Lucy's journey
Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail.
This is my first fanfiction.
Lucy sighs as she walks into her empty apartment. She was so used to founding one of her teammates in there. Placing her groceries on the floor she glances around her apartment, her eyes landing on the broken key on her desk. Putting it up, she hugs it to her chest.
"Aquarius…" She cries, clinging to it. After a few minutes, she pulls herself together. Setting the key, she starts to put away her groceries. As soon as she was done she flops on to her bed. As she did she lay eyes on a picture of her parents. Picking it up, she run a finger down her mother's image. "Mama, I failed you. I promise you that I would take good care of my spirits. Yet because of me Aquarius is gone." Hugging the picture to her chest she begins to cry. After half an hour, Loke came through. He hugsLucy as she cries into his chest.
"Princess, please stop crying. It wasn't your fault. You did what you had to save your family."
"But Loke because of me, Aquarius is gone. I will never see her again!"
"That isn't true. Just because Aquarius doesn't have a key on Earthland anymore doesn't mean she's gone. She is just stuck in the celestial world. She is happy there. In fact she said to me "now I can't finally go on a date without being interrupted by that crybaby."
"But-t-t I-I wanted to see her again."
"I don't know how to help you princess. I am a celestial spirit meant for battle. Celestial knowledge isn't up my alley."
Lucy's eyes sparkles with life for the first time since Fairy Tail was disbanded. "But I know who is!" Grabbing her celestial keys, she said "open gate of the southern cross! Crux!" Crux appear,s flowing in the air.
"Grandpa Crux is there any way for me to make a contact with Aquarius or at least see her again without her key?" Crux starts snoring as he started to search through his memory. Lucy grips her sheets impatience coursing through her. After what felt like forever but was in reality in only five minutes, Crux woke up.
"I am sorry Ms. Lucy, but the only way for you to see Aquarius again is to find her new key and make a contact or for her to come through on her own power."
Lucy's spirits (no pun intended) drops. But then a part of Crux's sentence catch her attention. "Wait! What do you mean by new key?"
Crux replies, "When a celestial key is broken another one is forged by the Spirit King and placed somewhere in the world."
Lucy excitedly asks, "Has a new key been forged yet?"
Crux replies "No."
Lucy deflates" oh." A few minute passed before she thank Crux and send him back to the celestial world. Then she sits on her bed unmoving. A few minutes passes before Loke timidly asks "Lucy?" Lucy looked up. "Are you alright?"
Lucy jumps up and hugs him, "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be? All I have to do to see Aquarius again is waiting for Mustache Man to forge a new key and found it! Thank You! Thank you! If it weren't for you I would never summon Crux and learn that!"
Loke blushes and said, "Well I am your prince and it's my duty to help you."
Lucy rolls her eyes and said, "I think you are more of Aries' prince considering what you did for her when you were both contacted under Karen."
Loke blushs brighter and disappears back into the Celestial World, happy Lucy wasn't depressed anymore.
Lucy hums as she prepares dinner, eat it and went to bed. As she did she see Natsu's letter. Picking it up, she look at it. "Training to get stronger, heh. You are already strong. You always protect me. Weak pathetic me." Laying on her bed she thinks "well I be strong enough to found Aquarius' key?" Tired out from the day's events, she fall asleep. As she did she dreams of her life before Fairy Tail.
"But why papa? Why do I have to marry him?" A younger Lucy cries. She had just been informed of her engagement to Duke Junelle.
"By marrying him, the Heartfillia railways will expand. Besides you are a woman and need a man to take care of you. "Her father replies sternly.
"But, but…" Lucy stammers.
"I will hear no more of your nonsense. You two will be wedded in 4 months. Now leave."
"Yes father," Lucy curtsy and left her father's study.
As soon as she was in her bedroom she starts to cry. She didn't want to get married especially not to the pervy duke. Her hand gripped her celestial keys. "Why?" she asks them. "Why do I have to get married? I don't need a man to take care of me. I have magic. I can take care of myself." She sobs clinging her keys to her chest. As her tears dried, she looks at her keys. The last part of her mother. Her beautiful, strong mother, who always did what she thought was right regardless of what anyone thinks. Looking out the window, Lucy gathers her thoughts. Holding on to her mother's gold keys, she remembers her mother telling her stories of when she was in a guild. Stories of how Layla had fought and defended herself without any help. Names of powerful female mages flows through her mind. Erza and Mirajane were the most common ones. Both were powerful and needed no man. Looking at the full moon, Lucy make up her mind. "I will never marry anyone unless it's for love. I will never rely on any man to protect me. I will be strong." With that promise in mind, Lucy begin to get ready for bed, her mind rushing through plans on how to escape from the mansion.
The dreamscape whirled. A even younger Lucy clutches on to her ill mother's hand. Layla smiles at her only daughter. "Lucy promise me something."
"What, mommy?"
"That you will be strong when I am gone."
"I will. I promise. And a celestial mage never broke their promises."
Layla strokes her daughter's head, "That's right. A celestial mage never broke their promises." Then she broke into a coughing fit.
"Mommy!" Lucy cried.
"I am fine Lucy." Layla lies back on her pillows. "I wished I didn't have to tell you this now. But I don't have long. Lucy, the world is a dangerous place especially for a woman. Many men looked down on woman because we are weaker. In high society, this is most evident. Women are treated as dolls and property. Many men think we can't do anything on our own and have no emotions. You must be strong and never let a man control your life. Promise me that you will let a man control you or take advantage of you."
"I promise mommy." "Good girl. Now it's time for bed." "Bye mommy. See you tomorrow." Little Lucy run off unaware this will be the last time she see her mother alive."
Lucy bolts up, her chest heaving. Looking out the window, she thought "that's right. I promise mama. I don't need Natsu or any other man to help or protect me. I will become strong enough to found Aquarius' key and protect myself."