Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own fairy tail.

Everything was gone. Everything that made her my mother was gone. Everything that made her a Celestial Spirit mage was gone. Everything that made her alive was gone.

July 7, 777x was the day I lost my mother to that dreaded thing we humans call death. Everything that made her special to me was gone from her and was in my heart. I couldn't grasp her physically but I could only feel her with me with the spirits. I miss her dearly yet I don't even have the chance to say I love her one more time face to face. I want to see her, I'm a spirit mage that has the ability to see, hear, and talk to spirits.

But she's gone.

Mom. That word meant everything to me that day. I was only 10 years old when it happened.

"Mama," Lucy called. Lucy hid flowers behind her back for her mother. Imitatia was in Lucy's hand. "Yes honey?" Layla asked. Layla coughed harshly, barely able to keep her breath in. It appeared as if she could hardly breathe at all. Lucy knew it, her mother was on her death bed. It was obvious considering her mother was barely able to walk anymore and needed frequent help to just sit up.

"Me and Gonzales brought you flowers." Lucy said as she raised her little bouquet. She waved it in her mothers face so she could get a better look. Layla laughed. "I thought her name was Imitatia." Layla nearly coughed again. "Yes, it is Imitatia. I think Gonzales sounds better though." Lucy said seriously, she was holding her ground in this naming game. Layla smiled, remembering she couldn't waste her breath on laughing despite her daughter's childish games.

Layla sat up slowly to retrieve the flowers stolen from their garden outside. She could tell since the dirt still covered the bottom of the flower. The flowers were Forget-Me-Nots, so blue you could never forget them. Layla had a feeling she knew what they were for, to wait for her on the other side and never forget. She knew Layla was dying and probably wouldn't even last till tomorrow.

Layla gasped at how hard it was to sit up, she was seriously struggling. Lucy moved out to set her mother back down, but Layla refused to look weak in front of her only daughter/child. That's every parents nightmare, looking like they can't protect anyone. When Layla finally sat up she took the forget-me-nots in both hands and smelled them, then when she looked back to Lucy. "Thank you." Layla paused, Lucy was crying yet smiling at the same time.

"Why are you crying?" Layla asked as she tried to soothe the girl. Lucy held out her pinky almost immediately. "Pinky Promise." Lucy said. Layla looked confused, her lack of words and actions showed that. "Pinky Promise that you won't forget me." Lucy said as she grabbed her mother's pinky to help her. Tears were soon seen crawling down Layla's face. Layla raised her pinky and wrapped it around Lucy's. "I promise I won't ever forget you. Why would you think I would?" Layla questioned.

"People who have died forget things. The things they left behind becomes a problem for them. They want to remember, they just don't know how. When you leave for the other side I want you to remember us and your life here." Lucy said. Lucy put up a forced smile then let her head fall, she didn't want her dying mother wouldn't have to worry about something else that was less troublesome. She felt a slightly cold palm cup her cheek, her face was raised to meet her mother's.

Layla wiped Lucy's tears off her face, picked a flower from the bouquet and placed it behind Lucy's ear then did the same for herself. Layla knew that some magic slips through heritage, her daughter seeing spirits at her age meant she was most likely going to be a Celestial Spirit mage. Lucy hugged her mother tightly, but not one that could cause pain. "Please don't leave me!" Lucy cried. Maybe she could spend a little more time with her mother before she died, you know with her being able to move. She hugged her mother more tightly, like if she let go and opened her eyes her mother would be dead.

Layla kissed her daughter's forehead. Lucy heard the sounds of jingling, like keys. Lucy slowly and hesitantly opened her eyes, she saw keys right in front of her face. Three golden keys, each had a astrological sign. Aquarius, Cancer, and Capricorn. Lucy looked up questioningly in her mother's eyes. "I used to be a mage when I was younger. A Celestial Spirit Mage to be exact." Layla told Lucy as she handed Lucy the keys.

Lucy looked at her mother in wonder hearing this newfound information. She had absolutely no clue her fancy and beautiful mother used to be a mage, considering the fact she wasn't raised to be a mage. Lucy held the oddly warm keys in her hands feeling the amount of magic coursing through them was very high. "Why did you give these to me? They are yours." Lucy asked. "They're yours. Just remember to be nice to them, not that many people are." Layla frowned, remembering how she in fact got the keys. Their torturous owners, so abusive.

She never understood why they abused spirits, they may have not been human but they were equals to us. Just like we were to them, but it had gotten so bad that humans are starting to believe they are superior to everything and everyone around them.

"Be nice?" Lucy wondered confused, they were just keys. "When you use the keys you summon a spirit, that spirit has feelings. The spirits you summon are the souls of the stars you see every night you go to sleep." Layla explained. She wanted her daughter to grow up around magic, wielding it between her palms whether it was the Caster of Holder type. "Here, hold it in your hand, swing down and with as much heart you can muster open the portal from another world." Layla instructed. Lucy looked at her mother, usually from what she had overheard you say something. As if reading her mind Layla understood her daughter's problem.

"When you hold the key in your hand out, the words will spill out of your heart like a mantra." Layla told her.

Lucy raised her hand and felt herself feel warmth and filled with love, she felt the words spill from out of her mouth like they were natural. As if she had said this a thousand times before.

"Gate of the Water Bearer, the Giant Crab, and the Goat: Aquarius, Cancer, Capricorn Open!" Lucy yelled. Layla was surprised, she only meant for Lucy to open one gateway. However to managed to open all three even at her age, on her first try. As all three are summoned they look at Lucy, eyes widening a little seeing as she was the one to summon them. "Look mama! I did it!" Lucy cheered.

"Yes, good girl. I must admit I didn't expect you to summon all three." Layla said, still a little surprised but proud nonetheless. "You can return, she just wanted to test the magic out." They nodded and returned to the spirit world. Lucy looked at the keys amazed, those keys have the ability to summon someone from another world. Lucy was broken out of her train of thoughts when she heard her mother's rough cough.

Turning around she saw her mother once again laying down, the flowers she had picked were on the floor by the bed. Lucy ran to her mother's side only to see blood in her hand from the rough coughing. "Mama!" "I love you, Lucy." "Mama!" Her mother stopped coughing. Pale skin, dull hair, eyes closed, Layla Heartfilia never opened her eyes again. Layla Heartfilia chest never rose with air or merry laughter again. Despite Lucy's calls for it, Layla Heartfilia never woke up again.

When you watch your mother die in front of you, you just hope it is all a dream. It was the moment where Lucy couldn't believe her mother. When she said her last goodbyes, she didn't cry.

She smiled.

Lucy felt something prick her skin, she looked over to see a needle digging in her body. She watched as the liquid was squirted into her blood stream. Lucy watched as the world around her faded to black.

Lucy wished it was all a dream, but she knew no matter how much she wished it to be a figment of imagination. It wasn't. That is why imagination exists. It is the escape route to escaping reality. But it refused to help her during this situation. Even her imagination knew she had to face this problem.

Lucy made onigiri for her father, in hopes of keeping this family together. The once loving father she had grew into one of a cold heart. She already lost her mother a year ago, she couldn't bare to lose another parent in such a short period. Instead of what she hoping for she instead received an upset father. "Can't you see I'm busy! I didn't raise you to do things like this, that's what we have cooks for!" Lucy couldn't take it anymore, she tried to please him and make him happy all the time but it was never enough. He still didn't make time for her.

"My life isn't based off of what you raised me to be, it's based off what I WANT to be!" Lucy ran blindly off to her room, muttering small apologies to the staff if she bumped into them. She sped quicker when she saw her room, locking it immediately after hearing quick footsteps. She heard her door be turned once or twice before it stopped, she sighed in relief.

But then she noticed the shadows under her door had not disappeared with the noise. Her door opened. The figure turned around and faced Lucy, she knew who it was. Mrs. Spetto. (Imagine Spetto looked like your average maid, only pretty and in her late twenties) Mrs. Spetto twirled Lucy's room key around her pointer finger. "You should know by now that nothing gets by me." Spetto said as she placed the key back on it's holder.

Lucy heard jingling.

Before Lucy had the chance to say anything Spetto appeared in front of Lucy in a flash. Leaving Lucy a little startled. "Don't be frightened child. I used to be a mage just like your mother was." Spetto said. "My magic was High Speed or God's Legs." Spetto explained. Lucy nodded in understanding. "Here, I knew your plan and I may not want you to go I know you feel this is the right thing to do. So I won't stop you." Spetto said as she gave Lucy her mother's keys. "They need contracts, other then that you should be good." Spetto sighed. Spetto was only a little close to Lucy's plan, Lucy needed the keys because she was leaving. Spetto believed Lucy only wanted to be a mage and that was it.

Lucy enveloped Spetto in a hug, shocking the woman. "I'll miss you." Spetto's eyes widened finally understanding what Lucy meant through this year. Before Spetto could say anything Lucy let go and was already on her way out the window climbing down. "I love you guys!" With that Lucy got pass the gate and was on her way to freedom, the freedom she and her mother dreamed of. Starting off with the forest, like any runaways new future.

2 weeks have passed and for a girl with literally no experience in the world she managed to make it far enough. Finding food and water was easy for the young Heartfilia, however when it came to making a fire she had quite the problem. Although she did manage it a few times with a spark from her magic, it ways always hard to force out without her mother's encouraging words. She snapped her fingers in frustration.

Spark.

It always amazed her at how random her magic would just start up like that, it always reacted to anger, danger, and frustration. She could never purposely get herself angry nor frustrated but purposely putting herself in danger just for warmth was something she was wise enough to do, she may have been 10 but she knew better.

As the flames swooshed right in front of her eyes it was barely noticeable when a huge figure had floated above her. She only then noticed when the flames she just created not that long ago was executed right before her from a 'sudden' wind. With her now shivering in the night she felt something slightly rattle the earth.

Earthquake?

Worrying for her safety she hid, children are not exactly the wisest when it came to serious situations but they knew how to hide. Looking to see if the Earth was cracking under her feet, she then realized the mini quake was over and done with. Looking back to her little camp she walked back over to restart the fire, she was afraid to be like a match. It works one time, but can't work the second. The moonlight shining on her golden river of hair, milk chocolate eyes, and heart shaped earrings she managed to restart the fire. She didn't really depend on her emotions for this one. A first.

The fire blazed, but a illuminated a large figure in right behind it. Black with blue swirls it gave off a foreboding essence, but a lonely one all same. Her first thought was of fright, realizing it was a dragon and not a giant lizard. But her thoughts changed when it just stared at her as if she was a different, someone outcast from society like she guessed it was as well.

Deciding to save herself from this tense and disturbing silence she cut thick air with her voice. "I'm Lucy. What's your name?" The dragon eyes slightly widened seeing as a human girl was not in the least frightened, nonetheless asking what his name was. She had guts and was brave, he knew she sensed death radiating from him but she still didn't run off. He understood how Zeref felt when he was sealed. Killing may have been something he did normally but seeing an innocent face in front of you wanting to be friends left you with a guilty and repenting feeling inside of yourself. He didn't like it, but he knew killing to get out of a situation was cowardly. And one thing he knew was Acnologia the Dark Dragon was not a coward, he also saw that this Lucy girl wasn't either.

He made a gruff sound that Lucy concluded as him clearing his throat. He hadn't spoken in so long, this was new to him since human contact was something he never really had a chance to experience unless they were dead seconds later. "Acnologia." He could practically feel the overflowing joy bouncing from her brown eyes. "Nice to meet you, it's nice to have a new friend." Lucy contently sighed for the first time. "Don't you agree?" Acnologia couldn't help but see she was very secluded, like this was her first time making a friend. He nodded.

"Oh, you should meet my sister Imitatia!" Lucy ran to her bag and pulled out a doll with handmade clothes and a rose eye-patch. "Imitatia says hi." Lucy said as she waved the doll closer to his face. Acnologia smelt three scents from this, Lucy's and from what he could tell, her parents. There was NO other scent but them, his suspicions were confirmed. Lucy was a lonely child, yet how can she still smile.

"Hello Imitatia," Acnologia said. "Lucy, why are you here by yourself?" The little girl had parents but they were nowhere in sight or his smell range, their scent led to the doll and only the doll. Lucy's smile faltered but she stayed strong. "I ran away." Lucy said it as simply as possible. Acnologia raised an eyebrow (or whatever that spot where his eyebrows are supposed to be). "Why?" "My mama died a year ago and my papa started avoiding me after that, work became more important to him then me." Lucy explained, she still held strong on her smile although it was slowly trembling.

"Since you have no where to go, you can come with me then." Acnologia offered. He never pictured himself doing this in a million years. I guess Lucy managed to tame the beast known as the fearsome Acnologia. Lucy nodded fiercely, this was her new and only friend for right now, and she didn't want to let go. Acnologia smiled for the first time, he always smirked but seeing that he made a little girl happy may have given him the ability to smile this time. He wondered if she would be able to bring a smile to his face once more.

After a fierce discussion Lucy finally agreed to allow Acnologia train her in the arts of dragon slaying magic, not to slay Acnologia but for her to be able of protecting herself. Lucy at the age of 12 having fully allowed him to take her under his wing (no pun intended).

Hearing each others life story was one thing that brought them closer and allowed each other into a new stage, a father-daughter relationship. Although the years had been great for the both of them, and Acnologia actually felt happy for one the first times in his life, he hated to acknowledge that Lucy may have been ill. Acnologia noticed that there were times where she would randomly sneeze and go into a very serious coughing fit, or she would collapse from using to much energy doing small tasks.

He believed it may have had something to do with his deathly aura effecting her but he realized that had nothing to do with it seeing as the first year she was with him she was very hyper and energetic. If it was a problem it would have already effected her the first week he took her in.

Thinking about it he had one other idea about what could be taking place, she probably inherited magic from her birth parents. It was a common thing that takes place through the human body, but it could be a problem if the magic Lucy inherited was light magic. Opposing magic in just one body if one of them was not properly mastered is an issue, it could very well end her life any minute. Especially at her age. For a 14 year old she pretty much has it mastered, but she needs to master her other magic if she is going to live.

Problem was, Acnologia had no idea what that magic specifically was. And even if he did he wouldn't be able to teach her, his prowess is the darkness and light just isn't his thing. Only option left would to bring her to her home and make sure she forgets him and her abilities. If he remembered correctly from her stories of her life, she was a Heartfilia. One of the most richest families, her home wouldn't be hard to find.

Thank Gods he knew how to use the Case magic, bottles up specific things so they can't use it. But he heard it hurt, painfully. He would have to use it two times on her. Gosh, he really didn't want to be her right now. Too bad it has to happen.

Lucy jerked forward in pain. All he heard was growling, snarling, and hissing but no screams. She clawed the floor beneath her with envy since it could feel anything, she felt like a thousand swords had been toying with her at this moment. Cutting, carving, scratching, stabbing, you name it she felt it. She felt a part of herself go missing but the pain was so much she couldn't care. She was happy when the pain stopped, she stopped attacking the poor floor.

But then it started right up again.

She passed out from exhaustion, but the pained expression still remained on her face as she laid there breathless.

Waking up at a home you used to love but now you loathe is not a good feeling, but waking up with the maids who care for you make it all worth it. Knowing your 14 was pretty much awkward seeing as you don't remember what you did for 13 and 14 birthday, all you remember is that you ran away. Looking forward to isolation as comfort. It worked, but your back home to the world's worst father who is giving you a lecture about how I almost ruined his precious business.

When she walked away from her father after being dismissed she heard that same jingling. Looking both ways wondering where it came from, the jingling happened quicker and louder. She felt something in her hair moving, her hair was in a ponytail. The holder of her hair's tail was her keys. Her Celestial Spirit keys, she never had the chance to make a contract with them. Continuing to walk down the hall to her room she closed the door and breathed in some air, they had been free spirits for 4 years.

Remembering what her mother said, she let the words spill from her mouth.

"Gate of the Water Bearer, the Giant Crab, and the Goat: Aquarius, Cancer, Capricorn Open!" Lucy yelled.

"Um, hi," Lucy started off shyly. "I would like to make a contract with you guys." "Tch, what took you so long?" Aquarius asked, a little upset.

Thank you for reading, this was the reason I stalled my stories for a while. Just so you know Zoldeo stole Capricorn from Lucy before she had the chance to run away again, she tried finding him but he was gone for good. Might base this off of every episode, so I have a lot of work to do.

Listen to Memories of Days Gone by Maon Kurosaki

See you next chapter ~ Senniriki says peace