Nine Demon Gates

Summary: In a modern world where magic is only known to those that can use it, Lucille (Lucy) Heartfillia lives in the shadows believing that her powers were a curse. A curse that allows her to open gates to an entirely different world. A curse that takes her blood as sacrifice when she speaks the cursed words. (NaLu/LaLu)

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, only Hiro Mashima does.


Chapter 1

"Laxus! Come to my office!" Makarov bellowed from the top of the stairs. The blonde man sitting by the bar grumbled as he left his beer behind and made his way to his grandfather's office. Opening the door and closing it a little too loudly, the man took a seat in front of Makarov's desk.

"What do you want Gramps?" Laxus grumbled. He was having a very nice 'conversation' with a redheaded mundane. Seeing as the guild doubled as a bar for those who weren't mages, they often had the magic-less folk walking in for a casual drink. Or in this case a casual hook-up.

"The Council has asked us to investigate a recent series of deaths involving some high profile businessmen," Makarov explained, pushing a manila folder towards the muscular blonde man. Laxus opened the folder to peruse its contents.

His brow furrowed, "These just look like animal attacks. What do they need us for?" The photos taken by the criminal investigators showed the men completely ripped to shreds. Body parts that were still intact were riddled with large claw and bite marks. It looked just like they were attacked by a wild animal…

"Take a closer look my boy," Makarov insisted. "Do those look like ordinary animal attacks to you?"

Laxus looked more intently at the photos. There was something a little off about them. He couldn't see much of the surroundings, but it looked as if these men were killed in their homes or their offices as the floor looked to either be hardwood or some sort of expensive carpet. Additionally, there didn't seem to be any animal prints around the bodies despite the large amount of blood involved.

"Fine. There's something off about this." Laxus admitted. "So the Council thinks a mage was involved?"

Makarov nodded, "This request was sent directly to Fairy Tail. They asked for us to perform our own investigation."

"Do they have any leads?" Laxus asked.

"Not particularly, but they do think they know who might be targeted next," Makarov showed his grandson another photo. "This is Robert Sharp. He's the CEO of a high-profile electronics manufacturer. The culprit seems to be targeting similar top executives from other large corporations."

"Why just him then?"

"We don't know exactly, but the Council said that Sharp has recently increased his own personal bodyguards exponentially as if he is afraid of something," Makarov said. "The Council thinks that Sharp may have had some dealings with a dark guild, simply believing they were a regular mafia group. They think that he hasn't paid up, which was a similarity between the other killed men. A personal threat to his own person seems like the next step a 'mafia' would take. Thus the added bodyguards."

Laxus groaned, "Mundanes. They only see what they want to see. This is what they get for being ignorant."

"Laxus, you know they can't help it. Those who don't have the affinity for magic simply cannot see," Makarov stressed.

Laxus sighed, "Ya I know, but this is annoying. Why are we even helping this man? Seems to me like he deserves it. Can't be up to any good if he's dealing with a dark guild. Even to mundanes they appear like the underworld mafia."

"Because it's our responsibility as mages to protect those that can't protect themselves, you know that!" Makarov scolded. "Now hurry up. Night is approaching. The culprit only attacked his previous victims under the cover of the night."

"Hai Hai…" Laxus grumbled. With a flash of lightning, the mage disappeared from the office.


A dark hooded figure, dressed entirely in black, stood poised on the rooftop of the towering high rise in the center of Magnoila city. Here she waited for the right opportunity to 'take care' of her next target. Apparently this one hasn't paid up in a while. Just like all the others she had 'taken care' of in the past few months. What a shame. To think these men had it all and were willing to throw away their lives for just that little bit of extra money. Quite literally in fact.

Well, that's what happens when you deal with the devil.

She knew she should probably feel guilty about killing these men, but the fact is she didn't. They deserved this. They should've known this would be their fate as soon as they signed the contracts.

She took a quick glance at the clock tower down the street before her lips curled into a dark smile.

It's time.

She looked down towards the two cuffs on her wrists. Gifts from her Master to help with her curse. That's right. Her curse. She had felt it within her ever since she was young. This pull towards this unknown force that she was never able to shake. But her Master had helped her deal with the curse. Helped her learn how to use it and told her that if she ever wished to be free, she would need to slowly pay off her debt by working for him. By dealing with the clients that didn't pay up.

The two cuffs on her wrists were made of an odd solid material that she knew nothing about. But, she did know that when she snapped the top clips into place, two pins on each cuff would shoot out, stabbing straight into her wrists. Those pins were strategically placed to stab directly into the veins in her wrists.

Because in order to activate her curse, she needed blood.

Snapping said clips into place, she felt the familiar sting in her wrists. Her eyes hardened as she started to envision the dark looming gates that belonged to a world that was not her own. This one was shaped like it was from the 19th century, except its bars were riddled with claw and bite marks. She held her right hand up in front of her, seemingly against the gate. She 'pushed' it open as she said the now familiar words.

"Open! Demon Gate of the Hell Hound! Cerberus!"

Suddenly in a wisp of dark smoke, a large three headed hound emerged from the darkness, growling intensely. Covered in coarse dark fur, its body was similar in height to her own as it stood in front of her, placing its three heads at eye level with her own. It's dark crimson eyes stared right at her as its long serpent like tail flicked gently behind it.

That's right. She, Lucille Heartfilia, was cursed with the ability to summoning demons.

Lucille smiled gently as one of Cerberus' three heads leaned forward to nuzzle against her cheek. "I missed you too buddy. But it's time for you to get to work." She pulled out a plastic bag from her right jacket pocket. Taking out the large watch inside, she held it out in front of her for Cerberus to sniff. Each of his three heads took turns memorizing the scent belonging to the owner of the watch.

"You catch his scent?" she asked. The hell hound snarled, baring its rows of sharp fangs. "Good. Just like all the other times okay?"

Cerberus was about to head into the building, when suddenly the sky rumbled with thunder and flashed with lightning. She flinched at the sound of a loud crack and turned to see her hell hound suddenly surrounded by a cage made of...lightning? It tried to pass through the cage, but whimpered when it was shocked by the bars.

What the hell is this? How is this even possible? What is going on?

A deep voice suddenly spoke out to her. "Where do you think your little pet is going?" She quickly turned around to find the owner of the voice. She froze when she found a tall blonde man standing only a couple of feet away from her. Where did this man come from? She had checked the entire roof-top when she had arrived to make sure it was empty.

She snarled towards the man. "That's none of your business." Her mind was racing a mile a minute. How did this man get to the roof? She was standing right in front of the only entrance.

The blonde man smirked, "Well, unfortunately, with your recent escapades you made it my business." Laxus had followed the rich, over-privileged man the entire day and ended up positioning himself at a building near the businessman's condominium, watching the man from afar. He was about to complain about being bored when he suddenly felt a surge of magic coming from the high-rise's rooftop. He quickly lightning teleported over to the building only to find some gigantic three headed hound and a hooded figure with a woman's body. He quickly trapped the hound in a lightning cage and approached the figure. Judging by the voice, he was pretty certain that it was a woman.

"Are you with the cops?" Lucille asked him, her voice wary. Her face had remained hidden under her large hood. She couldn't risk getting caught. She would never live to see the light of day if she was. They would make sure of that.

Laxus snorted, "As if I'd ever want to be associated with people like them." Mundane cops couldn't do shit. They were completely useless.

"Then what do you want?" She sassed back.

"I was looking for someone," Laxus started. "But I think I've found them. You see, for the past few months, someone was running around murdering Fiore's top businessmen." He watched as the woman stiffened slightly. Oh he was sure by now that he had the right person. But it wouldn't hurt to have a little fun before he brought her in. "Now, there was something odd about those murders. Each and every one of them were ripped to shreds, looking like a wild animal attack."

Laxus continued as he slowly circled around the woman, watching as she also turned with him. "Except, despite the massive amount of blood left behind, there were no animal prints at the scene." He turned to stop in front of the growling three-headed hound still trapped within his lightning cage. "Well now I think I know why." He leaned his head closer to the bars of the cage.

Lucille growled at him as well, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Laxus turned back to look at the woman. "And why not?"

She let out a pitying laugh, "Because he isn't exactly trapped." Suddenly, Cerberus' formed wavered back into the shadows, diving into the floor of the rooftop. That man must have been pretty stupid to forget the bottom of the cage as well. Within moments, Cerberus had reanimated by her side, canines bared in preparation for battle.

Laxus' eyes were wide open as he realized the beast had escaped his cage. How the hell did he managed to do that? However, he didn't have much time to think as the hound immediately leapt towards him, fangs bared and jaws wide. He quickly dodged the attack, but the beast was back on him with a swipe of its clawed paw. Shit. Whatever this oversized dog was, it was fast. If it wasn't for the speed of his own lightning element, he was sure that he would've ended up like all the other businessmen.

Laxus growled as he dodged another bite to his body. He didn't have time for this. He caught sight of the woman trying to make a run for the stairwell. It was time to get rid of this annoying beast. His right fist was suddenly covered in lightning as he punched the three-headed hound head on, sending another burst of lightning through its body. With a large whine, the beast immediately disappeared in a wisp of darkness.

"Cerberus!" Lucille shouted. She had turned back around when she heard his whine just to watch and feel as her demon forcibly returned to where it came from. What just happened? That man…his fist was covered in lightning? How was that possible?

"Are you cursed too?" Her question, asked in the form of a whisper, was seemingly more directed towards herself than towards anyone else.

Laxus' brow furrowed. Cursed? What is this woman talking about? It's magic. Shouldn't she know since she herself can use it?

Shaking she tried to make the last couple of steps towards the stairwell. Her hand was about to turn the doorknob, when a large hand slammed onto the door next to her head. She froze, feeling the man's large presence right behind her. She was trapped.

"Where do you think you're going?" His body was so close that his rough voice reverberated through her body. Her entire body stiffened in response.

She cursed inwardly. This was supposed to be a 'get-in-get-out' kind of mission. She wasn't even supposed to be seen, let alone engage another man. She needed to get out of this and fast. She needed Cerberus back as a diversion.

"Open! Demon Gate of the mmph-" A rough hand immediately covered her mouth before she could finish the incantation.

Laxus' eyes went wide when he registered the words she had spoken. Demon gate?! He had heard of celestial gates, but he didn't think demon gates actually existed. Usually demon summonings required a lot more than just a couple of words spoken so easily like that. Who is this woman?

Laxus didn't have much time to think over that fact as he was suddenly elbowed hard in the stomach. Grunting in slight pain, he was caught off guard and was unable to block the subsequent sweep to his legs, causing him to fall to the ground.

The woman instantly made a run for it, dashing for the edge of the roof as Laxus was still blocking the door to the stairwell. Growing in anger, Laxus sent a bolt of lightning towards her, eliciting a loud cry of pain as she was electrocuted, falling down to her knees.

Lucille was momentarily paralyzed as she felt the residual sparks of electricity running though her system. When she regained her senses, she was forced to strip off her hooded jacket as it was starting to smoke from the lightning, revealing her black strapless corset. She heard shuffling behind her and made the mistake of turning back around to look.

Laxus froze when the woman turned around. A beautiful large breasted blonde woman with wide chocolate coloured eyes was not what he was expecting under that hooded jacket. But what made him freeze was surprisingly not her looks, which was still pretty impressive even by his standards. Instead, his focus was geared towards the mark that was present on the top of her right breast.

He knew that guild mark.

Tartaros.

Taking advantage of the man's hesitation, she scrambled back up towards the ledge of the roof. And without any sort of hesitation, she jumped. She felt herself falling down many stories of the building before envisioning another gate. This time it was midnight blue and shaped like two large feathered wings.

Her right hand held out below her, she shouted the words.

"Open! Demon Gate of the Raven! Naberius!"

Instantly, in another puff of smoke, a large three eyed raven with wide midnight blue wings materialized below her. She landed with bent knees on its soft back just as she neared the ground. Of course, like always, the humans below paid no attention to anything around them and simply ignored the large bird that passed by right above them.

Naberius immediately brought her back up and above the rooftops of the buildings. She circled the high-rise, noting her attacker's face still wide in disbelief. He probably thought she had jumped to her death. Not wanting to stay any longer, she ordered Naberius to take her back to the mansion. She definitely wasn't looking forward to it, but she needed to report her failure this night.

Let's hope she survived the punishment.


A/N: Welcome! This idea had been sitting in the back of my head for the past little while so I've finally decided to turn it into words. Not entirely sure of the direction of this fanfic and how often I'll be able to update this since school is starting to pick up, but I'll try my best. I'm still stuck as to whether this will be a NaLu or a LaLu since the flavours of their respective relationships are so different and I love them both, so until I decide there will be hints of both. Natsu won't be showing up until a little later though. If you want to let me know what you think so far, feel free to do so!

Until the next chapter!