy. He'd follow his foster father's lead on this. Natsu pissed off was bad enough, Happy did not even want to conceive of their new friend pissed off and hormonal. Once they've all eaten, Umiki being woken up to eat, the cats settle down to rest while the dragon slayers stay up, Natsu pulling Lucy closer to himself. While he knew she was well used to actually sleeping in the wild by now he also knew it would be getting colder at night. He could keep the fire smoldering, but that most likely wouldn't be enough for Lucy.

- What's Fairy Tail like?-

With his voice at a whisper Natsu starts to tell Lucy about her future guildmates, he knew she would need a warning about some of them. Unlike what most of his guildmates thought Natsu was not oblivious to the opposite sex. It's just dragons and dragons slayers were monogamous creatures by nature for the most part. He could look and appreciate feminine beauty, he knew damn well his guild had some of the most attractive girls in all of Fiore, but they weren't for him. Erza and Mirajane outright scared him, Laki was a quiet one and the quiet ones were always the scariest, Evergreen was on a team with that bastard Laxus, and quite frankly a bitch, Bisca was Alzack's, no way in hell would he poach, Cana was scary in her own way...everyone thought he'd end up with Lisanna, but he knew better. Her scent didn't make him sit up and take notice. Natsu was damn well going to take the long way back, all so he could get to know Lucy better.

The pink haired dragon slayer just fucking hoped her past would not come back to bite her in the ass. The sound of her breathing evening out has him stopping his tale of her future guildmates while shifting her just enough she would be comfortable. Her subconsciously snuggling closer to his warmth did not send his protective instincts into overdrive, or so he tried to tell himself. Subconsciously he held her a little closer, not realizing his course had been changed irrevocably when he met Lucy.

Divine Realms:

Lady Destiny sighs in relief when Natsu and Lucy meet, grateful for the fact that she had arranged for Lucy to be trained by the Water Dragon Queen. This meant she would trust Natsu immediately as by scent alone dragon slayers could recognize their mates. Trusting those that weren't Natsu and Happy would take time though. Currently Lady Fate had yet to notice her current moves on the board. She knew it would happen at some point, just like Bitchenity would also notice at some point as well. She just didn't give a damn. Crown Princess Serenity V deserved fucking happiness for once.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Sailor Moon, or any deities that may appear in this story. I also do not own Duo or Heero.