In order to save the Dragon Slayers, who died at the hands of Acnologia and Zeref, Lucy is thrust 400 years into the past to set a new future in motion... A sixth Dragon Slayer is born, thanks to a new member of the Zodiac! (Natsu and Erza pairing.) AU - OCC - OC

Disclaimer... I do not own Fairy Tail.

Dragon's Heart - The Legacy

By: The Bay Man

For four hundred years the Eclipse Gate sat waiting for the moment a descendant of Anna would emerge to fulfill the Heartfillia legacy and in the year 777 a young and vibrant Layla filled that roll - seven days later she was dead!...

...But that was another past, another time-line! This time things would be different!

As three battle-weary warriors stood in a clearing on the northern edge of Fiore, Acnologia was further south reigning hell upon the land. The Dragon Slayers fought valiantly but it wasn't enough to turn the tide.

...And so our story begins!

Chapter 1 - "Redo!"

"Are you sure this is the right place Lucy?" The red-headed warrior said as she surveyed the landscape... Off in the distance, low rolling trees glistened under the morning's warm rays and a faint trickle of water could be heard just past the meadow from where they were standing.

Lucy carefully examined the map in her hands and sighed as she tried to get her bearings. Up until this clearing, she was sure they were on the right path. All indicators said that 'this' was the correct spot but she was apprehensive about her map reading abilities at this point and her frustration was starting to show. She drew a deep breath and sighed once more, "...honestly Erza, I'm just not sure anymore!"

"Here!..." Gray groaned as he moved between the two beauties and leaned over Lucy's shoulder to steal a gaze at the old weathered map. "...Let me have a look!"

After a few minutes of studying the map and their surrounding, Gray grinned and pointed to an area just off in the distance where a babbling brook met the golden tree-line. It was a place that was obscure and nearly impossible to see, but thanks to his Demon Slayer abilities he was able to see past the oblivious and see the obvious, otherwise their efforts would have proven fruitless.

"There!" Gray smiled as he pointed to the corner of the meadow. "The cave is over there!"

Both Erza and Lucy strained to see what Gray had quickly seen but they both groaned when it became apparent that they could see nothing of interest off in that direction, only trees as far as the eye could see.

"You sure Gray, because I can't see anything!" Lucy said as she again glanced down at the map.

"Trust me... It's there!" He smirked.

"Well then... I will defer to your better judgement!" Erza said as she picked up her back-pack and headed for the tree-line. She was closely followed by Gray and a somewhat confused Celestial Maiden.

As they entered the cave a cold chill crept up Lucy's spine and she shuttered at the thought of what was to come, no, what she knew she had to do... Better yet, must do! She knew she was making the right decision, it was something that she had agonized over for a full year and once she decided to make her move it was another five months of careful planning... And it all culminated with finding the last piece of the puzzle and inside 'this cave' her date with destiny awaited or at least she hoped that would be the case!

Seventeen months ago the battle for Alverez ended with heavy casualties on both sides. Led by the First Master of Fairy Tail, Mavis Vermillion, Zeref and his army were defeated by the forces of Alverez. Her will to protect her guild and it's children gave unprecedented strength to an already exhausted and battle weary group of fighters. They overcame and pushed back Zeref's army but Zeref played his trump card and activated E.N.D... That was when Lucy finally remembered what her mother had taught her about 'the one magic'. It's power, 'the power of love' came with a terrible price but to her it was worth it, as it released Natsu from his shackles and destroyed the Demon E.N.D.. Unfortunately, when Zeref's hold over Natsu ended, his curse was also lifted and he passed-on but it was a double-edged sword as Fairy Tail's favorite son, Natsu Dragneel, passed-on as well...

...Without the Fire Dragon Slayer, the four remaining Dragon Slayers were out-matched and lost their battle against Acnologia. They fought bravely, giving every last once of strength that they had but in the end it wasn't enough... They failed and paid the ultimate price, but Lucy had a plan! She planned to change that outcome just as her 'future self' had done during the Grand Magic Games. Deep inside this cave the final piece of her elaborate puzzle lay hidden and she could right the wrongs and give her comrades another chance to change their fates.

"Lucy!..." A loud and extremely excited voice echoed through the cave. "...We found it!" Yelled Erza causing Lucy to sigh for a moment as she gathered her thoughts before running towards the voice that beckoned her. The final piece was within her grasp!

An hour later, the three friends shared a long heart-felt hug. No-one spoke as they just held one-another for what seemed like an eternity, but time was off the essence and finally Lucy broke free of her friends. They all understood the risks and they knew with Acnologia causing havoc, it was only a matter of time before the Chaos Dragon destroyed everything. Fioria's destruction was nearing its end and she had to act fast or there wouldn't be anything left to save.

"Thank you both for everything... I'm going to miss you two so much!" Lucy choked out as she looked from Erza to Gray and then back to Erza again. She could see tears forming in both their eyes and she knew that she had to remain strong or she would soon join them. Over the years they had been on countless adventures but they knew that this would be their last and in some small way it was probably for the best as it had felt odd to the three warriors that there was a piece of them that was missing... Team Natsu without Natsu just never felt right!

"Are you sure you have to do this Lucy?" Erza said as her hands were nervously tracing the hilt of her sword. "...There has to be some other way!"

"No!... I'm afraid this is the only way and if this works like I planned, Natsu and the other Dragon Slayers will be back and... And, so will my mother!" Lucy said as she coyly wiped her tears away before throwing her arms around her dear friend and showing them her best, but obviously faked, smile.

"We understand that Lucy..." Gray said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a black key and gently placed it in Lucy's hand and carefully folded her fingers over it. "...It's just that we wil..." Lucy placed a finger to Gray's mouth and gently smiled.

"I'm not dying you know!..." Lucy nervously exclaimed. "...I'll just be a little older, perhaps a little wiser but very much alive and kicking!... Perhaps with a few decades of training I'll be the one protecting you two instead of the other-way around!" She grinned. 'I'm sorry my friends... I hate having to deceive you but it's for your own good... Forgive me!' Lucy thought as she silently begged for forgiveness.

"There must be some way that you can come back?" Erza cringed at the thought of having to part with the girl who helped her to grow into the confident and out-going person she is today.

"I'm afraid it's a one-way trip!" Lucy reached down and grabbed her bag and gave her friends one last hug before she turned and walked into the dense forest and disappeared from sight.

A faint sound of crying could be heard as two proud Fairy Tail mages embraced one-another as they said their final 'good-byes' to their dear friend...

After several hours of walking Lucy finally reached her destination, a large, lush-green field. Off in the distance the field gave way to a clear blue sky and behind her a dense forest that was framed by dark rolling mountains. With a calm heart and a rejuvenated spirit she moved forward. Slowly at first as she attempted to get her bearings but her pace quickened when she saw the rock pillars off in the distance... It resembled a crude but somewhat elegant stone archway. This, was her destination!

It had taken months of meticulous research to learn the location of the Cronos Gate. Even though it had stood here - proudly for countless eons, the number of people and literature on it and its location was sparse at best. For every hour she spent researching the gate the more she thought the old legend of the 'Gate of Time' was nothing but a myth or perhaps some crazy dream she had. That was until she acquired the last two Zodiac Keys and with it gained access to the Spirit Realm's Vast Archives... And there she found what she had been searching for - the location of the legendary gate.

As Lucy neared the archway she was overwhelmed by its shear size. At over twenty feet tall, she felt small and insignificant in its presence. It took every ounce of courage she had just to stand at its great opening. Intricately carved designs and patterns filled the archway from the pillar on the right up to the top and down the pillar on the left and at her feet was a small raised alter with an opening just large enough to place ones fist in to. Yes!... That was the part that she had been dreading the most!

Throwing caution to the wind, Lucy rifled through her bag and grinned when she pulled out a small four-inch dagger which she keep for emergencies... Well more for protection these days and she needed every edge she could get after the last few years of constant threats from mages, Acnologia and whatever demon of the week that was causing havoc at that time.

As she stared at the blade an image of Erza crossed her mind and Lucy smiled at the thought of her friend which she would never see again but she had already resolved herself to her faith and now she was on the verge of completing her self-appointed task. She took a deep breath and winced as she drew the blade across the palm of her hand... The pain was tolerable as she had been on the receiving end of much worse, many times before. As she watched her blood drip from her hand and fall onto the alter below, she steadied her nerves and with a sudden burst of courage she pushed her fist into the opening of the alter and began to recite the incantation she had committed to memory...

"Cronos, Lord of Time, please hear my plea...

I Lucy Heartfilia request access to travel...

Open your door and let me past...

Cronos! Gate of the time-keeper... I open thee!"

A moment past and nothing happened... "Did I miss somethi..." She thought out-loud but quickly stopped as she noticed the alter start to glow a deep red... A sudden gust of wind blew Lucy back several feet, fortunately the grass was soft and lessened the blow. The sky grew dark and red-sparks danced around the archway. Something was happening and Lucy was starting to think this may not have been such a great idea but she never got a chance to debate the idea with herself as a flash of lightning hit the archway and a red-transparent portal filled its opening.

It glowed and shimmered as a large elderly man walked through. At more than twenty feet tall he was a towering figure but his shoulder-length white hair and long beard put her somewhat at ease as 'he' reminded her of a larger version of her Spirit friend, Crux. He wore brown leather sandals and a white toga with gold accents. 'Regal' came to mind as Lucy looked him up-and-down but of course she should think that, as he was after-all, the God of Time... Cronos!

"Who dares disturb my slumber?" The tall yet dashing old gentleman said with a deep voice.

"I-I..." Lucy stuttered as she stared up at the larger-than-life figure. She wanted to run and hide but there was nowhere to hide, only an open field in every direction.

"Well speak?" Cronos sighed. "I don't have all day!"

...

"I-I..." Lucy took a deep breath and slowly released it as she attempted to calm her nerves. "...I..." She tried to speak again but was quickly interrupted as the angry towering-figure stomped his foot causing the ground to shake.

"YOU ALREADY SAID THAT!" He roared. "Speak or I shall return to my slumber."

"P-Please don-n't go!" Lucy blurted out... Her body trembled as Cronos knelled before her. With his face only inches away from hers he grinned and lightly chuckled at the shaking girl cowering below him.

"So you can talk after-all!?" He crossed his arms in front of his chest and roared. His laughter was loud and boisterous but somewhat soothing to Lucy... It felt comforting and was as if she had heard it before!

"Sorry!... B-But you k-kind of caught me off g-guard!" Lucy shuddered as she fidgeted with the dagger in her hand. Her body felt like it was on fire and every nerve ending was a-blaze as she felt her power quickly drain. This felt eerily familiar, almost the same feeling she would get when she summoned one of her spirits and if it was, then she had to act fast or she would have nothing left for the next stage of her plan...

"What is it you seek?..." Cronos asked the young blonde-mage. "...Remember... You may only use my service once in your lifetime... So choose wisely!" Lucy stared up at the towering figure and with a poor attempt at a smile, nodded her understanding.

Thanks to her mother's diary, Lucy knew the exact date, time and place... "I understand!... Please take me to the year x777, the seventh day of the seventh month at two-thirty in the afternoon... Location - the Heartfilia estate, near the east gate!" She released a slow breath as she attempted to steady her nerves and calm her racing heart.

Cronos closed his eyes and stood still for what seemed like an eternity which caused Lucy to smirk as the thought of Crux came to mind again. 'Perhaps they're related!... That must be it!' She thought but she was quickly bought back to the senses as Cronos began to speak. "Granted!" He said with a deep sigh.

"Thank you!" Lucy bowed her head before slowly returning to her feet.

"I wouldn't be so fast to thank me, young one..." He said with a devilish smile as he turned towards the archway and touched the top causing it to glow a brilliant white. "...You know there is a price to pay for such a journey!"

"I understand... How long do I have?"

Cronos rubbed his chin as he thought long and hard about when he had arrived and in doing so came to the best calculation he could...

"By my calculations... Less than an hour and the trip through the time-gate will take most of that. So you better hurry!" He said as he stepped away from the gate and motioned for the grateful girl to pass. She said a warm thank you and disappeared through the gate.

"Be safe my old friend!" Cronos said as his appearance slowly shifted to that of a more familiar appearance. Gone was the white toga... Now the old man was adorned with gleaming-silver armor and an exaggerated mustache and by his side was his trusted friend Leo. "You know what you must do?" The Spirit King exclaimed.

"Leave it to me... We will save her this time!" Loki said with a small bow before disappearing.

There was no flash of light, no fireworks, no welcoming committee, just a brief moment of confusion and Lucy was now standing in a clearing on the outskirts of her family's property. From her vantage point beside a large oak tree she could clearly see her mother placing keys on the Eclipse Gate. Lucy sighed as she stared at the Aquarius Constellation slot which unfortunately remained empty.

Lucy trembled as she remembered the story Aquarius told her and Brandish about her mother and how she used her own life-force to activate the gate but that was so many years ago... At least to Lucy that was the case, for Layla Heartfilia that would be today.

...But today things would have a different outcome. She could change her mother's fate which bought a smile to Lucy's face and gave her a swelling sense of pride. She'd hope that her mother would be proud of her but unfortunately Layla would never get a chance to know or even understand what was about to happen as she was suddenly knocked unconscious by a rather stealthy pink-haired spirit.

Lucy slowly stood but immediately crashed to the ground as her legs buckled under her own weight... 'Why?' She thought, but that quickly became apparent as she noticed the faint white haze surrounding her body followed by moments where her arms and hands faded - becoming transparent and then returned to normal. It was happening just as she had anticipated... She was slowly fading from this existence and she had to act fast or all her effort would be wasted...

Quickly getting to her feet Lucy sprinted towards the Eclipse gate and her unconscious mother. She wanted desperately to gaze upon her mother's face, to hold her even if for a moment but her body was now phasing back and forth at an alarming rate. She was almost out of time!

"Hime! Punishment!" Virgo said with a faint smile as her eyes never once wavered from her master.

"Heh!... What!... No!... For the last time, NO!... And... Thank you for all your help, I knew I could count on you!" Lucy laughed as she pulled her bag from her shoulder and laid it on the ground. She quickly rummaged through it and pulled out a handful of sealed white envelopes and a brown book. As she thumbed through the letters she laid one by her mother's side and handed the rest to her friend Virgo. "Virgo, please give these to our friends! I'm sorry but I'm afraid I'll have to break our contracts now!... P-Please tell them-m... Thank you and I love you all!"

"Hime!?" Virgo looked away for a moment as she shyly wiped tears from her eyes.

Lucy reached for her keys and pulled out Virgo's key and held it high and chanted. "Force Gate Closure!" Virgo gasped as she disappeared with a burst of light.

With the last of her energy she knelled down in front of her mother and placed a key in her hand and whispered, "please take care of them!... Protect my friends!" With her final task complete, Lucy closed her eyes and slumped forward...

...As she hit the ground a black key tumbled from her pocket. To the untrained eye it looked like any other celestial key but this wasn't any normal key by-any-means, this key was blessed and only meant for her... Next to the key lay a tattered and torn brown-book with the ominous title 'A Fairy's Journey! by Lucy Heartfilia's' and resting next to it, was one last white envelope with two words carefully written in old script... It simply said, 'Zeref Dragneel'!?

"Next chapter "Past: Friends meet!"

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