This is my first fanfiction so please go easy on me~ Enjoy~

characters are Mashima Hiro-sensei's and do not belong to me... same goes for Fairy Tail :)

"Lucy, since you are an heiress, surely you could bring us to Prince Harold's party at his villa" said an unfamiliar voice.

"Of course" Lucy Heartfilia was a sixteen year old heiress to the Heartfilia Corporation, one of the largest companies in Fiore. When she first transferred to Fairy High, she was excluded. People ignored her and bullied her. But as soon as a rumour got out that she was an heiress to a huge company and was proven true, most of the people in school flocked all around her. 'They just want to be included in my privileges as an heiress' she thought. All her friends from her old school only wanted to be friends because of her money. When they got in trouble one day, they framed her. After the incident, she did not trust the people around her besides her maids and butlers in her mansion that she grew up with.

On her way home, she felt like stopping by the park to cool her head. When she got there, there were a girl and two guys, with their bikes, around her age wearing her school uniform. One of the guys greeted her and already started to treat her like she was one of his childhood friends. The other two were friendly but not as cheery as him. While conversing she found out the one who greeted her was Natsu Dragneel. Beside him was Gray Fullbuster, a cool and aggressive guy who seemed to have a rivalry with Natsu, and Erza Scarlet, a collected and apparently very terrifying when annoyed female. Whenever Natsu and Gray fought, Erza would put them back in line and soon Lucy realized it was like she belonged with them. It was like she was friends with them for a long time even though it hasn't been a day hanging out with them.

She still had doubt in whether she could truly trust them not to backstab her like her previous friends did for their convenience. After spending lunch periods and hanging out after school with them a couple of times, she felt that she wanted to stay with them rather than have people surround her desk asking if she could bring them to a party. She told a the girls who were hanging out with her that she wanted to hang out with Natsu and his friends instead and they did not like the idea.

The next day, they started to bully her and wanted to beat her up. She dealt with this before so she ignored it until the girls showed up with a few guys. They started with verbal retorts but they were starting to get mad because Lucy was ignoring them with no sign of attention to them. One of the guys was really mad and went to grab her collar. She was expecting a yank but Natsu stopped his hand, grabbing his wrist and gave a cold, hard glare to the man. His expression showed all of his feeling and his thoughts that were telling them to back off. Gray and Erza also stood between her and the girls and guys, giving support and contributing to the menacing aura Natsu was giving off. As they left, with their tails behind their legs, Lucy asked near tears, "Why did you come?" To her surprise, Natsu just gave her one of his trademark grins and said "We're friends! We will always be there for you," Gray and Erza nodding with agreement and Lucy started to cry.

They were having so much fun during the months they spent; they did not expect what was in store for them in the future. Natsu got into a car accident, hit by a driver running a red light. By the time Lucy got to the hospital, and was the first one there, Natsu was lying on the hospital bed wrapped in bandages. The nurse informed her that Natsu was supposed to have died on the scene but miraculously made it to the hospital. In his condition he would not survive for long as the driver was speeding and drunk. Lucy went into his room holding back her tears and sat next to him. He looked like he was in excruciating pain but still spoke with her. He said he was recalling about the time they first met, hung out at lunch and afterschool and how he regretted not being able to spend some more time with her. She could tell he was getting tired and he held her hand. "When we first agreed to be friends, you didn't seem like you trusted us. It hurt you know, to know one of your friends did not trust you. I understood why when the girls bullied you. They liked you for what you could give but we loved you for who you are, not your background. So promise me Lucy, stay the way you are now and never let anything bring you down. You are perfectly fine this way." Lucy was holding Natsu's hand with both hands, sobbing at the sight of her dying friend. Gray and Erza arrived during the time Natsu was talking to Lucy and were crying with Erza's hand over her mouth. Natsu had given them a glace and smiled that they were there for him just like how he was there for them. "Don't cry Lucy, smile like you always do." Lucy bit back her tears and smiled as best as she could and nodded. "Natsu, I promise" Natsu smiled a painful grin and said "Thank goodness". His eyes were already hazy and his hand fell limp. Lucy frowned and bawled. Natsu was gone.

Lucy was now standing before his grave with an umbrella in one hand and a bouquet in another softly crying. She was regretting not being able to trust him earlier so they would have had more fun together and was starting to accept the loss of her first friend that accepted her for who she was. Beside her stood Erza and Gray, who were there for her and would always be with her. They would support her for sure and she would support them. She looked towards the sky and said with a soft smile "Natsu, I will keep my promise and not let anything bring me down, so don't worry and rest in peace."

She placed the bouquet in front of his grave and the three of them bowed and left. She knew Natsu would look over her from the sky and soon she made many friends, bringing them into Lucy, Erza and Gray's little circle. While walking home on the way to the park where they first met, she thought 'I will never forget you Natsu. Though I regret having suspicions of you, I am glad to have met you. You were the one who change me to trust people. I am in debt to you.'

Thanks for reading! :3 Hope you liked it! Please rate and review!