Disclaimer: All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima and only the plot and any other added features are mines. (Unfortunately)
Chapter One: Adventure Begins with A
Sitting on the train thinking back to a week ago when Acnologia was finally defeated and everybody got back to the guild okay, Lucy had a smile on her face as she looked out the window and hoped that everybody understood that she must do this on her own; finding Aquarius's key was something she had to do. Looking down at the broken key that resided on the necklace she kept close to her heart, she started chuckling at the thought of her team finding her very vague note that was almost the exact same as the one that was left to her by her best friend and partner Nastu, explaining that she would be back in one year, whether she found Aquarius's key before then or not. Using this opportunity to train her skills and get new ones without someone looking out for her.
"Punishment Princess?" Virgo said as she randomly popped up next to Lucy.
"No Virgo, no punishment, are my things in the spirit realm?" Lucy conveyed as she looked at Virgo with that familiar loving gaze that only her spirits and Fairy Tail had seen.
"Yes Princess, I have stored everything that you will be needing as well as the books on celestial and star magic that you wanted Crux to look at."
"Thank you, Virgo, you may go now if you wish."
"Then I shall take my leave, Princess."
Smiling at the now empty space Lucy whispered how weird her spirits were before calling out Plu for some company. "Hello Plu." Lucy cooed at the silver keyed spirit.
"Pun, pun." His reply was, still not being able to understand a word he said Lucy wondered if there was a way she could learn to communicate with him and any other spirit with the same type of speech pattern.
"I guess that's something to ask Crux about later then." Lucy thought aloud, Plu looked up at Lucy confused and she shook her head left to right. "Nothing Plu, just thinking of a new skill I could learn." Plu then smiled up at Lucy and started to dance his special dance from his place on her lap. Chuckling at the sight of him wiggling and twirling around, Lucy cooed once again and then stared out the window.
Thinking about the training that Lucy wanted to start she thought that finding a better way to access her keys would be a good start so that they don't get stolen and if they do she could just cut off the link to them and send them back. "Maybe Requip magic, just enough storage space for my keys and any other that I might make a contract with," Lucy whispered to herself as Plu went back to the spirit realm. "Maybe I could create a new way to call upon my spirits as a failsafe, in case my keys do get stolen, instead of requipping them. I'll have to ask Crux about that also." Lucy smiled to herself about all the time she will be spending with Crux and hopes she doesn't inconvenience him in any way. Leaning her head against the window she closed her eyes and drifted off.
Jolting awake as the train stops Lucy looked dazedly out the window to see that the sun was about to set and strained her ears to hear the speaker lacrima. "We are now arriving in Animora Please make your way out in an orderly fashion thank you for riding with us." Lucy got up and took her suitcase from the top luggage compartment and made her way off the train. Walking into the town towards the hill she could see on the other side of town Lucy decided that she would begin her training tonight and go to the local library tomorrow to see if it had anything on celestial magic.
Coming closer to the hill she took a key from her pouch and summoned a spirit. "Open the gate of the sea goat, Capricorn," Lucy called and the space in front of her started to glow and Capricorn appeared before her.
"You summoned me, Lady Lucy?" Capricorn asked her boring with one hand across his chest.
"Yes, I was hoping you could help me meditate on top of that hill over there," Lucy stated pointing in front of her to the hill.
"Of course, Lady Lucy and meditating at night is an excellent way to improve your magical energy, considering how your magic is connected to the stars," Capricorn stated as he walked up the hill with Lucy at his side.
"Yes, I was wondering about that, is there any way for me to concentrate the energy of the stars to somehow power my attacks or to keep out a spirit for longer?" Lucy asked Capricorn as they neared the top of the hill with the stars in clear view.
"There might be a way Lady Lucy but it would only be able to be done at night unless you can somehow attach the energy to something physical and use it to replenish your magic," Capricorn stated looking down at his key holder proudly for thinking of such a strategy.
"Thank you, Capricorn after I get into a workout and research routine I will consider it more," Lucy said, sitting herself down and crossing her legs and resting her hands on her knees.
"Now Lady Lucy I want you to be able to meditate with your eyes open and even during battle, by the time we complete your training this should come easily to you." Capricorn started to explain. "Now close your eyes and imagine your magical container, feel your magic pulsing through your veins and start to expand it, make the pulsing's larger," Capricorn explained to Lucy.
Sweat was starting to drip down her forehead as a faint glow of gold started to form around her. Beginning to glow brighter and brighter more sweat started to drip down Lucy's face and she started to breath deeper. Pushing and pulling her magic in and out of her feeling the way it affected her magical container.
"Now hold it their Lady Lucy. Hold your magic in that place for as long as you can." Lucy faintly heard Capricorn, now it was like she was underwater, no longer able to hear the outside world clearly. Falling deeper into the waves of her magic until she longer could. Lucy gasped and fell back to the floor breathing heavily.
"Well done Lady Lucy, you were able to keep that hold for half an hour." Capricorn appraised her, looking confusedly up at him still from her place on the floor she spluttered up at him.
"What, it was really that long?" Capricorn looked down at her and explained that meditation could sometimes mess with someone's sense of time and that she should ask Horologium for an alarm to be set next time.
Slowly standing up Capricorn helped her back down the hill and then went back to the spirit realm. Walking through the town sluggishly with her suitcase that Capricorn had carried down the hill for her, Lucy looked for a hotel to stay in for the night.
Waking up to sore muscles was not a new thing for Lucy, running after Natsu and Gray at the guild and trying to stop them from destroying everything was something that Lucy use to do daily and the only thing that could help sore muscles was a relaxing bath.
Walking across her hotel room to her suitcase she got out her towel and her clothes for the day. With that on her arm, she walked into the bathroom and started filling up the tub and adding strawberry bubble bath that she found. Lucy summoned Plu to join her and continued with her morning routine.
"Okay Plu I'm off," Lucy called as Plu went back to the spirit realm and she walked towards the town library. Humming as she walked Lucy took note of everything she passed and decided to stop in a bakery on the way for breakfast.
It was a cute little corner bakery called Baking Goods. "Hello dear, how may I help you today?" an old man behind the counter said, he looked frail and had on a black apron.
"Can I please have an apple and cinnamon muffin and a strawberry smoothie if you sell them?" asked Lucy as she smiled at the old man.
"Of course, dear it'll be right out, you're lucky you came today or else you wouldn't have been able to get that smoothie." The old man said kindly before going into the back. Sitting in the chair by the window Lucy grabbed a notebook out of her small backpack and double checked what she wanted to consider today.
"That's a lot of words there dear, are you writing a book.?" The old man appeared with her muffin and smoothie.
"Oh no, well yes but that's not what this is. This is just some things that I want to do in the next year or so." Lucy stated before thanking the man for her breakfast. "How much do I-?" Lucy was interrupted by a crash from the back room and it didn't take her long to run towards the sound.
Lucy saw a young girl maybe a few years younger than her being surrounded by what appeared to be six robbers and she jumped straight into action. "Open, gate of the golden bull Taurus." She called and a gold flash of light appeared before everyone's eyes as Taurus appeared beside her.
"Hello Luuucy, how about a smooch?" called Taurus in his usual drawl while wielding his axe.
"Taurus go for the right, I'll take the left," Lucy stated as she equipped her star dress form. Running towards the left Lucy swung her whip towards the one closest to her and Taurus swinging his axe at the ones on the right. After tying up the first one she punched him in the gut and he fell towards the floor unconscious. The second one started firing the gun in his hands and magic bullets fired out, jumping out of the way quickly Lucy landed close to the man farthest from the door and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying.
Turning around to look at the second man again you could see he was nervous, taking a quick glance at Taurus to see that he only had one left as well and had the upper hand she turned her eyes back to her opponent and cracked her whip against the floor. Slowly taking a step forward then the man started shaking and firing his magic fuelled gun. Now Lucy started running towards him dodging bullets as they flew towards her, coming closer to the man she launched herself at him and punched him straight in the jaw. His head flew back and he landed unconscious on the floor. Turning towards Taurus in time to see him hit his opponent on the head rendering yet another unconscious.
"Nice work Taurus, thanks for your help," Lucy called out to him as he turned towards her smiling.
"Anytime Luuucy, I'll always protect that rocking body of yours." Taurus cried out as Lucy sent him back to the spirit realm to rest. Equipping from her star dress she called for Virgo to tie up the robbers with magic cancelling ropes and waited for the rune knights to take them away.
"Oh, thank you miss, thank you so much." The old man cried as Lucy turned towards him to see him at the door with the young girl from earlier in his arms.
"No problem sir, I was happy to help," Lucy said with a smile on her face.
"No, I have to repay you somehow." The man said.
"It's fine sir, this is my job as a mage from Fairy Tail after all," Lucy said winking at the man and girl before the rune knights showed up and Lucy gave them a full report of what happened.
"Well, Miss Heartfilia it seems that you are not as incompetent as the rest of your guild." One of the knights said as they started taking the robbers away, Lucy sweat dropped after hearing this and went to pick up her belongings and breakfast before walking away.
"Wait, Miss." Lucy turned to see a kid that she hadn't noticed before.
"Yes?" She said leaning down the be eye level with the kid she now realised was a boy.
"Thank you for saving my sister." He said with a big smile on his face. "What's Fairy Tail?" he asked, staring at her confusedly.
"Fairy Tail is a magic guild that mages can join for work that requires magic to do," Lucy said as she looked at the boy. "We never leave a job unfinished, and we always help those who need it." Lucy continued as the boy was still staring at her. "There are many different mages who do all sorts of magic, every mage has strengths and weaknesses but when you're in a guild, people will have strength in the moments when you don't. That's what being in a guild is, in a guild, you will never be alone." Lucy finished as she stood up and started walking away, the boy still staring in awe at Lucy's explanation suddenly snapped out of it and yelled after her.
"Where is Fairy Tail Miss Lucy?"
"Magnolia," Lucy yelled back as she continued walking waving behind her at the boy.
AN: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter guys and tell me what you think. Also, I didn't want this story to be romance based but I would like Lucy to end up with someone, I have put a Poll up on my profile with all the "ships" for you to choose from, if some get many votes I might write another fanfic with them as the ship. Anyway, until I decide for certain who Lucy will end up with or until a ship gets the most votes the poll will stay open until I announce otherwise.
Also, I want to focus on the training for the first few chapters and once Lucy gets into a routine and I state everything that I want her to be able to do/ develop I will get into the search for Aquarius and other gate keys.
Thank you, guys.