I know... I KNOW. I'm starting another story lol. I really wanted to do one of these fics where I follow the plot of the manga, but change it based off the Au I chose. I wanted to do Victorian because I think there's a lot of cool stuff I can do with it since a lot of the witches in the Victorian era were in a cult, so the dark guilds will actually be cults instead. They believed in demons and a lot of dark shit happened then so I just think I can make it interesting. Plus I don't think anyone has done a Victorian nalu fic like this, but ya know... I've been wrong before so I could be wrong again. The one thing I wanted to change though was magic isn't well known, people don't talk about it and they don't want to believe it. They try to ignore all magic and if they see magic, they think it's cult related. I also wanted Natsu and Lucy to be friends when they were younger, so they have an extra strong bond. We won't get to the start of the manga until a few more chapters. Lucy doesn't know how to use her magic and Natsu hasn't even joined Fairy Tail. I'm aware I made things different right now, but their ages will sync up with the timeline by the time Lucy joins the guild and we get to the beginning of the manga. Have fun!
Lucy ran down the crowded streets in a hurry, gloved fingers tugging up the poofy skirt of her dress, and watching out for any muddy puddles in the street that could dirty her pristine white pinafore. Carriages pulled by horses trotted past her, and venders hollered out about which products they were selling. She could smell fresh bread being sold to maids for their masters, the rich too pompous to buy their own food and other needed essentials. Lucy had managed to get her nanny to allow her to walk herself home from school… She still doesn't know how she managed it, but Lucy was thankful either way. Her nanny taught her everything she needed to know about being a proper lady and all the etiquette Lucy still doesn't really understand. School was so boring and she actually envied the poor. Being rich meant no fun, no time to spend with your parents, and endless amounts of loneliness. Lucy of course always has the people who work at the estate, but she wished her father would pay more attention to her.
Lucy skidded to a halt rather ungracefully when she smelt the scent of fresh candy, and quickly jerked her head around in search of the fudge she was smelling. Her eyes stopped at a candy store with pretty looking boxes of chocolate in the window, and she quickly ran inside while pulling her little change purse out of her school bag.
When she walked inside, her nose was greeted with the wonderful scents of fudge, different flavors of drops, and even marshmallows. She pressed her small, gloved hands into the glass and looked at all the jars full of sweets with wide eyes. The man behind the register smiled at her, so Lucy sent one back to be polite and instinctively straightened herself out like she's been taught since she was small. "H-hello, kind sir. May I have some marshmallows and two pieces of fudge please." The man smiled at her again as Lucy moved her way over to the counter and reached her small hands up so she could just barely see over the ledge.
"How many pounds would you like?"
"Six pieces please."
The man chuckled, but measured her candy out while Lucy slipped a coin up on the counter. Once she got her change back, he handed her the paper bag of candy and wished her a very good day. She slipped her things back in her bag, then ran out of the store again with her hands coming down to clutch at her poofy skirt again. Her little legs ran through the nice part of the city, until it started to thin out and suddenly turned into a forest. She ran through the trees, making sure her dress didn't catch on any twigs and rip the soft fabric. Lucy couldn't help but giggle out loud because she never had any room for playing in her strict schedule so she couldn't control the unladylike skip in her step. Once she got to their designated meeting place, which was an old oak tree, Lucy looked around hurriedly, and huffed when she noticed he wasn't here yet. She got comfortable in the grass, making sure her dress didn't come up to show anything that a proper lady shouldn't show.
"He is late." Lucy pouted down at her lap and tapped her gloved finger impatiently. "And to think I bought him candy."
The levees of the tree suddenly shook, and she looked looked up to find her friend dangling down from a branch just by his knees. "You brought candy, Luce?!"
Lucy had to bite down a scream, but she did clutch a hand to her pounding heart to try and calm down. "Natsu!"
He grinned that stupid smile of his and climbed down from the tree so he was sitting next to her. She tried to be stern and tell him that he shouldn't go scaring her like that, but the puppy dog eyes he had mustered made Lucy give in. She removed the candy out of her school bag, then pulled out a marshmallow for him to take. She was certainly surprised when he leaned down and ate directly from her fingers. Blushing as his face morphed into a look pure happiness, Lucy patted down her skirt to distract herself, then fumbled with the paper bag full of sweets. His face of enjoyment made her sigh, despite her embarrassment, and she pulled out another marshmallow with trembling fingers.
"Here." She was about to place the marshmallow in his hand, but Lucy paused when she noticed how dirty it was. Natsu worked in a factory like most poor children, and he was always full of ash from his job. He was always rather dirty, but Lucy thought he looked quite cute with messy hair and a dirty face. It made her pout with a little blush, but she still extended her hand out towards his lips, and fought back a squeal when his lips touched her thumb and finger again.
"That's a marshmallow, right?" His cheeks were full with the candy and he had a blinding smile. "I've only ever seen them in the windows before the shopkeeper kicks me out."
"Well… j-just ask and I will buy you any candy you like." Lucy turned her head away and fidgeted with her fingers nervously at what he may say. She was certainly a little shocked when his rough hands came up to grab her by the biceps and pulled her gaze to him.
"I wanna buy you stuff though. I makes me feel unmanly bein the one taken care of all the time."
He made her blush once again but a small smile tugged at her lips and she moved her gloved hand behind his. "I enjoy your company, Natsu. I do not need you to buy me anything."
He still frowned and looked away from her in shame. "How am I supposed ta take care of ya then?"
"Hmm…" she leaned back against the tree with a finger poking at her cheek. All of a sudden, she moved her other index finger up to trace both corners of her lips up into a big smile. "Happiness!" He looked quite shocked and somehow guilty, but Lucy brushed it off and continued promptly. "You make me smile. I am not allowed to show emotions or get excited in conversation, but Natsu let's me be myself and makes me laugh!" His heart looked like it broke in half, and it made Lucy frown. "W-what is wrong?"
"I have to leave soon, Luce… I only came to this town because I thought my dad was here, but it's obvious he wasn't."
"Y-you're leaving?"
His hands were suddenly on her arms again with his breath fanning over her face he was so close. "I'll come back. I don't know when, but I will! I may have not found my dad, but I found something just as important! It's the only reason I've stayed so long." A tear slipped down Lucy's cheek with a baby hiccup, but Natsu quickly brushed it away with his ashy fingers and smiled at her shakily. "Come here every Friday. I won't always come and it may seem like I never will. But I promise I'll come back for you! I promise, Luce!"
"O-okay…" She dug through her school bag again, passing the keys she inherited from her momma and pulling out a handkerchief. Lucy quickly cleaned his face off of the smudged ash on his skin, until he was a lot more clean, but still pretty dirty. "Remember to always take baths, and never skip them no matter how much you may want to. I know you can be mischievous at times and steal when you are desperate, but try not to do it. I know I am not there to apprehend you and watch you, so just stay safe for me. I still am not sure know what you do in the factory, but be carful. You are always covered in ash and I could not bare it if you were to burn yourself or catch on fire." Natsu snorted for some reason, but Lucy ignored him for the most part and whacked him on the side of his skull for good measure. "Pay attention Natsu. It is okay to make friends… I know you are looking for your papa and you can never replace your family, but that does not mean you cannot extend it. You can have your own family with lots of friends. Just be nice."
"Okay…" Natsu sighed like he was annoyed, but Lucy knew he really wasn't. "I promise."
"Good." Lucy then folded up the handkerchief nicely and handed it to Natsu along with the rest of the candy and some coins that could get him some food for a few days. "Do not forget about me, and I will always miss you."
She was suddenly being tugged into his chest and squeezed so hard Lucy thought she would burst. After a moment of adjusting, Lucy relaxed into his warm arms and reached her hand up to bury her fingers in his soft hair.
"I'll never forget about you, and I'll be back." Then he pulled away and shoved what Lucy gave him in his pocket before he ran through the forest and in the opposite direction of town.
She sighed, and leaned back in the tree with a small frown, but forced herself up off the grass and began the walk back to town. Lucy pulled the two golden keys on the ring out of her school bag and smiled down at her friends. "Hello, I know you guys can here me. I promise I'll find a way to get you out… momma never really taught me how to summon you, but I know you are more than just keys unlike what papa says. Natsu left today so now I'm lonely again…" a tear slipped down her cheek and landed on one of her keys, which caused it to glow an almost blinding light. It was like something was trying to come out, but it just couldn't. Or Lucy wasn't powerful enough because as soon as the glowing stopped, she felt exhausted and collapsed on the grass with deep inhales. After a moment of breathing, Lucy looked down at the keys in disbelief and smiled big. "I-I knew it. I knew you were special. I'll figure out how to summon you, and I'll show Natsu when he comes back! I can't wait!"