Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima; The lovely Pradesh family, minus Bix, belongs to Desna.
This 'word' means that someone is speaking mentally.
Three Months Later: At the White Sea
Stretching, Lucy watches as Natsu gets chased around the training yard by Cristoff, laughter ringing loudly from the crowd. Happy flies over and rests on the grass next to her feet, munching on a fish. Just as Cristoff tackles him, a loud yell echoes and ice is sent flying at the lunar dragon slayer. Within the blink of an eye, Cristoff has transported Natsu and himself further away, Natsu pressed to his back. Dark blue eyes blown wide, pupils slitted, a snarl on his lips and, his hands glowing with moonlight, Natsu lets loose a growl as well, still behind Cristoff, now just slightly to his left.
Lucy jumps down from the hill calling forth Draco, her own body glowing briefly before showing off Taurus' star dress. Juvia rushing to back her as well, changing the ice on the ground to water for her own use. The crowd had backed up, all on high alert watching two strangers staring wide eyed at the group in front of them. Lucy feels her heart stutter as she meets the gazes of Erza and Grey. Lucifer forces his gate open, wings spread wide as he takes flight to hover over Lucy. Crystal blue eyes slitting in anger as he holds his broadsword in one hand, eyes trained on the two strange mages.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Kaleb's voice roars as he strides over, eyes glowing in fury. "What right do you have to attack one of my mages?!"
"He was attacking one of our friends!" Erza states, head held high. "We were simply defending him."
"What friend would that be?" Kaleb growls, his body still trembling with fury.
"Natsu."
Lucy laughs coldly, her old friends' eyes switching over to her and the group around her. "Natsu was playing around with his mate. Something you would know if you had waited. If he was truly in trouble, don't you think Natsu would have made a bigger mess of the area?" She drops her star dress, Lucifer sheaths his sword and lands beside her. "Don't act all high and mighty like you have a right to come into another guild and defend people that you haven't thought about or cared to check up on in over a year."
"Lucy," Erza states, stepping around Kaleb's towering body. "We didn't know where you were."
"Of course you didn't, you just left me all by myself, right after I lost Aquarius to save you all, right after I lost my family again. You abandoned me for no reason. Grey I can understand. Natsu I have already forgiven and moved on. But you?" Lucy growls stepping closer, eyes flashing. "You have no excuse!"
"Lucy-"
With a roar of pain Lucy lunches herself forward. Erza summons a shield to block Lucy's punch. The shield cracked before splitting in half, showing wide red eyes staring at the blonde. "You were my friend, my sister!" Lucy kicks at her side, the flat of a blade slamming into her shin. "You LEFT me!" Lucy is surrounded in light before Erza is thrown back, slamming into the ground. Lucy is standing in dark blue leather pants, a leather jacket that cinches just under her bust; the back of it hanging down to the back of her knees. A silver shirt hugging close to her body, black leather knee high boots. Her hair pulled back into a long braid, showing off the silver circlet. A rapier hanging at each hip.
"I didn't know!" Erza yells back, summoning two more swords into her hands. "I came back for you!"
"After almost 2 years!" In the blink of an eye, Lucy disappears out of sight before her swords slam into Erza's shortswords. "What happened to Nakama? Was I just not important to you?"
They stay quiet as they trade several more blows, Erza having to call forth new weapons three more times. An hour passes as they keep trading blows. By this time Laxus has shown up, standing next to Christoff and Natsu, watching Grey's face as he sees his old teammates fighting.
They keep going until finally Lucy has Erza pinned with a sword at her throat. Tears streaming down Lucy's cheeks dropping onto Erza's face. "Why?"
"Because I didn't know what to do. So I went where I thought I could figure it out." Lucy falls off of her, sword landing on the ground and body spread out. "What happened?"
"I sacrificed my last connection to my mother, with next to no magic left. All to call forth the spirit king as demons tried to kill me. Then every last one of you left me, one by one then group by group." Lucy whispers letting her star dress fall, hair spread out around her. "If it wasn't for my spirits, no one would have found me. I'm home here and I will not leave my family."
Ignoring Erza's gasp, Lucy stands up and walks to Vander. Who wraps her into his chest, picking her up and allowing her to lock her legs around his waist. Vander glares at the two Fairy Tail mages before stepping into the shadows and out into their room.
Carefully Vander lowers down onto the bed, repositioning Lucy so he can cradle her in his lap. Sliding back against the headboard, he nuzzles her head as his hand rubs slowly up and down her arm. Softly he hums a lullaby, eyes closed.
Twenty minutes later Lucy pulls away slightly, watery brown eyes staring up at him. He smiles down at her taking his hand off her thigh to cup her cheek, she snuggles into his palm eyes fluttering closed. Her whole body sank into him.
"Thank you."
"There is nothing to thank me for."
Lucy reaches up and pulls his face down, connecting their lips. They share a slow cherished kiss, pulling apart with a sigh. Nestling against his chest she closes her eyes again, listening to the humming vibrating through his chest. Slowly they both fall into a deep sleep.
This chapter was edited by Lisa, my lovely mother.
Thank you all for the support you have shown me. I hope y'all enjoyed it! There may be an epilogue chapter later on, but I'm not sure yet.
Y'all take care of yourselves. Stay safe!