DISCLAIMER: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. Shugo Chara! belongs to Peach-Pit.
It's a beautiful morning in dear Magnolia – The big blue spring sky revealed the entire city, full of tall buildings, seeing any rarity of one-stories tall. Multiple groups of kids in black blazers and red skirts or blue shorts swarmed and headed for the epicenter of the city – Fairy Academy, one of the most prestigious and high-attendance schools in Magnolia. The infamous name is known for its unique school environment and potential in all students.
While that may be true, something peculiar ensues in between the empty walkway, used as a shortcut. Two older boys tower over the seemingly, intimidated kid, clenching onto his brown messenger bag.
"Hey, you. Yesterday, I heard some rumors."
"It had to do with a certain game we wanted."
"Uh- er, um…." The young victim acted nervously.
"It's best that you hand it over, Romeo."
A set of footsteps suddenly stop its tracks because of what was in her way. "Could you move over? You're blocking my way." The girl had a sense of defiance and a bit of haughtiness while saying so.
The two boys turn around. "What's up with her?"
Red sleeve band. Red X hair clip. Stylish plaid buckled legwarmers. These statement items this unordinary girl donned meant that she was none other than-
"It's you!" Romeo said in excitement. "She's the new transfer student that I've heard all about! Lucy Heartfilia! She is so cool!" It wasn't surprising to the said girl that she saw stars in his eyes.
"Lucy Heartfilia?!" The scared boys were in unison, reacting intimidated (A/N: ironically), realizing who she was. "Rumors said she took down every player in the basketball team!" "And the schools were feared by her, so the board had to make peace with her!
"WE'RE SO SORRY!" They ran like the wind and were gone in a blink.
The "feared" Lucy shrugs them off. "Geez, who makes up those kinds of gossip anyways?" Romeo thanks her deeply for saving him. But she replies, "You too were blocking the walkway." Before he had a chance to answer, the blonde starts to take her leave. "Be more careful next time."
Just as she turned the corner, Romeo was in awe, and praises, "She's amazing~!"
#
Fairy Academy: Class 1 – Star Class Group. The morning bell rings for fifteen-minute class break. The "celebrity" remains in her seat, acting in her cool manner.
"Lisanna, did you hear about the incident this morning?" Mirajane asks to her younger sister, who was in the Sun Class.
"I actually did, especially about Lucy. She's so cool!"
"There's something about her character that makes her stand out. I love how she styles her uniform!"
"Her father's a wealthy company entrepreneur…"
"AND SHE STANDS UP LIKE A REAL MAN!" Elfman abruptly barges.
Just a few meters away, none other than Lucy overhears the Strauss sibling trio out in the main floor's hallway. Another selfish rumor. I wish they knew that's not really my character. She looks out the tall window on her left, right hand resting on her cheek. She remains in her thoughts for the rest of the break.
#
Lucy Heartfilia's home. The neighborhood is silent except for the neighbor's dog barking.
"YOU! Have a spirit!" The peculiar woman in the TV pointed to the audience, in this case, seemingly talking to Lucy.
"Huh?!" The other, however reacted a bit scared just after switching channels. (In the last hour, the blonde came across a rerun of this "doctor" who didn't look close to one at all. The rerun was none other than angel statues and not blinking.) Lucy came to her composure while Plue sat next to her, shivering.
"Is everything alright, Princess?" A purple haired maid that Lucy calls her 'Virgo' asks this to the Master's daughter. She happened to almost pass by in the main hallway just as when Lucy acted "in distress."
"Y-yeah…" Lucy sweatdrops. As Virgo enters the living room, Lucy asks, "Is there really such thing as 'having a spirit'?"
The TV answered the question for her. "Yes, a guardian angel that's never left your side, always protecting you." The fortune teller lady continues, but Lucy is left unfazed and certainly not convinced, crossing her arms. "I-it's probably just a fake…"
Just as when she was about to switch channels again, Virgo mentions bluntly, "I've heard about this woman before, Princess. She's very familiar." At the meantime, Plue leapt across the coffee table to show his owner the cover of a magazine. With the remote down and the said issue picked up, the latter read "Miss Nobuko: The All-Real, Never-Deceiving Psychic!"
Miss Nobuko was still informing, Lucy being attentive to the TV. "Your companion is your guardian angel that will be always watching over you, protecting who you really are."
"Still sounds fake."
"People that deny them will die."
Lucy reacted a bit shocked. "I-is she talking to me…?"
"I am talking to you."
This is getting weirder by the minute I keep watching!
Virgo observes intently, having a more serious than blunt expression than before. Like as if she knows something more about this.
A frazzled blonde remains in her room, silent, for a few seconds, pondering on what she just watched. "AAAH! What was that, black magic or witchcraft?! Wait, isn't that almost the same thing?! This isn't good!" She was pulling at her hair, and fell backward on her bed.
"On top of that, my outer character exhausted me for the day again…." My outer character, in other words, my other façade. I have more than one side of me. The real Lucy that no one ever sees is truly different. The real me wants to be truthful.
On the first day of transferring to Fairy, Lucy was internally nervous, standing in front of the class.
"Everyone, we have a new student joining us. Her name is Lucy Heartfilia." The homeroom teacher addressed her openly.
Oh no..! What should I say?! What do I do!?
"..Lucy?"
"Oh? Well, nice to meet you." Lucy managed to say so in a calm, cool, and collected manner. The students react amazed.
I can't believe that not knowing what to say misled people's impressions to thinking I'm reckless in a "cool way." Sometimes I would like to wear something cute once in a while… But if I change my personality, nobody could accept the real me. It's amazing that no one's made a rumor that I actually live alone, most of the time. Dad wouldn't even bother to come home early or go to elementary or junior high graduation ceremonies.
"Your companion is your guardian angel that will be always watching over you, protection who you really are." Lucy recalls what Fortune Teller Nobuko said. "Guardian angel…?"
"Lights out, princess." Virgo cracks open the door to let Lucy know, then closes it.
The sliding door leading to her balcony slides open, and Lucy walks out into the cool evening sky. Then, she folds her hands and closes her eyes. To my guardian angel – If you're really out there, and you exist – I'm truly sorry for denying you. Please, if you can, give me strength in showing my true identity, my real self. I want to open the door of my true character.
#
The next morning at Lucy's house.
"I guess I literally did say so…" The blonde bedhead was confused to see what was left under her pillow this morning. Even her disheveled hair matched how confused she was.
"Keys…?" This was one peculiar morning to start the right foot on. "I did ask that I want to open the door of my true self, but that was a metaphor!" She observed the three golden keys. The key on the left had a pink heart sculpted on the bow's center. Another looked similar but had a blue spade; the third had a green clover.
"Gee, I wonder if these keys open to anywhere…"
After getting ready for school, Lucy steps down the double two-in-one stairway for breakfast. She usually disregards her father behind the breakfast table, reading the newspaper. After eating and now tying her shoes at the main door, she decides to ask her maid a question.
"Uh, Virgo, could I ask you something?"
"What'll it be? If it's about your box lunch, it's already in your bag. It's got your favorite today. Your room will be in care by me while you're away. And if you need me to get some things straight with anyone, I could handle it for you."
"Uh… On second thought, never mind. I think I'm going to be late." Lucy was too embarrassed to ask her about the keys due to her offers.
"If you insist." Virgo watches her maiden depart; slowly changing to that almost same expression she had on last night.
#
Lucy had made her way walking to Fairy campus. She sighed; I had no choice but to bring them. The keys hung on her skirt's waistband, peeking under Lucy's untucked blouse.
"Wahh! So cool!"
"They're amazing, as expected of the Guardians!" Two unfamiliar girls were reacting astonished, just as they would when they saw Lucy on the first day. Once she had a questionable expression, they quickly came to Lucy's aid to assist her.
"So, Lucy, you might not know who they are, since you've been new here." The second girl filled her in.
"They're Fairy Tail's Guardians!" The first girl mentioned.
"Why are they called guardians - ?"
" – 'Cause they protect the school from any danger! Plus, together they make up the school's strongest trio!" "They're more than just a student council!" "They truly do act as guardians!"
As if on cue, the said eminent three is already on the move nearby.
"The Queen's chair, Erza Scarlet;"
"The Jack's chair, Natsu Dragneel;"
"The Ace's chair, Gray Fullbuster."
They're really hung up when it comes to talking about people, aren't they? Lucy tiredly sighs.
"The guardians have tea in the Royal Garden's Glasshouse…"
"…And they wear this royal cape!" Lucy begins to notice "Fairy's strongest trio" already on campus grounds. "Aren't they like royalty, Lucy~?" The pair of girls never failed to be in sync and fill each other in. Whoever they were.
"They are actually…" Lucy was about to agree with them, but stopped in her tracks. "Well not really. I would rather think of them as no more than equals to me." As usual, Lucy Heartfilia had put up the walls of her façade and closed herself in by her crossed arms.
The strangers also took attention to Lucy's reaction. "You're so cool, Lucy!"
Students had unknowingly parted (like the Red Sea) an open "runway" for the Guardians, Lucy unbeknownst near the left, facing the building. She suddenly notices a girl with chopped blue hair constantly fiddling with the hem of her red skirt, looking down. The girl was about to run into a Guardian with black spiky hair(Gray). Just as when the said was about to be done, a pink head blocks Lucy's view. "Eh?"
"Say, um, could you be…?" Natsu drags off a question, indecisive of what to say. Their surroundings seem to be interested between the two by murmuring.
The other, however, hadn't lost her demeanor. She threw her bag over her shoulder. "If you don't have anything else to say, I best be on my way, pinky."
"Oooohhh~!" The students respond to the burning comeback while Natsu was disconcerted. "Er, sorry…"
She already started on her way to class. I can't believe I got away with saying that! He has to be the first guy to ever talk to me without any praise or anything along the lines! Idiot! Oh, what'll I do…? She kept her head down as she headed into the building.
Natsu was starting to get hot-headed. "What is up with that blondie…?"
"Don't lose your cool, I could see you burning up in front of those flames of yours." Gray smirked, proud of his comeback. (A/N: Ha. Ha ha ha.)
Erza stopped walking, in between the two boys. "Natsu, that girl…"
"Yeah. She has keys. Three of them."
Gray whistles. "Three? I've seen others with only one or two."
Natsu looks past Erza to get a better look at his opposite. "Do you even know what this means, 'tough guy'?"
Now they were both head-to-head with each other. "Yes I know what this means, hot head, no need to state the obvious!"
"Well maybe if you just – "
"ENOUGH you two!" "Y-yes ma'am!" The Jack and Ace held an intimidated bearing. The Queen signed, but had a positive expression. "That girl has three keys. Looks like the chosen one has arrived.
"Carrying three Guardian keys means she's the one to carry the Celestial Lock as well," Gray explained.
#
A few miles away from Fairy grounds lay a spiky blonde haired boy in a grassy hill area. Who seems to be accompanying him is a maroon cat.
His sense grabbed his attention, hearing a honing sound. "Hmm…? The Mage's Lock…?" He starts to stand up.
"What is it, Sting?" Lector the Cat asks what looked like was concerning him.
"Be right back." Sting made his way to find where his sense is leading him. Immediately after, Lector began to follow.
He was suddenly at the top of the Glasshouse in the small study room. He felt his sense maximizing, leading to the securely padlocked and chained cabinet. "Found you."
By that time, he was already out of the room, leaving the double hinged window and the broken in cabinet open.
Sting Eucliffe had taken possession in the Celestial Lock and Mage's Key.
"We shall commence the Guardians' summer meeting," the Scarlet Queen boomed. "The Ace would like to begin with the recent survey results."
Jeez, was I too rash on him? Lucy didn't consider trying to pay attention to the meeting. It was held in the wide gymnasium, using the proscenium stage. She was seated on the far left edge of the left column. Unlike inside, surprisingly, the school would've been rowdy as ever. Come to think of it, it really has been the first time to talk to a guy like him.
"If there's any suggestion, raise your hand." Gray spoke over Lucy's mind. Oh! I wonder how those two [Gray and Juvia] are –
"Yes, I'm truly sorry about this morning! I really like you, Gray-Sama!" Coincidentally, Juvia had stood up on her feet and raised her hand, at least five rows in front and in the middle away from Lucy.
Gray-Sama!... Gray-Sama!... Gray-Sama!... Everybody was taken aback that they were so silent, seemingly hearing an echo.
... What? Just like Lucy, each person was shocked to hear timid Juvia Lockster confess – with the whole student body on board!
The Ace had almost conceded, but let out an exasperated sigh. He still hadn't let go of his wide grip on the podium, but it had relaxed. "We're in a meeting right now. It would not be a good time to go off topic now."
"Eh?" Lucy heard Juvia say.
"Also… There's another girl I like. I'm really sorry." To Lucy, she knew that Juvia wasn't going to take it well. The rejected girl literally ran out of misery. Lucy follows, running after her just a few meters away. The students loudly murmur.
"Alright, that's enough. If nobody else has anything to say, we can move on." Erza had already taken the focus back to the meeting.
"Erza?"
She covers the mic with her left palm. "Go find her. We can take over from here." Gray nods and runs off.
Lucy ends up at school bounds, looks left and right, choosing the latter. "Juvia?" She shouts aloud. The sky was turning gray and the shadows blended in the concrete. "Where could she have gone?" she continued to run, but slowed down when the sky started to rain slightly. "Aw man, it's really raining?" Once she passed up to a construction site, she heard a voice.
"Please help! Help!" Juvia? The blonde ran into the muddy, empty location. She suddenly stopped her trail, nearly ending up on the edge of the nine-foot deep hole.
"Lucy Heartfilia…? How did you get here?" The shy bluenette was already drenched from head to muddy toes.
"I could say the same about you. I have to help you get out of there!" Lucy backs up, trying to find a way to pull her out. She gives shade over her eyes, trying to find a ladder or rope. Sigh. No luck. Lucy crouches down, reaching her right arm to the other.
"Can you reach?"
She tried to get a hold of her hand. "I can't."
In reaction, Lucy hung her head down with her arm. It's bad enough that I can't be my true self… But being unable to help someone? That's even worse.
"From someone who can't help to someone who can - Character change~!" Her "X" clip was replaced with a heart clip. Glowing, tiny pink wings were unattached by Lucy's ankles and her back. "Hop, skip, jump!"
Once the unfamiliar girl's voice was in command, Lucy flew upward into the rain. "What is this…?! Am I flying?" Naïve to what was really happening; Lucy had to do the one thing that wasn't smart at high heights – Looking down. She realized how far down she was from the ground.
"Is Lucy… Flying..?" Juvia asked herself. Meanwhile, up in the sky, she can see and hear the heroine freak out.
"AAHH!" Lucy was scrambling, trying to reach for something to grab, even though what was in reach was the musty rain and air.
"Get ahold of yourself, Luce!" The voice spoke again. A sphere of glowing and shine appeared, and vanished in place of a floating chibi. The chibi had pink hair, wore a sporty dress, sneakers, and a red heart clip. Everything she wore on her was in different shades of pink. "Hi Lucy! I'm Rin, your chara!"
While her 'chara' chibi talked, she calmed herself down. "Chara…? As in, guardian chara?" Lucy was able to reach for the scaffolding platform in progress. "Phew."
"Yup! That's right! Your would-be self. You prayed to your guardian angel that you wished to 'open the door of your true character'! I was born from that feeling!" Rin was so enthusiastic to tell her reality self this, but didn't suffice.
"There's no way… I can't believe it."
"What's that?" Gray saw something shoot out into the sky, albeit Lucy flying. "They're at the construction site." He continued to run into the said place. But as he made it, he was glad to see her, but had a shaken feeling of who was up in the crossbars with Lucy.
And the latter saw who or what was coming as well. She could only see a shadow behind the thick fog. Once it cleared up a little bit more, it was the spiky blonde boy who seemed to balance easily on the metal planks unlike Lucy. She still remained to hold the vertical beam. How'd he get up here?
"LUCY!" Gray shouted up for her to hear. Fortunately, she did.
"Gray! Save Juvia!" Lucy shouted back down. Interestingly, Gray was able to find his unrequited love.
"Ice make…" A smooth ladder of ice was formed down to the bottom of the hole. "Oh, wow!" The quarry was able to climb up out of the muddy hole. "Thank you so much~!" Juvia had tears of joy that almost made him forfeit. He took off his cape and threw it over her head and back. "It's nothing." The light rain had stopped.
"So," The 'mystery boy' stole Lucy's attention back. "Do you have any keys?" He didn't hesitate to look straight at the drenched blonde. Their faces were – at most – six inches apart from each other.
Rin warns, "Lucy, he wants your keys! Don't give it to him!" Suddenly, yours truly had already reached in her blazer pocket. Lucy was too frantic to even stop him.
"Found. Them." He held the set of gold keys next to his face.
"We got the Celestial Lock AND a set of gold keys. We hit the lottery, Sting! Let's go." Lector puffed up with confidence.
"Alright." They turned around to leave.
If what Rin really said about Guardian Charas is true… It's like stealing a part of me away. "Give them back." Lucy said to herself, a shadow was over her eyes.
The twosome stopped. "Eh? Can't hear yah."
"I said… Give… my…keys… back..!" She was quickly moving on her feet with every word she exclaimed, not slipping.
"What - ?" Lucy reached for her cherished possession and was able to snatch them out of the thief's hands. Unluckily, she was off her only source of balance and was falling.
"She fell." Lector said so simply about it.
Lucy closed her eyes tightly, hoping she could fly again. The Celestial Lock that Sting was originally clutching onto his left hand was suddenly let free out of its own will. It was falling outside of the raptors just above Lucy. It seemed like everything was moving slowly as the Lock connected with her. She managed to grab it in her reach.
"My own heart,
Unlock."
The glowing lock and Heart Key reunite as a shining bright light hones over the new holder.
"She can character transform?!" Gray and Sting were in unanimity from a distance. "Well, she has made it this far," Gray informs. Behind him was a certain female puffing her cheeks.
A bright light was glowing around her as she replaced her school uniform into a different outfit – A pink crop tank revealing her midriff with ruffles as the edge hem, a lengthy red ribbon tied into a bow as a necklace, with a pleated pink skirt. Sneakers and legwarmers were put on.
"Character Transform: Gate of the Heart!"
"Whoa?! What is this?! This is so embarrassing! Anyone in the city could see me like this!" Lucy covers her exposed stomach by curling into a ball in the air.
"Lucy! Believe in yourself! Or else you'll – "Poof! A cloud of sparkles embraced out of Lucy, back into her own uniform. "– Change back." Sadly she was about to drop down again.
"Ice make…!" Gray came in time to save her by forming a tall ice pillar right below her, followed by a clean, sleek curved slab of ice as a slide.
Lucy made her way down safely, and spun around once when she got to the dirt. "Thanks." The tall ice work of art disappears into shattered ice drops as she stood up. He can do ice magic…? Amazing.
"Anytime, Lucy."
"One thing, though…" Lucy sweatdropped, one of the many questions made her flushed and confused. "W-why are you shirtless…?" Juvia was well aware of it, but a cloud of steam poofed out of her head, making her more self-conscious than Lucy.
"Ah well … It's a habit, I guess." Gray scratched his head and laughed nervously. Then his attention turned to the mysterious guy landing on the mobile crane. He managed to come off the building without injury. The sun broke through the gray clouds and shone on him. "Sting Eucliffe!"
"It's been a while." Sting leered and held his forearm up with his fist. A shadow of an enlarged dark dragon arm followed his and swung it toward the threesome.
"Ice shield!" Gray was fast enough to save themselves. He already had his fist on his palm to fight back, but once after the shield was self-demolished, Sting had already vanished. "He's gone?! Seriously?!"
"HEY FREEZE BRAIN!" It didn't take long for already-enraged Gray to know that was. "We need to head back!" Natsu suddenly appeared on cue.
"ALRIGHT! I'm getting there! Geez!" Gray follows, with Juvia trailing him. He mumbles, "So impatient."
"Wait…!" Lucy had a lot of questions, and she knew the right people to ask. "What do I do with this…?" She shows the Lock to the two of them.
After a moment, they pause and say: "Keep it for now." "Yeah, take care of it." The three ran back to the school.
Lucy sighed and slouched forward. "I swear, boys are so simply complex."
"You could say that again!" Rin peered out from behind.
"You're still here?!" She gaped at her chara.
"Of course! Why wouldn't I be? I'm still your guardian character, and always will be."
"Man… You've put me through too much trouble, Rin."
"Hehe~ Anytime!" She circled around her owner.
Sigh. What a pain. But- She holds her ring of keys. I wonder what other charas these will open up to.
A/N: Hello! Thanks for reading the first chapter of Heart, Lock, & Key! Please R&R for any feedback you have. As I wrote this chapter last month I was only up to Episode 109, which means that I have zero idea what Sting is like. If you would like to add what Sting is like in the Reviews, that would be helpful!
Yes, it is a Shugo Chara AU. I thought it was a really good idea to do ^_^