Chapter 2

Lucy's POV

The view was just as amazing the second time as the first. We could see all the way to Crocus and even the very outskirts of other little towns here and there. The farm land looked amazing with the mountains in the distance. I looked at Natsu to see him looking around and I turned my attention back to our client far below. The area was deserted and the closest tree line was several kilometers away still and nothing was seen between here and there.

I sigh, I know that we have to go back down so we can catch up to our client but I just don't want to. I want to lay down and lazily drift to sleep with Natsu by my side. I tried to stifle a yawn but failed as I stretched out laying down.

"LUCE!" came Natsu's shocked scream as he dived for me trying to catch me. Instead I came to rest on what appeared to be an invisible floor. Natsu hit his head while he was trying to rescue me.

"Natsu relax, I'm fine." I pulled him closer to look at the bump on his head relieved to find it was fairly small.

"But the ground?" Natsu kept touching the area next to me finding that it was solid but completely invisible.

"I found out why the area felt so weird to you. It distorts the light making it seem duller at the same time it makes it warmer. Birds can't fly through it so they avoid it and insects respond to the filtered lighting making them quieter." I smile triumphant in my task.

"Plus watch this," I use Aries magic to cover the area with the pink wool effectively making the most comfortable bed ever. "Isn't this great?" I ask sleepily before I start to close my eyes stretched out so I can look down below.

"I'm glad you like it," I heard a deep laugh from behind me. At first I almost jumped until the feeling of my magic resonated within me.

"Hello, I'm Lucy. Did you want to create a contract with me?" I sigh out as I begin to feel my magic drain just slightly, as I roll over.

The deep bellowing laughter that followed was soothing as I stood up from the pink wool bed I had made I stretched out very relaxed still. "Your laugh is very comforting you know?" I tell my invisible guest. Natsu is still in a defensive stance ready to fight if need be. I put my hand on his shoulder and as he relaxed I pushed him over onto the bed I had just left.

The invisible figure started laughing his deep laugh again before releasing his magic allowing me to see the beauty of his feathers and fur and his beak and claws. A Griffin stood tall and proud before me larger than any horse I have ever seen.

"You have beautiful feathers and fur why would you hide them?" I asked him curiously while he watched me. I stepped forward and put out a hand. "May I?" He nodded stepping forward so I could feel his feathers and fur. Without thinking about it I leaned in hugging the griffon like an old friend.

"You have passed my test, not only are you smart and beautiful you are also kind and fierce. I watched your fight a while ago and as you helped those around you even as the fight still raged within you." He dipped his head bowing before me. "I would be happy to offer you my key, but listen well mine is the sin of pride. You would be the first to ever hold it."

We spent several minutes discussing the terms of the contract but I found that he was happy to be called at any time so long as another sin key was not out as well.

"I'm truly surprised you have a dragon by your side. Griffons and Dragons tend to fight, yet with you here I feel only peace. Why is that?" Griffin asked.

"Because she is Luce!" Natsu explained proudly smiling from the cushion I had made.

"Indeed," Griffon laughed some more.

"Could you tell me about the sin keys? I have never heard of them before." I asked him sweetly as I looked up at him in awe, my hands kept migrating to pet his beautiful fur or feathers whenever I wasn't thinking.

He shook his head, "I can only tell you there are seven and that they have never been held by human hands before."

"Thank you, truly. I will take good care of your key." I whisper a little in awe.

"Luce?" I jump a little and look up at Natsu again still sleepy. "Can we sleep up here or will the magic disappear?" He sighed finally settling down where I had knocked him over.

I smile looking back at Griffon. "The magic will not disappear it only requires magic to be created or destroyed, not to maintain itself." His voice although deep sounded so sweet and caring.

"Do you want to join us?" I ask him, motioning towards Natsu and the pink woolen cushion.

"Thank you but no, it's finally time for me to go home now that I found someone worthy of my key. Although it would be better if you had all thirteen zodiac keys. The magic required for my key will take a toll on you, a much larger one than if you had all the zodiacs, so be careful before calling for me." I nodded in agreement before he disappeared back to the Celestial Realm.

I called Loke through his key and told him we would keep watch from up here. Maybe even take a short nap. I laid back down and was growing sleepy again.

"You can sleep up there if you like. I can wake you before we get too far ahead so you can catch up with ease, but I suggest closing Sagittarius' gate to conserve your energy." He answered.

I smile happily at that, "Thanks please do."

"Yes princess," Loke earned himself another frown from me, not that he could see me.

I pick up Sagittarius key, "I'm going to close your gate now if that's okay." I whisper getting drowser by the moment.

"Of course!" he replied and I closed his gate. I looked down and realized I was still in Aquarius stardress and released that magic as well.

I look at Natsu, "We are good. Loke said he would even wake me up before they got too far away." I stretched yawning again. I could hear my keys he could not, at least not most of the time.

I watch him nod and lay down far too far away for my liking. As beautiful as it was up here it is kind of chilly. I scooted closer to him laying my head on his chest before mumbling, "warm." I felt as I slowly began to nod off cuddled into Natsu's side.

Natsu's POV

Lucy is going to be the death of me. She looks so happy way up here and as she cuddled into me. She is not just laying against me, oh no that I could have understood. She reached over grabbed me and wrapped her arms and legs around me, if I move I would wake her.

The craziest thing of all this is that I like it. No scratch that, I love it. The fact that I am just here makes her happy enough to smile in her sleep like this. The fact that she reached out and grabbed me. I don't think I could be happier at this moment. When I heard her say "warm." Well I don't really know how to take that but whatever.

We had been laying here for a couple hours and I would occasionally look up and over the edge to see our client has not gone very far at all and that everything seemed okay. I was beginning to doze off as well when I realized Lucy wasn't just holding me, I was holding her, just one arm but still.

What has gotten into me? I look down at her sweet face as I relax further. I hear Lucy purring against me. It was so cute and sweet I just wanted to... What did I want? When did she start purring? Has she ever done that before? I like it.

"Natsu," I hear her mumble in her sleep before pressing closer to me. Her soft purrs grew a little louder before calming down again. I could feel my blood pumping like crazy through my veins.

"Yeah, Luce?" I answered her, even though I knew she was asleep. She can say some really interesting things in her sleep. I always like to listen.

"Do you love me?" came her sleepy response. I felt as not only my chest tightened and I looked down. Yep completely hard, I flipped my head back down and tried to take deep breaths.

I pulled her closer and purred my response, "Yes." Then I let sleep steal over me as I held her as close as I dared. I love Lucy. It all makes sense now.

Lucy's POV

"Princess, it's time to wake up now." I hear Loke call out from his key.

"Okay. Natsu, it's time to get up," I mumble snuggling into the fire dragon slayer anyway. He feels so good compared to the chilly evening air.

"Hmm?" was his only response before I felt him start to actually get up. I groan but start to stretch as well. The sun has dipped in the sky and looking down below, I could see our client has made some good progress. If we are lucky we should be able to complete the mission by tomorrow, a full day early. The thought made me frown before I remember what Natsu said about us going on a mission alone and using the mission to take a trip.

I flip back down stretching on the super soft wool. "Aries, you have the softest wool ever," I sighed out loud only to feel her key heat up slightly in both embarrassment and pride. I don't know how I know her emotions but I do, anytime I handle any of my spirits keys I can feel what they want to say or how they feel.

"Time to get down I guess," I hear Natsu groan as he continued to stretch.

I looked down and mumbled to myself, "I wonder if I could make a slide using her wool?"

"Yes! Please at least try." Natsu was super excited now and ready to just jump down. I couldn't help laughing at the thought. But I do it anyway using Aries stardress, I even gave it a bunch of extra padding at the base just in case. When I'm done I look at Natsu give him a little wave just to see his eyes widen in shock as I step over the edge.

The ride was bumpy and not at all like a slide, more like a very fluffy bounce house. I couldn't stop laughing as I bounced and flipped down the 'slide' only to land on the super thick cushion on the bottom. I was in tears from laughing so hard, my giggles must have reached the camp they were setting up but I couldn't get up. The cushion was too thick. I waited for Natsu to join me and when he did I released all the magic making all the pink fluffy wool just disappear.

"Princess, you almost gave me a heart attack! What were you thinking?" came Loke's near panicked voice as I just lay on the ground where I landed after the wool disappeared.

"That was amazing!" I squealed dissolving into another fit of giggles. Yep, I'm not taking this mission seriously at all. I looked up at Natsu, "Should we set up another platform up ahead to keep watch tonight?"

"I'm all fired up!" he laughed as he punched into the air.

"We should check on the client first to make sure they have camp up first," I sigh. Loke offered me a hand at the same time Natsu bent down to pick me up before setting me on my feet. I saw Loke's eyebrows raise up at the sight but left it alone. I enjoyed Natsu's comforting touch too much to point out how weird it was for him to do that.

The three of us run a light jog to catch up to the head of the group just to have the little girl jump out of the wagon at me. It took me a moment to realise what was going on but I caught her. I can not say however that I caught all the words tumbling out of her mouth. I swear she was talking faster than anyone had a right to. At the very end of it I heard her say, "Can I jump onto the pink stuff too?"

I can't help laughing at her. I decide why not? I use Aries stardress to make a cushion for her to jump onto from the wagon after getting permission from her father of course.

"You really didn't have to do that you know," he tells me as we finish setting up their tent motioning to the cushion that the girl was still jumping into.

"I don't mind, after all I did kind of start it." I chuckle to myself remembering my jump from the heavens. "It's amazingly soft wool, She could probably sleep on it in the tent tonight while Natsu and I keep watch up ahead." I motion towards an area I think would be best for us to set up the next post.

"You're not going to stay down here?" the client questioned confused by my words.

I point back to where we were. "We could see Crocus from back there so if we set up ahead we could better defend you. Plus I have my trusty spirits to help stay close so you don't have to worry," I smile trying to reassure him.

He simply nodded looking back to where the last tower had been. "I suppose I can't complain considering how you were able to fight of the last group because of your tower. Just please be safe." I nodded happily before leaving to check the rest of the camp.

When Natsu and I were ready to leave I summoned Sagittarius and Aries to watch over the camp while letting Loke return to the Celestial Realm to rest. Aries put up a big barrier all around the camp and then created a couple of short towers for the two of them to keep watch at. They were only about 3 meters high and used some nearby trees for support unlike my own that went up into the clouds. But they would do well to defend from whereas Natsu and I would have to travel some distance to get back for a fight.

Natsu helped me pick a good place to set up the new post and when we were up above the clouds again I used my new griffon stardress to make a platform for us using his barrier magic.

I looked over at Natsu to see that he was a little green but the moment I touched him he looked better. Why? I summoned Loke to try and explain it.

"Princess, I cannot say that I know." Loke tried to kiss my hand as he bowed but I stepped away in time to summon Griffin. The sharp drain on my magic was almost crippling but I remained strong. Only Natsu seemed to notice me flinching at all.

"Your highness?" Griffon greeted me bowing his head to me. I asked him my question and motioned to the now green again Natsu before I touched him again. Just like last time Natsu seemed fine after I touched his shoulder for just a moment.

"Your highness, he was feeling ill because the air is very thin up here. We are a fair ways higher than before. Don't worry he won't die at worse he would fall asleep until he went back down again where the air is thicker. You are fine because you are closer to the stars and your magic protects you so when you touch him you protect him as well."

Griffon stood tall again when he noticed Loke who was staring in shock at him. Oops I guess I did forget to tell him about my new spirit, "Having said that, it also gets extremely cold up here. You may need to find a way to stay warm in order to stay up here for any length of time."

"So, being up here is making me stronger?" I asked him.

"In short yes," he nodded.

"Long term stronger or just for a little while?" I asked him.

"I cannot pretend to know, I do know that those celestial mages who took to training in the mountains tended to be stronger with better stamina than their counterparts. But you princess are already much stronger than any before you." I nodded, thanking both Loke and Griffon before closing their gates. It is a little confusing Loke calling me princess and Griffon calling me highness, I wonder why Griffon calls me that?

"So we are an awesome team?" Natsu asked like it was a question.

"It's always more fun when we are together," I smile back at him. Natsu and I laid down on some new pink wool and I fell fast asleep because of all the magic I just used, Natsu's arm protectively around my shoulders.