"Well, we'll be bidding farewell from here," Lucy said, lifting the shade and getting off the carriage.
"Hope we don't meet again," Zeref said with a shady smile as he helped Lucy off.
Kouen got off, too and pulled Lucy in for a hug. Zeref widened his eyes in shock and his mouth hung open as Kouen stuck a tongue out at him. A dark and sinister aura came seething out from Zeref as he shook in rage. Before he could say anything, Kouen spoke.
"I'll miss you Lucy," he said with a sad smile. "The next time we meet will be at Alvarez Empire on your wedding day."
Lucy looked at him in the eyes. Her eyes flickered with shock for a moment but soon, she smiled her beautiful smile. "I'm looking forward to seeing you again!" she said happily.
Kouen then turned to Zeref. "Although I don't like you, take good care of her."
Zeref stopped raging and looked solemnly at him as he nodded his head. "I will."
"Until then," Kouen said, bidding them farewell.
He got onto his carriage and the soldiers, maids, and horses began continuing their walk. Koumei was atop his horse. He looked back and waved to Lucy and Zeref with a pleased smile on his face. Lucy and Zeref waved back with a smile. They stood there until Kouen and them were only tiny specks in the distance. The sun was high up in the air and not a single cloud was in the bright blue sky. Lucy turned to Zeref.
"It was fun seeing Kouen and Koumei again," Lucy commented as she and Zeref started walking along the opposite road, going back to where they came from.
"It was pretty fun. During the hundred years since you were gone, we didn't talk that much," Zeref replied with a thoughtful smile.
Lucy glanced at him and smiled. "I wonder how Nagi's doing," Lucy said freely as she stretched and looked up towards the sky. The cool wind blowing.
"I'm sure they're taking good care of him," Zeref said. "You want to do that again? Just like we used to?"
Lucy looked at him with wide eyes but her expression soon broke into a grin. "Of course!"
Zeref smiled, his eyes beaming. He knelt on the ground, offering his back to her. Lucy hopped on and Zeref held her legs, careful not to drop her.
"Let's goooooo!" Lucy yelled, pointing forward.
"Here we goooooo!" Zeref replied back cheerfully as he ran full speed ahead. Their faces full of laughter and excitement as they enjoyed each other's presence.
Meanwhile with the Kou Empire~
Koumei rode in stride with his brother's carriage, glancing at the carriage once in a while, wanting to ask him a question. Finally, Kouen spoke up.
"What is it, Koumei?" he said stoically.
Koumei looked at the carriage only to see the blind still down.
"I was just wondering...was it really okay for Lucy-sama to go just like that? I thought that y-" Koumei began to say until he was cut off by Kouen.
"Her happiness is my happiness," Kouen said, his voice still deep and stern but there was a hint of loneliness in them. "We have business to take care of back at the Empire. Talking about this won't help."
"Y-Yes!" Koumei replied as he began to sort out the stuff that needed to be taken care of once they got back. Kouen, who hadn't budged a single bit, looked down on the carriage floor in deep thought. His mind wandered to the past of their childhood.
Flashback~
Kouen sat in the imperial garden under a tree, studying the stacks of books that were given to him. He was next in line for the throne and as the heir, he had to study the political and economic structure as well as foreign affairs. He was only a little kid.
"Kouen~!" a girl yelled. Kouen glanced up and closed his book, which he rarely did, to welcome the girl.
"What do you want, Lucy?" he asked with a smile.
"Just wondering what you were doing," Lucy said brightly. Her golden long hair blowing in the wind and settling down behind her. She looked at the books. "Politics?"
Kouen nodded. "I have to write a paper on it."
"Politics is easy! You don't need to study so hard on it!" Lucy replied as she took the book from him and set it down on the ground.
"Easy for you to say. I'm not as smart as you," Kouen replied as he picked up the book once again.
Lucy took it from him and set it back down. Kouen narrowed his eyes. "If you keep on scrunching your eyes like that, you're going to have wrinkles," Lucy said.
Kouen looked at her.
"I would have to agree with that," a boy said, coming out from behind and walking up to the two of them.
"Zeref!" Lucy said happily as she saw him.
"Zeref..." Kouen looked at him with contempt. Whenever he came, he would always steal Lucy's attention. He hated him.
"You doing well, Lucy?" Zeref asked, sitting down next to her and patting her on the head.
"Yep!" Lucy replied.
"That's good," Zeref said, smiling. Kouen looked at him irritatingly and kicked him. "What was that for?!"
"Nothing," Kouen said, looking back down at his book. "I just happened to see a really big cockroach on you."
"Is that so," Zeref said evilly.
The two glared at one another. They had just become friends recently. When they had first come to the gates of the Kou Empire, Lucy had been covered with blood as Zeref held her in his arms. Kouen's father instantly let them in upon seeing the two. Kouen knew that they were important people upon seeing the care and attentiveness that he gave towards the two, especially the blonde girl. The three of them had been introduced to one another a few months back and now, they always stuck to one another.
"Zeref-sama!" a maid called out.
Zeref sighed. "Seems like I have to go take care of something again. Invel's probably calling me again."
"Kay~" Lucy replied. She turned back to Kouen. "Hey, Kouen."
"What is it?" Kouen said, continuing to read his book.
"If one day I was to leave this place...this empire...what would you do?" Lucy asked.
Kouen looked up at her and their eyes connected with one another. Her brown eyes full of mystery shimmered. He had expected her words to be a bluff but seeing her eyes, he started looking at her. He set his book aside and grabbed her by the hand, catching her off guard.
"K-Kouen?" Lucy stuttered, surprised at his sudden action.
"You're not going anywhere! I command you so!" Kouen ordered, his eyes wide full of fierceness. He didn't want to let her go. He wanted her to stay by her side.
"Kouen..." Lucy muttered.
"Please..." Kouen said, looking towards the ground. "Don't leave."
Lucy continued to stay silent.
Kouen looked up. "I'll expand the Kou Empire! I'll make this empire the most strongest and most powerful! I'm going to become strong and protect you so don't leave! I want you to stay here!"
Lucy smiled sweetly but at the same time, painfully. "I can't promise it."
Kouen looked at her, his eyes full of sadness and pain. He looked down towards the ground.
"I can't promise you that...but I can promise to stay by your side as long as time allows me, too," Lucy smiled.
Kouen looked at her. Her smile was so bright. He soon broke into a relieved smile.
"I promise I will protect you no matter what."
Lucy looked at him and smiled. "Thanks!"
"Lucy~!" Zeref shouted and soon he came running towards them. "I'm back."
Kouen looked at him with an irritated frown. "You always have to ruin everything, don't you?"
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Zeref retorted as they got into a heated argument with one another as Lucy watched on the sidelines, laughing.
End of Flashback~
Thinking back, Kouen chuckled to himself a little.
"Kouen-niisama?" Koumei said from outside. "Is something the matter?"
"No, it's nothing," Kouen replied, regaining his composure. I wish the two of them good luck. They'll be needing it I think.
With that, the carriage drove on, heading back to the Kou empire and it's glorious imperial palace.
Back at Fiore~
"I'm back, guys!" Lucy said happily as she kicked open the doors.
"Mama!" Nagi immediately yelled as he hurried to her and threw himself at her. "Welcome back!"
"I'm back, Nagi," Lucy replied with a smile. "Were you good this past week?"
"I was!" Nagi exclaimed happily.
"That's good," Lucy smiled.
"You should've seen him this past week," Minerva said sighing. "He was always so glum and just sat there. He wouldn't even pay attention to Lily."
"Is that so?" Lucy asked worriedly.
Lily nodded. "I think he was only lonely without you here."
Nagi blushed and fidgeted as he nodded slightly. "I missed you, Mama."
Lucy blushed and smiled softly at her son. "I missed you, too, Nagi~!"
The two hugged each other tightly. From an outsider's point of view, it seemed as if both of them had wagging tails.
"It's good to see you back," Rogue softly said.
"We haven't seen you in forever!" Sting said as he tackled Lucy from behind.
"Hey, it's only been a week," Lucy said. "Am I that big of a person in this guild?"
"You are!" they all said, as if it was the most obvious thing. "Seeing you back brings us more pleasure than anything else!"
Lucy looked at them surprised. She didn't expect them to think of her as a person that played a huge role in the ground. She only thought of herself as an extension to the guild. A mage that just hung out on the side, just like how she was back in Fairy Tail. The corners of her lips tugged upwards into smile.
"Thank you! I'm glad to be back!" Lucy said laughing as she hugged the guild as they all tackled her to the ground.
"Sabertooth will always welcome you!" they said. "You're irreplaceable!"
Lucy hadn't experienced such joy in a guild for a while now and hearing their words, she couldn't help but tear a little. For the rest of the two years, she wanted to enjoy the time she will spend with them. Although it would be short, they were the first guild that she had ever truly loved from the bottom of her heart.
Fairy Tail~
Meanwhile, back in Fairy Tail in the underground chamber stood a tiny old man.
"The first Master, Mavis Vermilion..." Makarov murmured to himself as he looked at the frozen body of the tiny little girl.
He walked out of the chamber, his shoes clacking on the stone ground as he made his way back upstairs to the rowdy guild.
Mavis lay there frozen.
Lucy...it's almost time...this time, you have to defeat it for sure...