This is the sequel to "The Strongest One of All", titled "The Risen One". In the years since I've finished "The Strongest One of All", my writing style has changed. I've also matured and experienced truly amazing stories. Looking back at the audience my story garnered inspired me a lot, even though I honestly don't believe I deserved it. Thus, I have decided to thank my readers with the long-awaited sequel that was requested (and denied for about three years).
For those who have read my previous story—thank you so much. Please keep reading—this is sorta a refresher (not only for you but also for me) and I took the chance to explain some stuff and fill in some plot holes while I was at it.
For those who haven't read my previous story—that's ok too. You don't have to, if you don't want to. If you choose not to, though, please be aware that a lot of things are changed from canon. For one, the characters are generally stronger, having undergone intense training and received tutelage under the Dragons which Lucy had summoned from the Dragon Realm. The main cause for this AU is the beautiful Lucy-is-ignored-because-of-Lisanna cliché.
Here's the summary of what happened in my story. Also, if you get confused, please just keep reading. I fill in a lot of stuff while I go…
Lucy left Fairy Tail, received training from the Celestial Dragon, who turns out to be Lucy's mother, Layla, who spent a few decades in the Human Realm in human form. Lucy then becomes essentially an Elemental Dragon Slayer—which includes all Dragon Slayer styles we've seen in canon, meaning Fire, Air, Light, etc. And yes, I'm counting Light/Shadow as Elements. She also learns some other Dragon Magic types, like Space so she can make portals, but there are also a lot of other Dragons, and she mainly wanted to focus on Elements and make her control better. She's not perfect—it took a lot of time, even with the difference in time flow, so she just focused on the 'main' Dragon Magic types. After she learned she would be training for an indeterminable amount of time, she sent the Celestial Spirits away to Yukino, who only had minor spirits at the time, but treated them well. Loke told her about the Celestial Mage who was struggling to be strong enough to join a guild, and kind to her Spirits, so Lucy sent them to her.
Eventually, she returns to the Human Realm under another guise, and starts destroying dark guilds, each time leaving a clear sign of it being her work behind. Along the way, she picks up bits and pieces of other magic (i.e. requip, which is one of her best 'picked up' magic types because she's seen Erza do it a bunch), but she's no expert in them—more of a jack of all trades, master of none, in those magic types. At some point in the seven years before the core FT members come back from Tenrou, she decides to (re)join Fairy Tail. During the 3 months Fairy Tail Team A has to train, they undergo intense training, including freezing water, piranhas, mountains, and boulders (let's leave it at that, shall we? ^^). She also helps Natsu and Wendy become more proficient in Dragon Slayer Magic. When they participate in the Grand Magic Games, she is introduced as Lily Heart, Strongest One of All (at this point, no one knows she is Lucy). Due to her immense strength, she wins a lot more points for Fairy Tail. Someone higher also arranged for her to fight against Jura (which she also won). During the GMG, it is also revealed that she knows Mavis very well—Mavis is actually Lucy's half-older-sister via their mother the Celestial Dragon). She also reveals her identity.
What happened in canon!GMG doesn't happen here. Yeah yeah I know, not canon, but when I wrote the Strongest One of All, the manga hadn't even gotten to the details of the Final Battle—it ended with the revelation of "The Fairy Tactician". So, creative license and all. I made up a different ending.
In the final part of GMG, I left an accidental plot hole—but basically, Rufus knocks everyone out except Fairy Tail (who dodged), Lucy reveals she's actually lightning-resistant (Elemental Dragon Slayer, 'member?), knocks Rufus out, and the guild gets on her case about how secretive and suspicious she's been acting recently. Mavis says she might as well reveal her secrets, so Lucy promises to tell them when they get back to the guild. At the guild, Lucy reveals she's actually Lucy Heartfilia.
She also fights against Master and Gildarts to test/prove her strength to the guild—using the healing abilities gained from Grandine, she is able to heal Gildarts' metal limbs. However, she uses all her power to do it, and basically collapses into a coma/sleep afterwards (see? Not perfect, like I said).
Eventually Lucy also forms a team with Lisanna and Wendy—Lisanna leaves Team Natsu and Juvia joins Team Natsu a while later. Lisanna convinces Lucy to train her and Lucy brings them all to the Dragon Realm, leaving Lisanna in the care of the Nature Dragon. When they return to the Human Realm, Lisanna and Wendy are able to beat Mira and Erza (respectively) and the three enter into the GMG (which they win…).
Lucy learns that the literal children of dragons (possible because dragons can take on human forms) are immortal like dragons and that once they 'die' in the human realm, they can maintain a spirit human form set at a young age (9-12) like Mavis does or a physical dragon form. They also become dragons of something (Mavis is Dragon of Fairies), and can actually die, similar to dragons (just don't 'age' or get sick, etc.). Before the GMG end, all the guilds are attacked by dark guilds and mages. Lucy knocks them all out and announces to everyone Fairy Tail will be starting an open training camp specifically tailored to make them stronger against the dark mages.
After a year of intense training, everyone returns to civilization (which is mostly consisted of terrified civilians and dark guilds at this point with the light guilds that didn't join them having been pretty much wiped out) much stronger and they start taking down the dark guilds. They meet again in the next GMG, but things go wrong when a new Sabertooth boy fights Lucy and uses highly lethal magic against her, and yells that he has no qualms about destroying her or any about harming the others in the stadium. Furious, Lucy sends him into dark nightmares using Demon Magic (the only spell she ever learned with that magic) and later takes pity on him and sends him into sweet dreams using Angel Magic (the exact opposite). Again, she only knows a few spells with that magic—it's another 'jack of all trades, master of none' thing.
That night in the guild's hotel, Fairy Tail is understandably suspicious—'demon' and 'angel' are relatively unknown magicks since they are so 'divine' that they are possibly harmful to the user's soul. Mira uses Satan Soul Take-Over but that's ok because it's a subset of Take-Over Magic whereas Demon Magic and Angel Magic are their own magic types. After a short confrontation, in which Lucy states that Makarov is not her only Master, Fairy Tail misconstrues her words (a quiet defense that they don't have the right to demand answers) as a hint that she might be spying on them for a dark guild or something—something that is actually partially believable because she's kept many secrets in the past and is very distant from them, due to their past betrayal of her (remember? Forgetting her because of Lisanna and being harsh sometimes?).
Hurt, because they don't trust her and immediately leap to the worst conclusion, she walks out on them with only a "Goodbye Master" which Mavis replies to—because Mavis also counts as her Master (as the First, you know?).
"Goodbye Lucy. We'll see each other again," is the last line of the story—and that is how it ends.
Alright, confession time! I finished everything above here on the 5th but then I couldn't think of what to write, so...:( Sorry! *kowtows* Please forgive me! Anyways, on to the story! Oh, and I don't own Fairy Tail...
Chapter 1
Takara gazed up at the stars on her back, wondering why she felt so lonely, eyes a pale sapphire color in sadness. Arms cushioning her head, she closed her eyes and wondered what her family would be doing right now.
The golden-haired girl had very few memories outside the Dragon Realm, with her earliest memory being waking up to someone she instinctively recognized as family.
"My name is Layla; I am your mother."
She had been filled with love, trust, and confusion at the time, not knowing what in the world was happening.
"You were very hurt when you came home. Hurt in your heart, a hurt I had no way to heal. Your sister Mavis came up with an idea, and my friend Memoria took away your memories for you. I promise I will take care of you from now on, and not let you be hurt again."
She had started anew in everything—body, mind, soul, magic. She had no skills, no instinctive knowledge…all she had was her family—her mother, sister, aunts, uncles—beside her the whole way. But that had been enough for her.
"You…do not have your old body, or your magic. Instead you will have to train to regain them…if you wish to. We will take care of you, my beloved daughter, if you wish it."
As a child, she had been attracted to sparkly things—she had begged the Jewel Dragon, Gem, to teach her. And so she became the Jewel Dragon Slayer.
"Well done," Gem had praised her, smiling gently at her. "You have mastered all I have to teach you," the dragon in human form had ruffled her hair gently. "In only 5 years too! Are you ready to go into the Human Realm now?"
It had been her dream since Mavis told her about the guild she had created in the Human Realm when she had first opened her eyes to a new life.
"Yep!" she had cheered, eyes sparkling in joy. "Thank you so much, Auntie!"
Throwing her arms around her favorite aunt, she had dreamed of what she could do in the Human Realm…and yet here she was, on her back in the middle of nowhere, simply gazing up at the stars.
"I miss you all so much…" she whispered, holding a hand up and reaching for the stars.
Glowing strands of tinted-white blue magic swirled up around her hand and died out after a few moments, leaving behind a handheld mirror made entirely of crystal with emeralds inlaid around the edge. For a moment, she gazed at the product of her magic, then dropped her hand to her side again.
"I don't know what to do anymore…I've been walking for hours already, but I can't sense any humans around whatsoever. I don't know how to get to your guild, Mavis…everything suddenly feels so impossible…"
She tilted her head back, huffed, and closed her eyes.
"Tomorrow," Takara promised to herself. "I'll find Mavis-nee's guild tomorrow…"
End.
Thank you to all my beautiful and encouraging readers! So sorry for the long wait! And for the short chapter; I'm sorta not sure on where this story is going to go, so if anyone has any suggestions for what should happen after the next chapter (in which she meets Fairy Tail), please PM or review.
Um, I'll try to reply to the reviewers if I can, but if I don't get to specifically answer questions, I'm sorry and thank you for reviewing in advance! The best way to contact me if you have questions is via PM, but reviews are fine too.
If anyone is confused: sorry! I'll explain more in the next chapter but here's the general gist of what happens after "Strongest One of All":
Lucy returns to the Dragon Realm, seeking a respite from the hurt that came from her family basically stating they don't trust her; Fairy Tail holds a lot of good memories for her and she's pretty much just gotten over their past betrayal. Having trusted in them twice and been hurt both times, she's pretty hurt by it, if you get what I mean. Her mother Layla asks Memoria, Dragon of Memories, to wipe Lucy's memories. Since Memoria has a limited power over memories, Lucy's memories are completely erased.
She wakes up as a kid with absolutely no memories (maybe 3 or 4, I don't know), and makes a life from there on, this time becoming the Jewel Dragon Slayer (yep, no Elements anymore, just Jewel). Eventually she becomes talented enough that her mother and aunts and uncles (the Dragons) are willing to fulfill her long-time dream to explore the Human World and see Mavis' guild (she grew up with Mavis by her side). It's been about 5 Dragon years, so about…I don't know, maybe one human year. Let's just say that time flows unpredictably and will change, ne? ^^
Mavis named her 'Takara', which means 'treasure'.
Later on, I plan on her receiving memories or flashes/impressions. She might recover her memories completely…but I'll have to think about it.
A lot of the delay was also because I couldn't think of a proper summary...oops again; sorry!
Thank you everyone! Your support is my heart, I love it!
Please review!
And if you want to flame me, please don't. I'd like to say I'd use them to roast marshmallows, but in all actuality, they're very discouraging, and make me sad…
Once again, everyone, thank you! Sorry this took so long; I hope to write the next chapter soon!
Peace out!
~Amy