I actually had this story down for quite a while on a Word Document, and then I stupidly realized, hey, I could put this on Fanfiction!

So, I guess this'll be my debut into the Fairy Tail fandom!

I apologize for the cliched story name though, I was listening to the song (with a fairy tail amv ;)) while I was typing this and it just stuck, haha...brilliant song, by the way.

Anyways, happy reading!

Disclaimer: I will not even dare to affiliate myself with the almighty Hiro Mashima.

Chapter 1 - The Day I Met You

XXX

Lucy flattened herself against the wall as a bullet whizzed past her cheek. She was breathing heavily, blood seeping from a deep cut above her brow and blinding her left eye. There was a pistol in her hand. She loaded the barrel and cocked it next to her ear, muscles tense. Rain pitter pattered on the gray cobblestones, alternating with her heartbeat. For a few long moments, that was the only sound she heard.

Then Lucy jumped out and fired rapidly, grinding her teeth as pain shot up her injured arm from the backlash. She heard gunshots from the other side, hitting dangerously close to where she stood, but she didn't move. There were multiple shouts of agony. The bullets kept coming. One grazed her right leg and she stumbled, but she didn't stop firing. Finally, the cries ceased and the last man fell. Lucy's chest heaved as she slumped against the wall, her face lifted towards the sky, too exhausted to mind the icy rain stinging her raw and bloody wounds.

But she couldn't stop.

She had to keep moving.

Groaning, she pushed herself off the wall and slowly limped away, the pistol slipping from her hand as her fingers fell slack. It clattered to the ground next to a trail of blood that promptly washed away in the rain.

Natsu frowned as the rain came down in larger torrents. The forecast never said anything about this. Those liars. He put his head on the table dejectedly and sighed a very un-Natsu-like sigh. Wendy, who was sitting across from him, raised her eyebrows.

"I've never seen Natsu-san like this before."

"The punk's always like this on rainy days," Gajeel, next to her, grumbled. "Think it screws around with his fire magic or something."

"Well, that's makes sense," Wendy nodded.

The three were currently in the midst of a dragon slayer outing at the ramen shop a few streets away from the guild. Wendy had proposed it as a way to get closer to each other, being dragon slayers and all, and Gajeel, the only one who refused at first, eventually gave in to the sweet little girl's innocent intentions. Wendy had never fathomed that Natsu's depression would be a hindrance to this get-together, and now she could only smile sympathetically as she watched the salmon-haired boy sigh yet again amidst the sound of the pouring rain.

Suddenly, there was a series of sharp gunshots and the three dragon slayers jumped in their chairs, Gajeel and Natsu hitting their knees painfully against the bottom of the table. The gunshots continued for a few moments, then stopped. The three of them exchanged alarmed glances, and then Wendy and Gajeel looked at Natsu. Obviously they wanted to check out what had happened, but that would mean running out into the rain, and with Natsu's handicap that would be quite the struggle.

But Natsu just shrugged at their questioning stares. His curiosity clearly trumped his sluggishness.

"C'mon, lets go!"

The three mages used their keen dragon noses to follow the scent of gunpowder down the empty streets of Fiore. But what disturbed them the most was the much stronger scent of blood that mingled with it.

Finally they turned into a wide alleyway, the cement sidewalk breaking to cobblestone. And there, crumbled on the ground, was the body of a girl, brutally battered and unconscious. What would have been beautiful golden hair was streaked with dirt and grime and blood. Her face was caked with mud and stained red on the left side; her clothes were ragged and just as filthy.

Wendy gasped in horror and a hand flew to her mouth. Natsu and Gajeel were shocked as well, but they quickly stepped over to the girl, cringing as the repugnant smell of blood filled their sensitive nostrils. Natsu located the girl's wrist and checked her pulse. For a terrifying second he felt nothing, but then it was there, soft and faint but still beating.

"We need to bring her back to the guild," Wendy came over, un-petrified and suddenly down-to-business. "She needs immediate medical attention, or she'll die."

Natsu nodded and carefully lifted the girl, cradling her head and waist, trying not to shake any possibly broken bones. The three then made haste back to the guild. Natsu no longer noticed the rain.

Lucy didn't remember when she fell.

All she knew was that one moment she was still standing, and the next moment her face was pressed against the cold, hard cobblestones. But she didn't have the energy to pick herself up or the consciousness to think straight. All she wanted to do was lay there and sleep. The feeling of the frigid rain on her bare skin no longer registered in her head. She was slipping away, slipping into darkness.

And then there was a sudden fiery touch on her wrist, and she was in the air, her head against something warm and comforting. She instinctively snuggled closer to the heat and let out a little sigh. She couldn't quite grasp what was happening, but for the first time in a long time, she felt safe and protected.

She vaguely wondered why.

Lucy awoke to loud bustling and chattering.

"Oh my god, what happened to that girl?"

"Is she ok? Is she alive?"

"Where did she come from?"

"That's horrible!"

"Who would do such a thing?"

Her eyelids felt heavy, almost as if they were glued together. She tried moving her arm, but only received agonizing pain.

"Wait, guys, please be quiet, I think she's regained consciousness!" A young girl's voice rang out next to her.

The buzzing immediately hushed down to whispers.

"Can you hear me, miss? Are you awake?" Lucy heard the girl speak gently as something soft and damp was pressed against her cheek. A towel.

She tried to nod her head, but wasn't sure if she actually succeeded in doing so. The message apparently got across because the girl continued talking.

"We found you on the streets and brought you back to our guild. Your condition is pretty bad, but I can fix that."

The voice became too distant for Lucy to actually discern any words, but then she felt a sudden soothing warmth on her body. She didn't know exactly what was happening, but it was just like a blanket, lightly enclosing her in a protective cocoon. Her pain decreased considerably, and at the same time she felt incredibly sleepy. Before long, her consciousness left her once again.

The next time Lucy was awakened by a delicious aroma of roast chicken and baked bread. She breathed in the wonderful smell and her stomach grumbled loudly, reminding her that she had not eaten a proper meal in three days. She opened her eyes, squinting at first due to the brightness, then slowly rose from the cushions she had been laying on, surprised that her body only ached dully after all the injuries she had suffered.

"Guys, look, she's awake!" A girl's voice shouted excitedly.

Lucy looked up and suddenly found herself facing dozens of people. She had been lying on a booth at a table, and there were more tables all around, along with a bar to her right. Was she at a tavern or something?

"Are you alright? Do you feel better?" A girl with long blue pigtails came up to her.

Lucy recognized her as the one who had spoken to her before. She looked down at her wounds, only to find that there were none. Her eyes widened. She felt her brow. Nothing.

The blue-pigtailed girl giggled. "I healed you already. I have healing magic. My name is Wendy, what's yours?"

Lucy just stared at her and said nothing. It's not that she was surprised at the magic—she was a mage herself actually—or that she hadn't processed the question, but just that she knew better than to give her name to someone she had just met.

In her current situation it was best to stay mute.

"Now, now, give her some space, Wendy, she's probably overwhelmed," a short, old man pushed his way to the front of the crowd. "Why don't we let her take a nice long shower first before we ask any questions?"

Blue pigtails, apparently named Wendy, gasped and backed away.

"You're right, master!" Then to Lucy, "I'm so sorry!"

Lucy just shook her head and tried for a smile. It came out more strained than she had wanted it to be.

A red-haired woman offered to escort her to the washroom. She seemed to have some sort of authority in this place, seeing as how people parted respectfully for her as she came forward. As they were climbing the steps to the second floor, Lucy just stared at the armor that covered the upper half of the woman's body. At first glance she seemed quite intimidating, but when she turned around, Lucy saw the kindness in her chestnut eyes.

"You can change into these when you're done," the woman handed her some folded clothes. "They're mine, but I think they should fit. You look about the same size as me."

Lucy just nodded and muttered a quiet "Thank you."

The shower was definitely something Lucy needed.

She washed all the grime and blood out of her hair and scrubbed her skin until it was sparkling clean. It had been a while since Lucy had felt so refreshed. The clothes that the red-haired woman had left her were a perfect fit too, beige shorts and a skinny, white V-neck.

She inspected herself in the mirror and was amazed at the flawless job that Wendy had done healing her. Lucy knew about all sorts healing drugs and potions, having taken some herself, but she'd never met a mage with healing powers before.

She made a note to thank the young girl later.

After blow-drying her hair and combing it down, she grabbed her old clothes and descended down stairs to the main floor. She was honestly extremely grateful for what these people had done for her, but in the end, she had to leave. She couldn't stay in one place for too long.

All the mages of Fairy Tail froze as the newcomer came down the stairs.

She had been so grimy and dirty before that they hadn't been able to properly see her face, but now that she had cleaned up, they noticed just how beautiful she was. Her long golden hair flowed over smooth, pale skin, framing a pair of striking amber eyes—she looked almost like an angel.

Natsu found himself staring even though he had a fire chicken kebab right in front of him, and he never looked away from his fire chicken kebabs. She just gave off an aura that attracted people.

When she reached the main level the girl came to the center of the room and bowed.

"I'm sorry for being a burden, but I'll be taking my leave now. Thank you very much for everything you've done."

And with that she turned around and headed out the guild doors. Between being captivated by her beauty and being stunned by her sudden farewell, nobody was in the right mind to go and stop her. The doors shut with a click, deafening amidst the dead silence of the guild.

"Wait, did she just leave?" Natsu gasped, coming to his senses.

"Woah, but she was so pretty," Wendy put her hands on her cheeks. "That surprised me."

"It's quite late though," Erza remarked, glancing at the clock. "Will she be alright?"

Natsu shot up, knocking down his chair with a loud clunk.

"Like hell I'm gonna just let her leave like that!"

Burning with his usual fiery spirit, he charged through the guild doors.

Erza crossed her arms and sighed. That boy really couldn't leave anybody alone. She knew that under his rowdy, destructive image he had a kind and caring heart, and she herself had experienced its warmth many times before. Now she had a feeling that someone else needed it much more.

The rest of the guild watched in silence as Erza headed calmly toward the doors.

Once Natsu saw the girl's golden blonde head, he immediately started shouting.

"Hey blondie!"

The girl halted in her steps.

"You can't just come here half-dead and leave without an explanation!"

The girl turned around and her amber eyes were hard and cold, in startling contrast to the polite demeanor she had had just moments before.

"It's none of your business. Please don't follow me."

Natsu peered at her suspiciously from afar.

"You seem different…did something happen?"

"No," was her blunt response.

He peered some more.

"Well anyways, at least tell me why you were all beaten up."

The girl glared at him.

"Haven't you ever heard of privacy?"

"Well, if someone in Fiore did this to you then it's my business too. Cuz I'm a Fairy Tail mage."

The girl scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Like I care. That's stupid."

"What?"

She sighed in exasperation.

"Look, they have nothing to do with this town, but they will soon if I don't leave now. The longer I stay here, the more dangerous it's gonna be."

Natsu furrowed his brows in confusion.

"I don't get what you're saying. Who's they?"

The girl glared at him some more.

"Do you really think she's going to answer that?" Erza took the words right out of her mouth, suddenly walking up behind Natsu.

"Erza!" Natsu exclaimed, backing away out of habit from the intimidating female mage.

Erza moved toward the blonde girl, never breaking eye contact with her.

"Look, I don't know who you are or what circumstances you're in right now, but we aren't going to just let a girl who was half dead just a few hours ago roam the streets at night, alone."

"Well, unfortunately, that's not something for you to decide," the girl snapped before swiveling on her heel and sprinting off.

"Hey, wait—" Natsu reached out to grab her arm but was pulled back by Erza. He struggled in her grip.

"Erza, let go of me I could've gotten her!"

"Let me take care of this," she replied. "She's not someone you should deal with."

"Huh?"

Erza ran after the girl, catching up easily in a few seconds and grabbing a hold of her arm.

The girl tried unsuccessfully to yank free and whipped around, her amber eyes fierce.

"Listen, I don't think you guys understand. I. Cannot. Stay. I don't know why you're making this so hard for me when you don't even know me, but if you don't let me go, things are gonna get nasty."

Erza arched an eyebrow.

"Is that a challenge?"

The girl shrugged, but a smirk tugged at her lips.

"It might be."

Then she lunged forward and punched the just-caught-up Natsu in the stomach, effectively reducing him to him knees.

"Hey…not fair…owww!"

She ignored him and pulled a roundhouse kick at Erza, but Erza dodged grabbed her leg, flipping her over and pinning her to the ground.

"You might be able to get that idiot, but you can't get me," she returned with a smirk.

The girl snarled and tried to wriggle free, but she had underestimated how weak she had become from her wounds and couldn't break Erza's stone hard grip. She was thus dragged back to the guild yelling.

Lucy was very disappointed in herself.

Not only had she been literally beaten in two seconds flat by another female mage, but she had also failed to leave the place immediately as she had planned and was now stuck here, endangering not only herself but all of these people. Since things turned out like this, it would've been better if she had just escaped after the shower.

But then again, she'd never expected the people here to make such a big fuss over a complete stranger.

Now she found herself with her hands tied behind her back, glaring into the obsidian eyes of the funny-looking pink-haired guy who she had previously socked in the stomach.

And who had also apparently carried her to this place when she was all bloody and dirty and dying.

Lucy hated to think that she was indebted to him. She learned that his name was Natsu after hearing it countless times from the mouths of the other guild members. She also learned that she was in a mage guild named Fairy Tail, and that the female mage that had immobilized her so easily was Erza Scarlet, famed for being one of the strongest mages of all time.

That still didn't excuse how she had been beaten in less than five seconds.

Lucy made a mental note to resume her training ASAP after she got out of this mess.

"So you really won't tell us anything?" the old man—Master Makarov, they called him—crossed his arms and sighed.

"I'm glad you understand," Lucy replied stubbornly.

"Not even your name?" Wendy pouted, her blue pigtails swishing.

"How many times do I have to say no?" Lucy huffed.

Lucy remembered that she was indebted to this little girl too. For healing her wounds and saving her life. And she was also technically indebted to Erza for the clothes. Dammit. This is why she normally didn't accept favors.

"Are you people satisfied now?" She asked loudly. "Can I please go?"

"Why the rush?" Master Makarov shrugged. "At least stay for dinner."

Oh, there were plenty of reasons why Lucy had to rush, like, for example, wanting to stay alive…

…but at the same time, dinner sounded pretty good. Her stomach was literally caving in from lack of nutrition. And that roast chicken and bread was horribly tempting.

"…fine. But just dinner, and then I'm out."

Deep down in the dark recesses of her mind there was a voice telling her that she would definitely regret staying. But at that moment, Lucy could only think of stuffing herself full with delicious food.

She really needed to learn how to get her priorities straight.

Lucy shifted uncomfortably as she speared some lettuce and raised it to her mouth. She tried to ignore the fiery gaze of the boy crouching on the bench next to her. Natsu had been staring at her intently ever since she had sat down to eat, and it was starting to get annoying.

"Can't you just tell us your first name?" he finally said.

"No," Lucy affirmed as she bit into her bread.

"Not even the first letter of your first name?" he questioned again.

"No," Lucy repeated.

"Why not?"

"Because no."

"What about the first letter of your last name?"

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, NO," Lucy stabbed a piece of chicken with her fork and flung it at his face, hitting him right between the eyes.

"Ack!"

"Natsu, stop bothering her," Erza ordered.

"But—she—" Natsu sputtered, motioning to the stain on his face.

"That's not how you treat girls, dude," a shirtless, black-haired mage sitting across the table snickered. This was Gray, who Lucy observed seemed to have some sort of rivalry with Natsu.

Also a stripping fetish.

She decided not to question it.

"Shut up, ice bastard," Natsu scowled.

"You wanna go, flame ass?" Gray smirked.

Their hands started to glow and Lucy observed silently from the side, somewhat anticipating their magic.

And then there was a huge explosion at the front of the guild and Lucy instinctively shot up. Natsu and Gray immediately forgot about their match and craned their necks to see what happened.

Lucy's nose instantly caught the all-too-familiar smell of death and blood.

Shit.

How were they already here?

Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she sprinted to the front of the room and spread out her arms.

"Everyone, get behind me, NOW!"

And that concludes the first chapter!

I do realize this whole Lucy being strong thing is getting reaaalllly repetitive, but it's always tempting to make her more interesting in the fanfics since she is sometimes so frustratingly useless in the anime/manga ( if you know what I mean...)

Please tell me what you think about this story! Reviews and critiques are always appreciated! And no sugarcoating—I want to do whatever I can to improve!

Thanks a bunch!

-momocandy XD

P.S. As for those readers who are currently mad that I posted a new story RIGHT AFTER I gave that long speech about priorities and update speed and stuff, I've already had this story written for quite a while and I also wanted to try something new for a change, so I hope you can forgive me. But I understand if you are still mad because this is irresponsible of me as a writer. I will definitely strive to update my other stories before summer break is over!