Chapter 1 : The Calling

( Lucy's POV )

Where am i?

I feel like i'm floating in mid-air...

.

.

.

Wait...mid-air?

.

.

.

HOLY MAVIS ! I AM IN MID-AIR!

.

.

.

Wait...I'm not falling?

I pried open an eye, to find myself floating above the clouds, the stars shining brightly down on me. I am in a dream? But it feels way too real to be a dream.

"Lucy..."

"Kyaa! W-who's t-there?" I looked left and right, unable to find the source of the voice.

"Find her ,Lucy..."

"F-Find who? Who are you?!"

"Find her, Lucy...FIND HER ..."

With those two words, i gasped as the night sky was suddenly stained with the colour of blood, screams of terror and agony could be heard from below the clouds.

I felt something grab my leg before i was pulled down from the sky, a scream ripped from my throat as i plummeted down, but as the clouds cleared, my scream was instantly replaced with a gasp of horror, covering my mouth as i felt bile rise to my throat.

Magnolia was in flames, what used to be buildings were now nothing but rubble and dust and dead, bloodied bodies littered the ravaged streets.

The young and old.

Dead.

Male and female.

Dead.

Mages and residents.

Dead.

The invisible grip on my foot tightened as i continued my downward journey, swiftly approaching the heart of Magnolia, where the proud Kardia Cathedral once stood, i then heard two screams of anger and grief, one of which tore at my heart.

"LUCY!"

There on-top of the ruins of the cathedral, were 3 shadowed figures, one of the figures was being cradled in the arms of another while the other one was...

Who is that?

No, don't drag me away now!

I need to know who that person is! It feels important!

Once again i was dragged by the invisible hands, this time back into the sky, the last thing i heard before light enveloped me was,

" Find the Gatekeeper Lucy..."

( Normal POV )

Lucy gasped for air as she jolted up from her bed, covered in cold sweat, her fist clenching at the sides her damp blouse.

" W-what was that? Was it a dream? Or a nightmare? But it felt so real." She though to herself while gripping the sides her head with her hands, slowly curling up into a fetal position, breathing deeply to stabilise her pounding heart.

"It's just a dream... It's just a dream... " Lucy said to herself in a mantra, as if trying to convince herself of it, till she slowly started to drift to sleep.

Unknown to her, a certain pink-haired dragon was slayer listening to her entire episode.

The morning sun rose above the clouds, bathing Magnolia in its soft light. Many were still getting out from their beds, getting ready to start their days. All was well, and it was the start of another peaceful day in Magnolia.

" KYAHHHHHHH!"

Till a high pitched scream cut through the peace, well, the peace around a certain apartment on Strawberry Street to be precise.

Having caught herself cuddling with her pink haired in a rather compromising position, Lucy wasted no time shoving Natsu off her bed, the poor dragonslayer landing on the floor with a particularly loud thud.

" Natsu!" She screeched, gathering up her sheets to hide her reddening face, both in embarrassment and in anger, " How many time have i said-"

" Not to sneak in your bed..." Natsu groaned, completing her sentence, " Jeez, Luce, you're too loud in the mornings..."

Lucy huffed, pouting whilst folding her arms, her previous embarrassment forgotten, bringing her legs up and folding them beneath her, "Pfft, still doing it even when you already know it."

Natsu grinned widely, showing off his white canine teeth, " Yeah, cause your bed's just so comfy!"

" Aye..." Happy agreed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, unfurling his wings and drifting lazily over to Lucy's lap, making himself comfortable there, a dreamy look on his face as he said dreamily, " Fish..."

Natsu half-glared at his feline partner, the sly blue furball smirked a little under an innocent facade, purring as he felt Lucy's had stroking his head in soothing motions.

" Little traitor..." Natsu mumbled under his breadth.

" Excuse me?" Lucy said, Natsu flinching under her piercing gaze.

Laughing nervously, he replied, " Ah... Nothing Luce, just wondering what's for breakfast...?"

Natsu felt himself sweat slightly, feeling the intensity of Lucy's glare increasing, before dropping completely, when she simply sighed, pinching he bridge of her nose, muttering incoherently beneath her breadth.

If not for his enhanced hearing he probably would not be able to hear her.

" The idiot... Who does he think... I swear... GAH!"

Both Natsu and Happy jumped at her outburst, Happy rolling off her lap and bouncing onto Natsu's head, the both of them hugging each other in fright under Lucy's glare.

" The both of you..." She said slowly, as slowly as she climbed off her bed, like a hunter stalking its prey, " get tidied up, then i'll make breakfast. Understood?"

The two nodded quickly, squeaking in fright, " A-Aye!"

Their eyes followed her till her bathroom door closed behind her, and they both let out a breadth they didn't know they were holding,

" Morning Lushee is so scary, Natsu."

" Aye." Natsu nodded in agreement.

" And for the last time, it's LUCY, not LUSHEE!" Lucy shouted from the bathroom, making them jump up from their sitting positions, galvanising into action for fear of Morning Lucy's wrath.

" The both of you are such gluttons." The blond giggled, looking at the duo walking down the street with bloated stomachs.

"Cause your cooking is good Luce!" Natsu's hand rubbed his satisfied belly, juggling Happy on his head, who was swimming in a fish coma with swirling eyes.

" Do you think i gave him too much fish?" Lucy patted his head, at that statement, Happy jolted up, looking absolutely horrified,

" There's no such thing as too much fish, how could you utter such blasphemy Lucy?!" Happy grabbed at the spot above his heart dramatically, Lucy rolling her eyes at him.

" Hai hai, your Happy-ness, i shall not speak of it ever again." Lucy mock bowed, Happy tilted his head 'regally', proclaiming,

" You shall be forgiven, commoner, as soon as you present me with a fish!" Finishing with a flourish, that would have look rather impressive if not for the droll dribbling off his chin.

The three of them burst out in laughter, walking the path to the guild together.

" Say, Luce?"

" Mnh?" Lucy hummed, her arms spread out to balance herself on the ledge.

" Last night, what was your nightmare about?" Natsu finally got himself to ask her.

At the mention of the dream, certain scenes flashed through her head, even though she tried her best to push them to the deepest crevices of her brain.

Magnolia in flames.

The young and old.

Male and female.

Mages and residents.

Dead.

It's was till she felt herself slowly fall forward that she realised that she tripped over her own feet during the flashes.

" Eep!"

" Luce!"

A blond blur slipped through his fingers and made a spectacular splash in the canal.

She emerged, spluttering, her legs paddling frantically to keep her afloat,

" Gah!"

" Grab my hand Lucy!"

Lucy wiggled her hand desperately in the air.

" Ya okay Luce?" Natsu reached down, grabbing her outstretched arm and pulling her up with ease, the mentioned blond flopping onto the cobbled road with a splat, her sodden clothes weighing her down.

" You think?" She shook off the water like a cat, her hair going in all sorts of directions, some strands sticking onto her face.

" I see you've finally fell in Lucy-san!" The boatman called out in amusement, his boat sailing down the canal on its usual course. " Are you okay?"

Lucy gave the boatman a reassuring wave, " I'm fine, just... wet.", she admitted embarrassedly, mentally berating herself.

The boatman laughed, waving back to her as his boat continued down the current, " Take care of yourself Lucy-san!"

" I will!" She shouted back.

" Brr." Lucy shivered, grabbing her arms in an attempt to warm herself as she stood up, water dripping from the edges of her clothes, " Let's quickly head to the guild, Natsu, i think i'll just borrow some of Mira-san's old clothes while mine dries."

Natsu scoffed, grabbing her hand and stopping her in her tracks, grinning, " Meh, there's no need for that."

" Huh- Eep!" She squeaked when Natsu pulled her towards him, and hugged her.

" What are you- NATSU!" Flames enveloped both their bodies as Natsu willed it to, drying both their clothes, and he enjoyed the brief moment of their connected bodies before he was shoved away by her flustered hands.

" Are you trying to burn me?" She screeched, " What were you thinking?!"

The pink haired pyro simply grinned cheekily, " Hey, but i didn't right? And it got the job done!", folding his arms proudly.

" Job?! What job- Oh." She stopped herself when she felt her dry clothes, and realising that she wasn't not burned or charred anywhere.

Looking up from her clothes and at him, she said in awe, " Wow Natsu, i never knew you could do that without burning me! Thanks!"

" I-It's no big deal." Natsu rubbed the back of his head and tilted his head away to hide his embarrassment, " I just had the feeling that my fire won't hurt you."

" Let's hurry to the guild, Luce!" He said quickly, walking briskly while dragging her behind him, " If not all the good jobs will be taken!"

Only Happy noticed that they were holding hands the entire time, the blue feline rolled his tongue behind his paw,

" They liiiiiiiiiiiike each other!"

"Flame Brain!"

"Popsicle!"

"Ash for Brains!"

"Pervert!"

"Squinty Eyes!"

"Droopy Eyes!"

"Are the both of you fighting?!"

"NO ERZA!"

"Ara ara~ The boys are so energetic aren't they Lucy? Lucy?" Mira started waving her hands in front of Lucy, who was stirring her milkshake in a robotic motion absent-mindedly.

"Huh? Oh sorry, what did you say again, Mira? I wasn't listening."

"A fairy for your thoughts Lucy?" Mira smiled at Lucy in a motherly manner,

" Nice one Mira." Lucy giggled, grinning at Mira, before frowning again.

Mira put the mug she was wiping on the bar top, looking worriedly at her, leaning forward, she whispered, " Are you still thinking about your recurring dream Lucy?"

" Yeah..." Lucy trailed off, then continued saying, waving it off, " But it's not something you should worry about, it's my problem after all, but thanks anyway Mira."

" But other than that... My rent!" The blond wailed.

Now it was Mira's turn to frown," Didn't you and Team Natsu just finished a mission two days ago?"

Lucy scowled," We DID complete the mission,but most of the reward went to repairing damaged buildings,so i still don't have enough to pay my rent." She sent a death glare in the direction of the two responsible, the said two feeling a shiver zap down their spines forebodingly.

Lucy sighed, going back to stirring her milkshake, "Should i try going for a solo job?"

"Well, a new batch of jobs just came in so maybe you would like to try a simple one that can cover the rest of your rent?" Mira offered.

Lucy seemed to consider it for a moment, and then she stood up, grinning in Mira's direction.

" Thanks Mira, i think i'll go look for a simple one then!"

Making her way to the mission board, she passed Cana, who was already happily drunk in the morning, as well as Levy, who waved happily at her before returning to her book.

As usual, Nab was standing there, looking for a job that only he can do. Lucy looked through the mission board, and all she saw were jobs like 'exterminating a rampaging wyvern' or 'defeating a band of bandits', tapping her chin in thought, she thought to herself.

" Hmm, these seem easy enough..." She then added as a second thought, " But let's continue looking first."

As she neared the last few mission slips, one caught her eye, she immediately snatched it up and looked through the details of the mission, it said:

Experienced mage needed!

Retrieve a rare ore with healing properties from within the mountains of the Land of Isvan

Please approach client Vindrew Aser for more information.

Reward: 100,000 jewels

Required: Preferably magic that can bury through the ground.

" This looks easy enough for me and Virgo!" She took the mission slip and walked over to Mira, smacking the brown slip onto the bar table.

"Mira! I'm taking this job!"

" What's this i hear about a job?" Natsu appeared at Lucy's side in an instant, breaking out from the guild brawl the moment his ears caught Lucy saying the magical word, reaching for the mission slip, " Are we going on a job Luce? Lemme see!"

" Ah ah!" Lucy quickly turned away from him, making sure the slip is out of his grasp, " Not we, me. I'm going alone on this one Natsu."

Natsu looked at her with teary puppy dog eyes, " But we are a team Luce! We do everything together!"

Lucy inched away from him, refusing to look at his pitiable face, " And no, my mind is set on going solo for this job Natsu. S-So stop looking at me like that, you know how it affects me!", she swatted at him.

He pouted and folded his arms, " But why Luce?"

" Well, due to two certain individuals," She glared back at him pointedly, making him look away sheepishly, " I'm still lacking a certain amount for my rent."

" So i found something easy that pays me well as well." Lucy smiled slightly at his downcast look, and ruffled his hair, " Don't worry Natsu, i should be back by tomorrow morning of all goes well."

" But i still don't like it." Natsu pouted, looking down dejectedly.

But he finally relented, " At least let me know where you are going."

Lucy grinned, finally laying the slip flat on the counter top for him to see, " Here ya go."

Natsu scanned through the mission slip, before nodding in approval, but still looked disapproving, " If you're not back by tomorrow morning Luce, i'm bringing in the calvary!"

" You've got that right Flamebrain."

" Aye!"

" We'll be awaiting the news of your success."

Lucy laughed, shaking her head in mock horror, " I'd better be back by morning then, i don't want the entire city of Isvan to be completely destroyed by you all."

The entire Team Natsu assembled at the bar to show their support, Gray, Happy, Natsu and Erza all giving her a thumbs up.

" All the best for your first solo mission Lucy!"

" Thanks guys!" Lucy waved back at them with a bright smile, " I'll head out now then, i'll be setting off right after i pack after all."

" Mira-san!" She called out to the barmaid, waving her mission slip in the air with a sparkly aura around her, " I'll be going on this mission!"

Mira came out from the back, wiping dry her hands with a tea towel, whipping out the approval stamp from below the counter and stanping on it with a flourish.

" Have a safe mission Lucy, take care of yourself okay!"

"Hai hai, i'll take care of myself! Bye Mira!"

Waving goodbye to the guild, Lucy skipped out of the guild doors and headed straight for her apartment. Being in a whimsical team, Lucy never knows when her team might just pop into her house to announce that they were going on a mission, so she'd always keep an extra backpack of supplies on standby.

Hefting the pack behind her, she pumped her fist in the air, pumping herself up.

" Yosh, i'm all fired up!"

An hour later, she was happily on a train heading to the land of ice, Isvan, looking out the window from her seat and watching the scenery flash by. Tapping her fingers in anticipation for what's to come.

" I'm bored..."

" Aye..."

Slouched over a wooden table, was what seemed to be a translucent version Natsu and Happy.

" I miss Lushee already Natsu." Happy mumbled.

" Aye..." .

" Natsu?"

" Aye?"

" Do you think Lucy would've reached Isvan by now?"

" Aye."

" Ara ara, " Mira tilted her head to the side, leaning towards her sister, who was wiping glasses with her," I think they're sick Lisanna."

Lisanna almost dropped the glass in shock, " What? Who's sick?"

" Natsu and Happy. I think they're Lucy-sick."

Lisanna caned her neck, looking over Mira's shoulder to look at the two, she giggled, " Oh my, i do hope Lucy comes back soon."

" Ah Lucy!" Mira exclaimed, " I forgot to mark down her mission as taken!"

She returned the clean glass back to its place, and bended down to retrieve the leather-bound missions log book, hefting the think tome up and slamming it down on top the bar table, making the glass around it rattle violently.

" Let's see... rare ore...rare ore.." Mira scanned through the book, then landing on the one she as looking for, " Ah ha! Here it is- What is this?!"

" Master!" Mira waved her hands frantically at the partially drunk elder, " Master, we have a problem!"

" Look!" She pointed her finger at the log book.

The inked words rose from the page, drifting around and about, rearranging themselves, and when they finally settled, Mira grabbed the book, reading the words aloud,

The winged Guardian of the Worlds approaches.

Trust not her mind, but her heart.

Clouded and altered. Confused yet absolute.

Protect the Celestial Maiden of the Eye.

Time is short. Shorter for her.

There is no such thing as coincidence, there is only the inevitable.

Every choice made, comes at a price.

A price must always be paid.

- Lunaria

Mira sucked in a shuddering breath when she finished, looking up at Makarov in distress. At the same time, Carla went stiff as a strong sense of foreboding washed over her.

" The 'Celestial Maiden', that's referring to Lucy isn't it?" Lisanna inferred, looking just as worried, " And that last part, it sounded so ominous."

" More importantly, what about the mission Lucy went on?" Mira spluttered frantically.

The Master stood up, instantly sober, and called out, " Natsu-"

" I'm already here." The said person appeared in front of Makarov with Happy.

" And us too." Gray and Erza flanking him on both sides. " We've already heard everything."

" I'd like to come along too!" Wendy piped in.

" I'm only following Wendy." Carla added, looking away grimly, then saying a a hushed voice, " and also because i do not have a good feeling about all this."

" Alright then, the rescue team is assembled." Makarov announced in a loud voice, slowly garnering a lot of attention from the rest of the guild. " Now onwards to- urm..."

He looked at them sheepishly, " So where exactly is she heading to?"

" She went to Ivan!" Natsu said confidently, then he paused for a moment, trying again, " Or was it Iman? Urgh... Ian?"

" Do you mean Isvan? The Land of Isvan?" Grey deadpanned at his frenemy's memory.

" Yeah Isvan!" Natsu slapped his fist on his hand, " That's where she's headed!"

He paused again, realising something, he then snapped, " Hey, i knew that, you didn't have to tell me that, you stripper!"

For once, the ice mage ignore his insults, " That's where Ur trained me and Lyon!"

"Gray-san...your clothes..." Wendy covered her eyes, her face a cute shade of pink,

Gray looked down, and blanched.

"Huh? When did this happen?!" Gray screamed while scrambling to retrieve his clothes whilst only in his boxers.

"Hmm, the Land of Isvan eh? This is earlier than expected..." Makarov muttered to himself, " But who is Lunaria?"

"Is something the matter,Master?"

"Eh? Oh its nothing, Erza."

Makarov cleared his throat, then glared at them, yelling,

" What are you morons still standing there for?! Hurry and get yer asses out there and get our Lucy back!"

" Hai!"

"Luce,we're coming for you!" Natsu exclaimed, practically flying out the guild doors, leaving small trails of flame in his wake.

.

.

.

"She finally coming, right Master?"

"Yes,she is...finally...the gears of fate are finally shifting aren't they...Layla..."

AN: And that ends Chapter 1! Did i mention how much i love ya all for at least finishing this chapter? I didn't? Okay then, I LOVE YA ALL! Kisses and brownies of all! Thank you for reading this chappie and i hope it was interesting enough to keep ya all reading!

It wasn't?

Well, ouch, that kinda hurts...

But, all the more for you to review to tell me how much it sucks eh? ;)

And of course, to those who liked this fic so far, it wouldn't hurt to review, yeah?

Anyways, thank you all who read this little rant and fic of mine and see ya all in the next instalment!

Ja Ne!

~KanaeHitomi~