Fairy Tail Chronicles

Chapter One: No Coincidence

I pushed my hood back as my faithful blue cat and I entered our little hut after a long journey. The cat jumped up onto the kitchen counter and began rummaging around for a snack. Placing my things on the desk, I picked up a picture of red dragon. "Hi, dad, I'm home." Happy perked as a knock sounded at the door. "Coming! Jeesh, just got home and already people are showing up unexpected.," I called out, opening the door.

"Natsu!"

I fell back and onto the floor as the guest threw themselves at me. The weight was familiar and the scent was soft vanilla and honey, unmistakable. Opening an eye, I grinned up at the girl above me. With her golden locks up in twin ponytails, her face looked more heart-shaped than when I last saw her. "Hey there, Princess."

She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "What did I say about the title thing?"

My grin grew. She was absolutely adorable when she was angry. "Right, sorry about that, Princess." I felt my face flush as she suddenly leaned forward, our noses brushing.

"It's Lucy. No formal titles with us, okay?" Her eyes were so brown, like chocolate, and they were so warm, warmer than the sunlight coming through the window. "Lu-cy."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, nodding. "Lucy. Got it."

Her eyes suddenly grew wide. "I'm sorry, is this hurting you? Am I too heavy?" In the blink of an eye, she had slid from my chest and onto the floor, her legs tucked underneath in a lady-like fashion. Just like a Princess... "Are you going to be in town for a few days?"

Sitting up, I rubbed the back of my head to soothe the little bump that had formed. "I'm just stopping by for a change of clothes." My heart dropped at the look of sadness that crossed her face.

"Aw, come on, we can stay a little longer," Happy pipped up from the kitchen. "I want to go see Carla."

"I guess that's cool." I grinned, standing and holding out my hand to help her stand. "I need to get some things from the market. Want to tag along?"

She smiled widely. "What are we waiting for?"

Leaving Happy at Wendy's, we made our way through the market of Celestial Square. Lucy was the Princess of this country and beloved by the subjects. Her father, Jude, had ruled over the kingdom years ago with an iron fist, but now the throne was in the hands of her mother, Layla, who now ruled with a kind and gentle hand. As we walked, we talked over little things, things that we have been waiting to share with one another since I had left over two months ago.

I noticed that she kept her hood over her face and she kept casting looks over her shoulder. "Did you sneak out of the palace again?" I asked, giving her a teasing look. "You're such a naughty Princess."

Her face instantly flushed. "When I caught word of you coming home, I ran off without telling anyone."

This wasn't the first time she had run off without telling anyone, it probably wasn't going to be the last. I smiled as she ran forward and kneeled before a fruit stand. She loved coming into the market and checking out the season's harvest. This season happened to be her favorite: strawberry.

She picked up one of the little woven baskets filled with plump strawberries. "What a harvest! These look delicious!"

I ushered over the stall owner and asked for the price, only to smile knowingly as they turned me down. "They said to take what you like, Princess."

"What?" she looked up at the stall owner, her eyes wide.

The older woman smiled. "It's not everyday I get to feed royalty." At her words, the other stall owners within earshot began to gather, bags loaded with their own merchandise.

Looking out at the gathering crowd, I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. The people here really did love the Princess, and I could understand why. The Princess was truly something special.

"Oh no," I heard her groan, pointing toward a group of robed men. "Palace guards. If they take me back now, we'll miss out on our time together."

Seeing her face suddenly so downcast and moisture gather in the corner of her eyes made my chest clench. I grabbed her hand, grinning. "Come on." With her in tow, I began running through the streets, slipping around tight corners like they were nothing and ducking underneath obstacles at the last second, earning shrieks from the Princess behind me.

Reaching outer dunes near the guild hall, I collapsed against a stone pillar, spent. The Princess wasn't fairing any better and fell next to me, sweat trickling down her face. We lied there for a few seconds catching our breaths. I looked to her and couldn't help but think that even though she was all sweaty and out of breath, she was still beautiful.

I nearly jumped as her hand shifted, which was still enclosed within mine. When I moved to stand, her hand clenched around mine, pulling me back to the ground.

"Can we stay like this?" she whispered, a faint rose tinge in her cheeks. "Just for a little longer?"

My heart nearly stopped as I caught sight of the look she gave me. It was one that I didn't recognize, but...it made me feel like I was on top of the world. I sat there, unable to tear my eyes away from the beautiful girl in front of me.

"I remember when you first came here to Fiore," she sat up, pulling out the little basket of strawberries from her rose colored cloak. "You came into the palace asking if anyone had spotted a fire dragon."

I smiled. "That's right."

She cleaned one of the plump berries with a corner of her cloak then bit into it delicately. "You've been looking for him ever since then, even though seven years have passed."

"I'm never going to stop looking for him," I said, leaning back against a nearby pillar. "I know he's out there somewhere..."

"You'll find him," she whispered, smiling despite the strawberry in between her full lips. "I know you will."

Another lump formed in my throat as she continued to eat the strawberries, droplets of juice occasionally dripping down her chin. She loved the fruits more than anything, and eating them in their natural form tasted best, according to her. I personally never liked fruit, but hanging around the Princess so much has gotten me to like a few.

"Natsu?"

"What is it?" I asked, wondering if she wanted to go back to the market to get more.

"Do you ever think of other things besides searching for your father or food?" Her eyes grew downcast as she placed the strawberries off to the side. "Do you ever...think of me while your out searching for your dad?"

Her words cut me like little knives. I reached out a hand towards her. "Of course I do." My heart started to burn as my fingers reached to brush her cheek. "Don't you know how I feel?"

"Listen, Natsu,"

I paused.

"There's something I've been wanting to tell you, but there hasn't ever been a good time," she raised her head and her chocolate eyes met mine, filling my insides with warmth. "Natsu, I..."

"Oh, my!" We both jumped as Mirajane suddenly appeared from nowhere, a recording lacrimal in her hand. "Don't stop now, Lucy! Continue and proclaim your love for Natsu!"

Lucy's face instantly turned crimson red at the transformation wizard's words. "Wha?!"

I sweat dropped as the Princess chased Mirajane around the guildhall, then blushed. What if Mirajane was right? Did Lucy really feel that way? The thought of the Princess confessing to me made my heart swell.

"Natsu, why don't you walk the Princess home." Mirajane pipped up as she ran inside to escape the Princess. "It's getting late and the Queen must be worried."

"She's right," I nodded in agreement. "the Queen must be really worried by now. Want me to walk you back to the palace?"

"No," she huffed, turning away from me and picking up the strawberries. "You better check in with the guild master."

I reached out. What brought this on all of a sudden? Was it something I had said?

Still keeping her back to me, she continued, but her tone had become much softer now. "About what I mentioned, that thing I need to say? I'll tell you later, okay?"

I let my hand fall back to rest at my side, a small smile worming its way onto my face.

"Things are going to change, I can feel it."

Something in the back of my mind suddenly tensed, almost making me flinch from the small stab of pain in my temple. What was that? I pushed the pain away as she began to walk away. "I know what you're thinking, that I shouldn't be having feelings like this for someone like her. She's a Princess and I'm a dragon slayer, we were born in two totally different worlds. But she's my best friend, and we've known each other since we were kids."

At Magnolia's gates, she stopped and turned around, waving. "I'll see you soon!"

Smiling, I raised a hand in response. I was thinking of stopping by the palace once I had gathered everything for the journey. Making my way back to my place, I stopped by and picked up Happy. He was less than happy to leave the Persain Exeed's side, but when I mentioned stopping by to see the Princess before we left cheered him right up. It seemed that even Happy cared for her just as much as I did.

Thanks to Happy, we were able to sneak up to the Princess' balcony without the guards catching us. I had gone back to the market to get her another basket of strawberries and was planning on surprising her with them. "Princess?" I called softly into her chamber. "Hello?"

Happy darted past and returned shortly, shaking his head. "I don't see her."

"I'm afraid she has disappeared." We both jumped and bowed as the Queen appeared from the doorway, her head hanging. "No one knows where she is..." She cupped my face in her hands. "I fear that she may be in danger. Please, you must find her."

My heart kicked into overdrive. Lucy, my best friend, was missing. With a nod, I jumped out the window with Happy grabbing onto my shirt and we took off toward the market. I wracked my brain for any possible place that she could be. The palace gardens? No, the guards would have seen her. The guildhall? No, I would have picked up her scent as we went by on our way here. "Argh, think!" I bellowed, running my hands through my already wild hair. "Where else does she like to go?!"

A flash of stained glass windows passed through my mind's eye, their colors reflecting off marble floors and pillars. There were candles burning, casting a soft light on an altar. Kneeling before the altar was a figure. "Happy, the cathedral! She's at the Cardial Cathedral!" I shouted, pointing in its direction.

"Aye, sir!" he shouted, kicking it up to max speed.

The second we arrived, we burst through the giant doors and gawked at the sight before us. There were millions of candles lit, giving the cathedral a warm glow. I ran toward the altar, expecting to find her, only to find the altar had moved and there was now a staircase leading downward. "Princess! Are you here?" I shouted as we ran through the darkness. "Princess!"

The staircase ended at an open room that was darker than dark, but torches from each corner lit up as we walked in, revealing giant strange symbols on all four walls, the ceiling and the floor. They were ginormous! "Check it out!" I grinned, pointing to one on the west end. "This one looks like my dad!"

"This one looks like person." Happy pipped up from east end. "It almost looks like the Princess."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Wonder what they all mean..." The torches flickered, nearly going out, then blazed brighter than ever, revealing a figure in the middle of the room. I felt my chest tighten slightly. "Princess, there you are."

"What gives?" Happy came up and rested on my head. "We've been looking all over for you."

"Yeah, what are you doing here, anyway?" When she didn't answer, I stepped towards her. "Princess?"

She tilted her face in our direction, her expression was one of indifference, yet it held something more... Her lips lifted into a slight smile before they fell back downward as she haunched her shoulders slightly as she knelt, placing her hands on the strange symbol. Instantly, the room filled with a bright pink light and a strange sound began to fill the room, one that reminded me of a clock's bells.

I reached out to grab her as the floor opened beneath her, but froze. Her eyes were blank, as if she was under a spell of some sort. What was happening?

"Natsu, wake up!" Happy shouted in my ear. "She's disappearing into the floor!"

Shaking my head, I jumped down into the hole that had appeared, following the pink light that had now encompassed the Princess and found myself running through another corridor. Through multiple doorways and down endless hallways, I followed the light, nearly tripping and falling on my face as we entered a similar room to the first one.

"Natsu, up there!"

I looked up and saw the same symbol that had been on the floor about thirty feet high, but there was something different about it. The Princess was now a part of it! I stepped back as pink colored wings appeared around her. I may not understand what was happening, but I knew that I had to get her away from it. "Stay there!" I called, climbing up to her.

"Natsu, hurry! She's disappearing into the wall!"

To my horror, she was slowly fading away, becoming one with the symbol behind her. "Lucy!" I leapt and enclosed my arms around her just as she was nearly swallowed up by the symbol, Happy racing to grab us before we hit the floor. I watched in shock as the wings shattered into little stars and disappeared from sight. "Lucy, talk to me!" I shouted as the room began to cave in. "We're going to get you out of here!"

I held her close to my chest as Happy broke out his best flying maneuvers to get us back to the entrance. She wasn't moving and I was beginning to get worried. We tumbled forward as we reached the cathedral's main floor, my little buddy's magic spent. "Thanks, little buddy," I smiled, patting his head. "You did great."

He smiled, still a little shaky from the sudden loss of magic. "How's the Princess?"

"It's just as I feared."

We both jumped as Master Makarov and the Queen appeared next to us, their faces grim. "When did you two get here?!"

Master smacked me upside the head as he examined the Princess in my arms. "Remember who you're addressing, Natsu."

"Sorry..." I mumbled, bowing.

"Prognosis, Master Makarov?"

He touched the Princess' forehead with a strange light, then touched mine. "You saw great wings appear from the Princess that shattered into stars, is that right, my boy?"

I nodded.

"Those were the manifestation of her spirit, the very core of her being." He turned to address the Queen. "All of her memories from birth to present have left her now. What's worse is that they haven't just escaped her, they have escaped this plane entirely. They are gone."

My heart froze. "So what happens now?"

The Queen stepped forward, resting a hand on the Princess' head. "A body with now heart is just an empty shell. Without those memories, my daughter will die..."

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Happy pipped up, tears starting to trickle down his face.

Makarov and the Queen both fixed me with looks. "Yes," the Queen brushed her hand over my cheek. "Only you can save her, Natsu."

I looked down at the Princess in my arms. "I will, I swear it."

They stood and ushered us back to the chamber where we first saw the symbols, where they placed us inside a giant magic circle. "Brace yourselves," the Queen warned. "We're going to send you across the dimensional plane to a completely different world. You will meet someone there that has the power to help you."

"Wait, who is this person?" I called over Happy's terrified scream. "And what exactly do I do when I get to them?"

"Her name is Mavis and she's known as the Dimensional Witch." Gramps called back. "Tell her what happened and she will guide you from there. Be strong, and do whatever you can to save the Princess!"

I nodded, tightening my hold on her. "Hold on, I'm going to save you." Happy and I braced ourselves as gold tendrils of the magic circle enclosed around us. In what seemed like seconds, the magic circle disappeared and we found ourselves standing in the rain. Raising my head, I searched the surrounding area for any threat that might put the Princess in danger.

There was a woman with long blonde hair wearing a white sundress accompanied by two young girls with cat-like ears and a boy no older than myself wearing a strange looking uniform. She had teal colored eyes that never blinked or wavered from mine.

"You've arrived."

I nearly jumped out of my skin as two magic circles appeared in front of us and two new figures emerged. Two figures I knew very well. "Gray?! Erza?!" They turned and smiled at me before turning their attention to the small group in front of us.

"Who the hell are you?" I yelped as Happy smacked me upside the head. "What was that for?!"

"You're the Dimensional Witch, isn't that correct?" Erza asked, keeping a firm hold on her currently sheathed sword.

"I have been called that, yes," the woman in the sundress answered.

I looked down at the Princess as she suddenly grew heavier. If we didn't hurry, she was going to die. Swallowing my pride, I walked forward and kelt before her. "Please, madam, my friend needs your help. She's a princess, can you help me save her life?"

Silence took over us as we waited for the woman's answer. The fate of our Princess rested solely in her hands...