Fading in, fading out
On the edge of paradise

This is it! This is the moment I've worked so hard for. All these adoring fans are here, cheering for me! I can't hide the smile that spreads across my face, even though the song I'm singing isn't a joyful song, but I can't help it.

Every inch of your skin is a holy grail I've got to find
Only you can set my heart on fire, on fire

I glance backstage and catch a glimpse of the two spirits there to support me. The girl claps excitedly, jumping up and down, and the boy next to her gives me a thumbs up. Obviously I couldn't have gotten here without their help.

Yeah, I'll let you set the pace
Cause I'm not thinking straight

The band behind me does their thing, almost completely oblivious to the distractions. Of course, they're used to this sort of thing: the spotlights over them, letting the thousands of screaming fans get a glimpse of the people behind the scenes of the music.

My head spinning around I can't see clear no more
What are you waiting for?

The band and I pause for effect. Normally I'd be too bashful to sing a song that's just a tad promiscuous, only hinting to the actual sex act - even thinking the word makes me blush - but the energy of the stage crushes my embarrassment, and I and the band belt out the chorus.

Love me like you do, love me like you do
Love me like you do, love me like you do
Touch me like you do, touch me like you do
What are you waiting for?

I turn to the opposite side of the stage as my friends, and I point at him. He smiles and casually walks up to me, and the fans go wild.

Yeah, I'll let you set the pace
Cause I'm not thinking straight

He grabs my waist and pulls me closer to him, smirking down at me.

My head spinning around I can't see clear no more

He leans closer to me, and my voice becomes breathy.

What are you waiting for?
[Love Me Like You Do; Ellie Goulding]

He places his lips to mine, and everything stops. The lights go dark, and suddenly it's just the two of us, in the middle of the stage, our lips just gently touching. Nothing else in the world matters, it's just him and me.

~.~

"Lucy, it's time to wake up."

Bright light shines in my face, my eyes suddenly feel like they're burning under my closed eyelids. I wave my arm around and throw my comforter over my head, mumbling incoherently that I need five more minutes.

Five more minutes to finish making out with my dream man.

I smile happily at the memory, but I'm suddenly hit with a chill of freezing cold wind as my blanket is ripped off my body. I shriek and push my face into my pillow, trying to make the last little bit of warmth spread through my body.

"Lucy Heartfilia, get out of this bed, right now! And turn this ridiculous rubbish off."

Groaning, I open my eyes and glare at my aunt from across the room, the woman playing with my radio. My dream completely forgotten, I playfully stick my tongue out at her, sitting up, stretching my arms over my head.

"That's better." She rolls my blanket in her arms, throwing it on the chair in the corner of my room so I don't grab for it again. "The doctor will be here in an hour. I expect you want enough time to shower and get dressed?"

"My, how considerate of you, Auntie Mia," I mumble as I place my bare feet on the wooden floor. I wince at the cold - did I sleep with the window open again? - and make my way to my bathroom.

"Don't take too long, Lucy. I'll have breakfast done in twenty minutes. If you want to eat it hot, you better not dilly-dally."

With that said, she walked out of my room, slamming the door behind her, and I closed my bathroom door. She may seem hard at times, but I know she actually means well. Besides, it wasn't exactly her fault that her brother and his wife were never home to take care of their ailing daughter.

Sighing, I stop in front of the mirror and open my mouth. Peering down my throat, I notice the redness had gone down. Good, just in time for my big day.

I shower and dress quickly, not wanting to miss out on breakfast. Throughout the meal, my leg bounced, as I was unable to hide my excitement, but I couldn't tell anyone about it. If my aunt knew what I was planning, she'd lock me in my room, throw away the key, and leave me there until I die of old age.

Whoa, that thought suddenly calmed me. I would be so lucky to die of old age, assuming my immune system held out until then. I set my fork down, suddenly losing my appetite. One would think that, after living with an autoimmune disease her whole life, she'd be used to the thought of dying young, but the thought sobered me even more so now than when I was first told the news as a child.

My doctor had once told me that I'd be lucky to live past twenty. Well, I'm eighteen now, and what have I done with my life? Nothing.

Today was the day that I was going to change all that. I had stolen the newspaper clipping from the cooks in the kitchen as soon as I saw the ad. Today Fairy Tail Records was auditioning for their new pop idol, and I wanted so much to audition. However, a week ago I contracted a terrible cold, which turned into an infection in my throat, rendering my voice absolutely useless. In fact, it wasn't until yesterday that I'd been a silent mute. As soon as I realized I could speak again, I began vocalizing, practicing the song I'd sing for my audition.

My song choice wasn't a well-known song that most contestants would probably choose. Actually, it was a song that my father wrote for my mother. You see, they were professional performers, and their speciality was Country music. I was pretty much raised on Johnny Cash and Hank Williams Jr., and many others, but my parents made sure to broaden my musical education. Up until recently, I was up to date on the more popular musicians as well. From rock to pop to theater to jazz...I love it all.

I pushed the food around my plate, softly humming the tune for the song, but I could tell my throat wasn't fully healed. After a few lines, my throat cracked, and I started coughing.

"Lucy? Is the food too hot?"

I shook my head as I took a sip of water, cooling down my inflamed vocal chords. Sighing, my aunt took my plate, mumbling something about wasting food. I gently set my glass down, again my mood sobering. How can I compete if I can't even hum a little song?

I leaned back in my chair, and turned to stare out the window I sat next to. The sun was shining; there were no clouds in the sky. There was a gentle breeze, making the leaves of the trees dance slowly. I watched a rabbit hop around a tree. It stopped, sniffed something, then stood on its hind legs and stared at me. Well, it was staring in my direction, anyway - there's no way that rabbit would be staring at me. Suddenly, it jumped and hopped away, soon followed by a little black cat. The cat stopped where the rabbit was previously, and it also turned and looked at me - in my general direction.

I sat up in my chair as the cat ran off after the rabbit. Okay, I was willing to admit that was weird behaviour. Maybe there was something on the house? Or maybe there was something stuck in the bushes under the window…

There was a loud chime that sounded through the house, and my aunt jumped.

"The doctor's here," she said as she rushed out of the kitchen.

I followed her, though not as enthusiastically. I'll be the first person to admit that my doctor was incredibly good looking, but my aunt was the one who told the world about it. My aunt wasn't that bad looking, and she was fairly young. I think she'd make any lucky man happy to have her. Unfortunately, because she watches over me, she doesn't have the luxury to run out and find herself an eligible husband. I tried to get her to go out, but she always refused. Seeing her with the doctor was the closest I'd ever see her to actually taking an interest in finding her other half.

She opened the door and nearly gushed as my tall, handsome, single doctor greeted her with a smile and a wave.

"Good morning, Mia, how are you this fine day?" He bowed, literally, and she giggled. I felt the urge to roll my eyes and settled with a chuckle. She never had the opportunity to gush over any other man, so I let her this one time.

"I'm fabulous, Doctor. How was your drive up?" She moved aside so he could step into the front room. He smiled as soon as he saw me.

"The drive was as peaceful as always." He turned back to my aunt. "Now, if you don't mind I'd like to check on Lucy."

My aunt glanced at me from behind his back, and back to him. She smiled and nodded. "I'll go put on some tea." With that, she left. I really hoped that she wasn't jealous. The man was old enough to be my father, for goodness sakes. In fact, sometimes I saw him as a father figure, especially since he visited so often and was always so nice to me.

He held up his hand and motioned me to walk up to him, which I did. He gently placed his hands on my throat and moved his fingers up and down, gently pressing against my skin.

"Everything feels better, less swollen," he deduced. He took his hands from my neck and smiled, his eyes gleaming behind his sunglasses. "I think it's the perfect day for a drive, don't you?"

My eyes widened in excitement. He approved of me, and he was taking me out of the house. My plan was working perfectly! I turned and quickly made my way to my room, leaving him to my aunt's company.

He was the only reason my dream would be possible. This man was going to take me to Fairy Tail Records to audition. Of course he'd keep it a secret from my aunt. He was the one who came up with the plan in the first place.

I rushed into my room and closed the door behind me. I threw open my closet and began to shuffle through everything to pick out the perfect outfit. What would the next face of Fairy Tail wear? What did the current musicians of Fairy Tail wear?

I glanced at my closet door where I put up posters of famous singers. Levy McGarden...she normally wore cute little dresses, mostly in various orange shades. Erza Scarlet wore clothing that mostly showed a little too much skin for my taste, as did Cana Alberona and Evergreen. I sighed as I went back to looking at my clothes. If I wanted to make an image for myself, I couldn't copy that of someone else.

I made a grab for a blue shirt, but froze. My throat burned. The sensation came so suddenly that I was unprepared for it, and I fell to the floor, holding my neck. I started coughing, my throat feeling like it was getting scratched every time I heaved. No. Not now! I was doing so good! This is my day! I was finally going to live my dream. I can't be stopped now.

I put my shirt against my mouth to muffle the sounds. Breathing became harder, and my eyes were watering. My stomach was cramping from the exertion of my coughing, which quickly turned into painful dry-heaves. I felt like I was going to vomit, but nothing but saliva came.

I curled into a ball, my vision blurring. This wasn't fair. He said that I was fine, the swelling had gone away, there was no more redness. I did everything I could to get better.

My throat burned and felt like it was closing. Was I having an asthma attack? Breathing was becoming harder, and I actually had to work for it. I was done coughing, but I continued wheezing. I took the shirt away from my mouth and stared down at it. There were dark splotches on the cloth.

Blood.

I shook my head and threw the piece of clothing away from me. Why, body, why? Why would you betray me on my most important day? This isn't fair. I hate it. I hate being so weak! I hate my body, I hate myself.

A sob managed to break through my wheezing, and I could start to see little black dots cloud my vision. I refused to pass out. I had to audition. I was going to become the new face of Fairy Tail.

This isn't fair!

I groaned as I leaned my forehead on the floor, my body relaxing, becoming incredibly heavy. Breathing became easier as the attack passed, but my vision was still darkening, and I couldn't lift my head. My eyelids grew heavy, and I didn't have the strength to keep them open. I was suddenly so tired...so very tired.

"Lucy?"

I couldn't lift my head, but I could open my eyes just barely. My vision was still blurry, and I could barely make out who kneeled in front of me. The voice that called to me was male, but I didn't recognize it. Was it my doctor? Had he heard me and come to check on me?

I felt my body rising as I was lifted. These arms didn't feel like my doctor's arms. They seemed a little more muscular, and I wasn't held against a lean chest. The man who held me was definitely not my doctor - he was too muscular to be a doctor.

"Is she okay, Gray-sama?" A female voice this time. Who is this Gray-sama? Were there strangers in my room? Were they here to kidnap me? How lovely...The biggest day of my life and I suffer an asthma attack and a kidnapping? Why was life so cruel to me?

"No, but I think I can help her." I was set down on something soft, comfortable. My bed?

"Why would you want to heal her? We're here to take her away. Don't waste your energy."

"It's not her time, Juvia. I can't just sit here and let her die alone."

There was a pressure on my neck and I immediately felt cold, easing the burning in my throat. This cold was comforting, and I could feel my body becoming lighter.

Wait...did he just say that I was going to die?

I found my missing strength and my eyes shot open. There were two people standing in my room, a man and a woman. The woman was pale, with dark blue hair. She wore a short maid outfit, and she wore a bunny-ears headband. The man wore no shirt, but he had on a black jacket, a cross that hung on a chain around his neck, and he had...cat ears? What the hell was going on?

I tried to sit up, but my body protested.

"Who are you?" I asked in a whisper.

The man smiled at me. "Don't worry about that right now. You just lay here for a minute, and you're body will be almost as good as new."

"I still think it's a waste of your energy," the woman said, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked away with a huff.

"Who are you?" I asked again, my voice a little louder this time.

"We're here to help you," the man said.

"Speak for yourself, Gray-sama!" The woman glared at me before moving across my room where she sat on a cushioned chair.

"Juvia," the man, Gray-sama, gently growled. He glared slightly at the woman, Juvia, before turning kind eyes back to me. "If I tell you who we are and why we're here, you either won't believe me or you won't like it enough to fight me. So just let me help you."

"There's no point in healing her," Juvia said in a sing-song voice.

Gray turned back to her and growled her name again. I sat up.

"What do you mean? I want the truth, please." I placed my hand on my throat, amazed that my voice was almost back to normal, and there was no pain. "Did you say that I was going to die?"

Gray turned back to me, his eyes wide. "Ah, well, that was-"

"You aren't supposed to die, today," Juvia said. "But I say that if you're going to die soon anyway, why not have it happen sooner instead of prolonging the inevitable?"

"That's it, Juvia. You...out...now!" Gray pointed at my window, which was closed. When had these two come in? And why did they take the time to close my window?

Juvia huffed and stood up from the chair. "Why are you so mean to Juvia, Gray-sama?" she wailed. I suddenly became nervous that my aunt was going to hear her and burst through my door.

The woman jumped up into the air, but, instead of coming back down, she floated up through the roof. Yes, that's right….she floated up through the roof. She disappeared, but not before sticking her tongue out at Gray before she did so. I stared at the spot that she disappeared to, my mouth wide open. What…?

Gray sighed and turned back to me. "You're going to be okay, now," he said. "At least for a little while."

It was like his voice brought me back to my senses, and I quickly scrambled away from him, my back hitting my headboard.

"W-what are you?"

He blinked and shrugged, moving off my bed so he was standing. He placed his hands in his pants pockets.

"It's a little hard to explain, really."

"Please try."

He put a hand behind his head and glanced away, his cheeks gaining color. Was he blushing? What was going on?

"Well, I, uh -"

"Lucy!" My bedroom door burst open to reveal my doctor. He held my coat in his arms, his mouth in a wide, happy smile.

My eyes opened wide as he suddenly stormed in. Normally, I wouldn't mind his intrusion; he was, after all, the man who was there when my mother gave birth to me and was my family's private doctor for years. He was like a second father to me, and if he were to see me, in my bed, with a strange boy wearing cat ears sitting next to me he would react just like a father would.

I looked back to Gray, who had jumped back slightly and stood there, blinking at the doctor. Why didn't he float away like that woman did?

My doctor's eyes fell upon me, and his face dropped. My stomach flipped once I realized that he must have seen us. He took a couple steps forward.

"Lucy? What are you doing in bed?" He quickly made his way over to me, practically dropping onto his knees as he arrived next to me. "Are you feeling okay? Should we cancel our outing?" He immediately put his hands on my forehead. "You don't feel like you have a fever…" He grabbed my wrist and watched his watch.

All the while I stared at Gray. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched the doctor, his head tilted slightly. He glanced at me, and he smiled slightly. He put two fingers on his forehead, saluting me, and he rose out of the ceiling, following Juvia.

"Hm? What are you looking at, Lucy?"

I blinked and looked back at my doctor, who had also looked up at the ceiling.

"Ah, nothing," I mumbled, testing my throat.

"Well, how are you feeling? If you're too tired we can cancel-"

"NO!" I grabbed his jacket and held tightly. He leaned back slightly, his eyes visibly wide behind his sunglasses. "I have to go today! This is my one and only chance to do the one thing I love! Please, we have to…" My eyes started tearing as I let go of him. My hands covered my eyes to hide my tears. I felt him wrap his arms around me and pull me close to him.

"Well, if you feel that passionately about it, how can I say 'no'?"

I looked up at him, unable to contain my happiness.

"Now, finish getting ready, today is your big day."

~.~
AN: So, a couple things...First off, if anyone kind of recognizes the premise, I kind of accidentally made it like Full Moon wo Sagashite. I didn't mean to, it just happened that way. Also, I'm not really musically talented, meaning I can't write lyrics to save my life...so the songs featured are all real songs, with disclaimers at the end of the lyrics. Aaand, I've been working on this one for awhile, so it's actually pretty far along. It's just that it's gotten so long now that my google docs is taking a few minutes to load because there are so many pages to load. So, I'll be steadily updating, as long as I remember that I actually posted this one finally. And, lastly, this is a little dark at times, since Lucy is dealing with death - quite a few incidents will be revealed later, so please don't hate the angst. It just comes with the package that I seem to enjoy typing. n.n;;

Please review, follow, fave! Any questions? I will respond! Now, then, I'll see everyone in the next chapter. n_n