Seven years ago the dragons disappeared, taking with them the dangers of another dark age. The public are once again safe; magic, demons, and apocalypses now hide beneath the myths and conspiracies of the modern world. Even soul marks, the tattoo that appears at midnight on before a seventeenth birthday, are considered more science then magic.

Many places in Fiore still practise magic in secret, though now the dragons are gone the council keep a close eye on guilds - both to make sure magic stays secret, and in case the guilds need to be called them to arms.

The most destructive of these guilds was Fairy Tail, housing three dragon slayers. Most of their jobs resulted in so much accidental destruction, that it seemed exposing magic to the public would be almost improsible. Only because they were such a strong group of mages did the coucil allow them to continue.

Hidden behind the guise of a pub named 'The Guildhall', Fairy Tail lives in the city of Magnolia, protecting its citizens as dark guilds who've begun to attack naive, non-magic townsfolk.

The longer the dragons are gone, the more powerful the dark guilds become. War is coming.

Chapter 1:
Lucy's Legasy

Dear Mum,

For a Saturday, today was a little stressful.

Granted, Father did actually wait a week before trying another way of dragging me back home. This time it was even legal.

To be honest, after private investigators, and the almost kidnapping, this tactic was kind of tame for him.

He wrote a letter the the headmaster of 'Magnolia's Academy for Young Ladies and Gentlemen' expressing that he wasn't going to be paying any more tuition fees.

Don't worry though; Levy, as always, came to the rescue.

You know I told you about her internship at her Dad's law firm, last summer? Well one of the cases she was working on was for an old landlady here in Magnolia. She had couple of noisy tenants that weren't listening to eviction notices.

One phone call to Levy's Dad and I had a place at a local High School, and the landlady in question was organising a rent agreement for me. Everything was finished by the time the school's chauffeurs came around to pick me up; and trust me, those drivers are pretty dang quick what with the heirs and heiresses lack of patience.

I'll miss the nice food, the library, and Levy most of all, but it'll be nice to actually be out in the real world for a change. I can just imagine Father's face when he hears his only heir is going to graduate from a public high school.

I doubt graduating from the academy would make much of a difference, certainly not where Dad's concerned. He's still convinced I'm going to be a foriegn embassador in the family buisness.

I know how lucky I am to have dodged his latest scheme, but Father's timing is as irritating as ever. Levy and I planned a birthday picnic on the roof of our dorm tonight. We were going to watch the stars until my soul mark appears. Still, when she's finished on the phone to her Dad, I'm sure we'll have a good movie night in my new apartment.

Missing you, as always.
Love,
Lucy.

I set the letter aside, letting the ink dry before I put it in an envelope, where it'd join the rest in the bottom of my chest of draws.

I lent back in my desk chair and stretched, hearing footsteps coming from the other room. I turned in my seat just in time to see Levy pushing the door open, a grin on her face.

"All finished?" I asked.

"Everything's in your name," she replied, skipping over to the new plastic wrapped mattress and sitting down.

I smiled at her, looking around the room, a small knot of guilt tightening as I mumbled,

"I still can't believe your Dad bought all the furniture for this place..."

Levy rolled her eyes.

"Lu, how many times do I have to tell you; it's a small thank you from my Dad for helping with my research over the years. Technically it's also an early birthday present!"

I smiled to myself, feeling glad but still not entirely comfortable with Levy's Dad paying for my new life. I hated when my Father spent money on me, let alone someone else's.

The apartment was small compared with the huge dorm Levy and I had shared, but that made it feel safer - less likely to draw my Father's attention. Strawberry Street was about five minutes from the town centre, and my apartment spanned the top floor of the landlady's flat below.

She was an old woman, and very grouchy, though of course she softened like butter for Levy - most people tended to.

She'd handed over the key after I'd signed a few papers, making it very clear she was giving me the only key, so I couldn't loose it.

I strung it on the necklace I always wore, and it now hung beneath my school dress, sitting beside the ornate gold key my Mum had left me.

Though it looks like a golden key, I hadn't found anything that it opened on the Heartfelia estate. But it was the only thing I was allowed to keep of Mum's after she died, and I kept it round my neck in case my Father tried to get rid of it like the rest of Mum's belongings.

Still, I had a lot of things that were just mine now; my apartment had been filled with brand furniture, either covered in plastic wrap or still adorned with their price tags. There were two sofas and an arm chair out in the small living room, both swaddled in bubble wrap, and set around the fireplace.

Levy's Dad had even splashed out on a television, attached to the wall above a table and chairs, the open kitchenette being too small to have space for eating.

As the kitchen was only seperated from the living room by an archway, the only doors were the door to the staircase that led down to street level, and the door to my bedroom, inside of which was the bathroom just big enough to house a bath. It was adorably cosy, which only made me feel more guilty for taking it.

I fiddled with the two keys on my necklace nervously.

The apartment key was much colder than the gold one, though that always felt warm because it lay against my skin day and night. I haven't taken it off in ten years, and though it was the only thing of hers I owned, I know it was important to her. The maid told me she'd never gone anywhere without it.

I still remember Spetto telling me about it in the bath, trying to comfort me the first time I'd been thrown out of Father's office.

"See those little squiggly lines on the fob," she'd said, pointing to the engraving on the key, "that's the symbol of Aquarius. She's a warrior maiden who can control water."

My vision was a little blurry from crying and I blinked heavily to try and clear it, looking down at the golden key as Spetto wiped a tear off my cheek.

"Aquarius can raise a tsunami," she'd said, "she can shield you from rainstorms, and even stop tears."

"Lu?!" Levy half sung, jolting me out of my revery. She was looking at me cautiously. "You're not still stewing in guilt, are you?"

I sat up, tucking the necklace of keys out of sight,

"No, no...just thinking about tonight." Levy grinned, reached a hand over her shoulder thoughtfully, runing her fingers over the soul mark that had shown up a few months back.

I got to my feet and picked up the elaborate skirts of my Academy uniform pointedly,

"We should probably get changed out of these, I doubt shop keepers would give jobs to people from the academy."

Levy smirked, doubtlessly envisioning some of our classmates trying to sell groceries.

She walked over to my trunk of clothes, asking,

"Okay if I borrow something?" I snorted,

"Since your Dad just bought my life back, do you really think I'm going to say no?" Levy pouted at me,

"So you're saying you're only nice to me because of my Dad's money...?"

I rolled my eyes at her, got up, and walked over to the trunk of clothes.

Since moving in had taken most of the day, we rushed around town all afternoon, searching for jobs in every store within a mile of my new apartment.

My first choice of job would've been a shop clerk, but every clothing shop, grocery store, and market stall turned me down because I didn't have any experience.

As evening started to draw in, Levy and I resorted to asking for work in bars or kitchens.

Though serving drinks to sleazy men wasn't at the top of my list, I had to pay the rent somehow. The alternative was going home to be married off.

The closest bar to my flat was called 'The Guildhall', and it was pretty livly judging from the sounds of yelling and crashing inside. Levy stopped outside the doors, glancing at me sceptically at the sound of what sounded like chairs splintering.

I felt like I had to at least check the place out, so taking a deep breath, I pushed open one of the double doors.

Walking over the threshold I felt like I'd crossed a barrier, the noise level having skyrocketed so much I hestitated in the doorway, looking around. Though I saw a few people arm wrestling and a small brawl between three men in the corner, the atmosphere seemed friendly, despite being a little intense.

Trying to ignore the looks Levy and I were starting to attract, I set my shoulders back and walked up to the bar, heading for the white haired bar girl currently fixing drinks. Reaching the bar, I waited for her to finish serving, spotting the badge on her red dress - 'Mira Jane'.

Mira Jane pushed a couple of tankards across the bar and turned to me, smiling sweetly,

"What can I get ya?"

I smiled back,

"I was wondering if you had any jobs going at the moment?"

Mira Jane smiled,

"If you've got a soul mark to prove your over 17, I'm sure we could sort some bar work out."

I gave a shaky laugh and lent a little over the bar, lowering my voice,

"Er, I can't really show my mark out in public, if you know what I mean..."

The bar maid nodded, and opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a gruff voice to my left,

"Mira Jane, I don't believe Miss Heartfelia is old enough to work behind a bar."

A tiny old man was walking along the top of the bar, smiling down at me as he sat down on the countertop next to Mira. The bar girl raised her eyebrows,

"Do you know this young lady Master Makarov?"

I worked hard to keep a straight face as I heard the old man's title, inwardly praying I wasn't asking for a job in some kind of pimp bar.

I don't think a pimp would wear an orange and blue sweater, socks, and joker hat, but it's not really something I was told about, being brought up on the Heartfelia estate.

"Of course I know her," Makarov said, smiling down at me warmly, "she looks more like her Mother now then she did when she was a baby."

The man looked me up and down, a frown creasing his forehead,

"I confess however, I'm a little confused why you've strung Aquarius' gate key on a necklace."

I stared at Makarov, wondering how the heck he could know what the key symbolised. Father had always maintained that the Heartfelia's are friends with only the most prestigious families in Fiore. Mum had one close friend in the city, sure, but I found it hard to believe that friend was Makarov.

Makarov continued to stare at Aquarius' key, and I clasped it reflexivly, hiding it from view as I said,

"It doesn't unlock anything."

Makarov frowned at me,

"Of course it does. How else would you summon your celestial spirits without opening their gates?!"

Oh...so he's not a pimp...he's just crazy.

Should've picked up on that from the jester's hat.

"I tell you," Makarov said, happy to ramble on while I stood there awkwardly, "I've been Master of Fairy Tail since before Layla Heartfelia joined, but there were very few like her..."

There was a bang from behind me and I turned around, Levy drawing closer to me as the doors of the pub flew open, smashing against the wall as two boys stormed through them.

The one with messy pink hair stomped inside, throwing his school bag onto a table, his white scarf flying out behind him. He turned on the black haired boy, yelling furiously,

"SATURDAY DETENTION IS NOT MY FAULT! YOU JUST STRIPPED DOWN IN THE HALL WAY AND CAME AT ME!"

The black haired boy dropped his bag, pulling off his loose tie and shucking off a school blazer, yelling,

"YOU SET FIRE TO MY LOCKER!"

The black haired boy started unbuttoning he shirt.

"WELL MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE ICED UP ALL MY BOOKS! DO YOU KNOW HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU PUT ALL YOUR SCHOOL BOOKS IN A FREEZER?!"

The dark haired boy threw his shirt on the floor between them,

"YOU ASKING TO GET BEATEN UP AGAIN FLAME-BRAIN?!"

"OH I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY ICE-PRINCESS!"

And before my eyes, pinky's fist was enveloped in a ball of flames. The dark haired boy raised his own fist, his entire hand becoming encased in a boxing glove of ice.

Something large and flesh coloured flew over my head, and before either of the boys could throw a punch they jumped away from each other, the massive flesh coloured thing landing between them.

It took me a second to realise it was a gigantic fist. As I traced the fist back to its owner my mouth fell open in shock.

Fire and ice were one thing, but watching tiny Mr Makarov reel in his fist like a tape measure, making it shrink en route, made my brain freeze.

Makarov didn't seem fazed at all, yelling with a voice much louder than you'd expect from a man so small,

"WILL YOU BRATS STOP FIGHTING FOR ONE SECOND?! I'M TRYING TO WELCOME A NEW GUILD MEMBER!"

The two boys glared at eachother then slumped down on different tables.

The dark haired boy smashed his fist on the table top, shattering his ice punching glove, and sending shards of ice flying through the air. They hit the wall, floor, and several near by pub goers, sparking a sort of pub-wide brawl.

In seconds there were coloured objects, smoke, and flashes of light soaring around the room, not a drop of alcohol spilling as tables were turned over and chairs were sent flying.

Makarov sighed exasperatedly, like it was more trouble than it was worth to stop them now, and instead looked back at me and Levy. He looked a little concered at our shocked expressions, half shouting over the din of fighting,

"I may be wrong, but I'm getting the impression that neither of you are aware Layla was a celestial wizard."

I cleared my throat, half suprised, half impressed to hear myself answer,

"No Mr Makarov. We didn't know."

Makarov asked Mira Jane to try and calm the fighting down, leading Levy and I over to a table in the very corner of the Guildhall.

We were as far away from the fighting as possible, but Makarov still kept half an eye out in case any flying furniture came out way.

Strangely, the first thing he did was give us a warning about not joining the guild. To keep magic secret, all those who didn't belong to a registered guild had their memories wiped by the magic council.

I couldn't imagine many people walking out the door at being told magic was real, but Levy and I had additional reasons to stay. I could practically see Levy's brain working away at all the different aspects of magic she wanted to research, but I was sold on joining purely to hear what Makarov knew about my Mother.

Makarov, though pleased, said he was rather confused about something.

"You can't get into the pub if you haven't known magic." Makarov explained. "One of our members, who specialises in rune and barrier magic, put up a kind of safety net. If anyone who doesn't know magic walks through those doors, they get stuck just inside the door, and the magic council comes to modify their memory. So obviously, you both know magic, but you both seemed confused to see it in action."

Levy looked stunned, glancing at me breifly in confusion - clearly she had no idea how she'd come to 'know' magic.

My story of magic however was revealed by Makarov.

He said that he couldn't blame my Father for hiding it after my Mother passed away. Makarov said he probably did it to protect me from the magical world, as it was such an unsafe world to grow up in.

I didn't buy it. Levy and I were both heiresses to multinational businesses. The world was already an unsafe place. To be honest, having magic to keep you safe seemed a more effective protection then any body guards could ever be. No, my Father must've hidden it to keep me under his thumb.

Makarov told me that the coma my Mother had been found in wasn't random (as the doctors had told us). As a 'celestial mage' her body had been examined by magic council members. They'd concluded that her death was the result of having all her magic drained from her body. How it'd been done, no one was sure.

"But I must ask," Makarov said, leaning forwards importantly, "do you know anything of the location of Layla's other golden keys?"

I shook my head.

"My Father gave me Aquarius' key at her funeral. I guessed he sold the rest."

Makarov's brow furrowed, and he hestiated for a second before saying grimly,

"The reason I'm asking, is that I've had word from another guild that their celestial mage has disappeared. The council is now worried that dark guilds are trying to steal gate keys and their contractors. The fact that you still have your key is comforting, but we should try and keep your whereabouts unknown as far as it is possible.

"I urge the both of you to use all the resources Fairy Tail has to offer to train up, just in case dark guilds come looking for a celestial mage in Magnolia. I'd suggest, as both of you seem new to magic, that you start with the books in our library—"

I could practically feel Levy's excitement

"—but that'll have to wait until tomorrow," Makarov said sterly, "the streets are dangerous at night. I'd feel better if both you got home before dark."

We walked back to Strawberry Street along the river bank, stopping only to pick up some dinner, Levy ranting about her priority topics to research tommorow morning.

I had a feeling she knew I wasn't listening properly, but she seemed content to let me nod occasionally as I fiddled with the gold key around my neck.

When we got back to the flat I padded over to the kitchen, dishing our food up onto plates as Levy went to chain into a pair of my pajamas.

It didn't take long, so by the time I made it into my bedroom, I walked in to see Levy searching for a matching pyjama top in my trunk.

She was wearing a pair of loose shorts and a bra, leaving her white soul mark visible on her left shoulder blade.

It was a rolled up scroll pierced by a nail, and (as soul marks tended to reflect both partners) Levy's mark was one that made you a little apprehensive.

We'd stayed up to watch it appear, and she'd cryed for half an hour afterwards.

"I'm scared Lu." She'd whispered, tears streaming down her face and arms wrapped around her legs. "Who nails a rolled up scroll to something?! you wouldn't be able to read anything without ripping it. And I'm definitely the scroll...so does that mean...my soul mate will..."

She'd broken off crying, and it'd taken a long while to calm her down.

Thankfully, I'd been imaginative enough to say she might meet someone who'd nail her a job in translation.

It was a good enough explanation at the time, but her reaction when soul marks cropped up in conversation showed it was still a touchy subject.

We both knew that finding your soul mate means you're stuck with them; whether that means the friendship of a life time, or a romance worthy of a movie.

Some soul mates were best friends, absolutely nothing more, and certainly nothing to be nervous about. A lot of people never found their soul mate, never met them while they were alive. My parents had married out of love, despite not being soul mates.

Still, it made me wonder; at midnight tonight, when I felt the burning of a soul mark on my skin, would it be the mark of something evil? Abuse could still happen amongst soul mates. It was what Levy was so terrified of.

Levy was waving a hand at me, and I shook my head, zoning back in to see she'd found the appropriate pajama top.

She was looking at me with concern, asking gently,

"Your Mum, or your soul mark?"

"…My Soul mark," I said, smiling a little nervously.

Levy grinned,

"You have got to wake me up and show me, kay?"

I walked over to the trunk, and began to change, promising,

"I'll show you as long as it's not in a really weird place."

I unbuttoned my shorts, letting them fall to my ankles as I took off my top, Levy sniggering behind me.

"Lu, you're literally in your underwear right now. If it's on your butt, I'm not gonna be weirded out that much."

I turned around and threw my top at her, embarrassed but smiling all the same.

We ended up sleeping on the two sofas in the sitting room, using blankets to keep warm while we watched some soul-mark chick flicks.

We were both too tired to take all the plastic off the bed, and it was very easy to fall asleep in the middle of a cheesy rom-com with a stomach full of ice cream.

Despite my nerves, I drifted off not long after Levy, but woke up at exactly midnight with a burning sensation on my right hand. In the dim light from the TV screen I saw a shape darkening on the back of my hand.

Not daring to look away as the mark formed, I reached out with my left hand and grabbed a cushion, throwing it at the sofa opposite.

There was a muffled 'oof' that signalled Levy waking up, and I sat up, saying aloud,

"It's on my hand."

Levy rolled off her sofa and scampered over, sitting down next to me as I held my hand out between us.

The burning began to subside, the skin around the mark glowing a faint pink before all sensation faded.

I was now the proud owner of a wierdly shaped, pink tattoo.

Neither of us spoke for a moment.

"What the heck is that meant to be?" I asked, staring at the back of my hand. "It looks like maybe a heart in the middle there...actually no it doesn't."

Levy pulled my hand closer to her.

"It looks kinda like a warped—" she looked up suddenly, shaking my marked hand, "—Lu what if it's a fairy?!"

I stared at her, then at my hand.

"How the hell is that a fairy?"

Levy pointed at my the mark, running her finger down the straight line,

"These are the legs," she tapped the triangle at the end, "these are the feet."

She traced her finger upwards to the pointed beak-like top, "that's the head, and these," she pointed at two tendrils coming off the shape like flames, "are the wings."

Her finger hovered over the last trendril which is forked at the end,

"If this is a tail..."

I snorted,

"You're telling me fairies have tails?" Levy raised her eyebrows,

"Well what do you think it looks like?"

I opened my mouth, but couldn't think of anything to say, so closed it.

"Lu, if it is a fairy, don't you think it's a bit too much of a co-incidence that we walked into a magical guild named Fairy Tail? A guild your Mum was in before she—"

Levy stopped abruptly, apparently not wanting to mention Mum's death so explicitly first thing on my birthday. She hesitated a second longer, then tried to pick up the same tone of excitement,

"…What I mean is, what if it's a sign your soul mate is in Fairy Tail?"

I frowned slightly, understanding where she was coming from, but still a bit uncertain.

"Maybe my soul mate is gay," I said slowly, "hence the fairy bit? Maybe I'm gay and don't know it?"

Levy didn't look convinced but I pulled my hand away from her, turning both hands palm up to expose my inner wrists.

We both fell silent, watching.

I bit my lip as the two names began burning into my skin, one on the inside of each wrist. They would vanish in a few minutes, so we both had to remember what appeared.

One would be the name of the person most dear to me, and one would be my arch-nemesis - according to legend anyway.

Most people now a days just had a really big fight with someone instead of becoming mortal enemies.

Still, the mystery was pretty cool, not knowing which name belonged to your enemy and which was your 'dearly beloved'. It was also kinda funny when, like Levy, they both said the same name.

I squinted at the name on my right wrist - the shortest one which seemed to have finished writing itself.

Natsu

Levy tried pronouncing it,

"Knat-soo…? Naaa-tsoo?"

I snorted at the attempt but spotting the name on my left wrist, shoved it towards her,

"Try saying that; Ac-nol-ogia? Who the heck calls a kid Acnologia? Sounds like a disease."

"Maybe Acnologia is the worst cold you'll ever have, one that you'll get on your first date with Naafoo—" she checked my wrist, the words beginning to fade, "no, sorry, Natsu...to be honest they're both pretty unique names. Ooo, maybe they're the same person like mine, it's just one is a nickname?"

I shrugged, watching my wrists as the writing faded.

Levy retreated back to her sofa, and I pulled my blanket up to my chin.

I felt a little relieved. At the very least, my soul mark didn't look too ominous.

I lay back on the sofa, raising my right hand to look at my new soul mark.

Visiting a magical guild tomorrow seemed more intimidating now than ever.

So, yo, first chapter, boring as most other first chapters. Thought I'd slip in a small fact in case you found it a waste of time reading it;

Different species of Dolphin babysit each others kids while the parents dive down to hunt. How cute is that!

Hope to see you in the next chapter :D

M