Hello, BlazingRagnarok here. This is my very first piece of fanfiction, so I would really appreciate constructive responses to this fic. Note: this particular FT fic is set before the Tenrou Arc timeskip, after the Edolas Arc. However, not being caught up in FT does not mean that you will be unable to enjoy this fic.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. I do not think that this would protect me from any sort of legal action, but I would like to say that I respect Hiro Mashima and all of his work.

A thick layer of fog hung over Magnolia, throwing a cloud of silence over the normally bustling town. In one nearly deserted street in one of the corners of the town, a young woman wearing a fine ball gown ran desperately through the mist. As she ran, she glanced left, then right, then behind her, as if expecting some hidden figure to come barreling through the wall of fog after her. She did not plan to wander into this part of town, but she had lost her way, absorbed in thinking about her handsome date from the party she had just left. She was led away from her friends by the oddly mood-setting weather.

Her frantic flight was pursued by a haunting song, sung by an unseen woman in a bizarre gurgling voice, the lyrics impossible to make out. For reason that she could not comprehend, this melody terrified her beyond reason. Eventually the girl came to an abandoned market square, a desolate, lonely place, and stopped running, gasping for breath. Peering through the mist, the song still in the poor girl's ears, she could make out the willowy shape of a woman. As she crept toward the figure, the song grew louder, confirming that this silhouette was the source of the music. Unbeknownst to the woman, the fog behind her solidified into a wall of water, taller than the buildings in that abandoned district. Suddenly, just as the young woman was about to reach the singer, the wall of water lashed out, capturing the girl in its crushing, airless grip. As the water filled her lungs and she was beginning to black out, the girl finally heard the song's lyrics:

The great winding lord

His body crumpled

Lies bound in chains of mist and blood and treason

Forced into an adamant slumber

But now

The great lord stirs

From his deep sleep in his deep bed

His chains weaken

Mist dissolves mist

Blood dissolves blood

Treason dissolves treason

Bow to him, behold him in his infinite glory

Amen

Lucy hummed cheerfully as she walked towards her home from her latest mission, balancing on the wall separating the road from the river while ignoring the usual warning from the fishermen about falling into the water. Plue walked at her side, attempting to mimic her humming, but only succeeding in saying, "Pmmm! Pmmm!"

"Can you believe this Plue? I finally made my rent this month!" Lucy said to her companion,"and I didn't even need Natsu's help this time!" She approached her door, noticed that it was slightly ajar, then sighed. "Speak of the devil," Lucy said, "wouldn't it kill them to knock?" She entered her room, then jumped back in surprise, as her uninvited houseguest was not the usual Natsu and Happy duo, but rather Juvia.

Juvia looked at Lucy. "Hello, romantic rival," she greeted her.

"I am not your rival, I'm your friend," Lucy reminded her, "Why are you here? Did you follow Gray in?"

"No, Juvia is alone, and needs your help," she replied, "you see, Juvia has been framed for murder!"

Lucy stared in shock. "Murder!" she said, "I think I need a few more details here."

Juvia replied, saying, "Early this morning a young woman was found dead in a deserted part of town. She wouldn't have been noticed, due to the weather, but for the pool of water that surrounded the body. The body was autopsied and it was determined that the cause of death was drowning and that magic was involved."

"How do you know all of this?" Lucy asked.

"Gray told Juvia. Apparently he knew the victim and he was asking the local police what happened. The bad part is that the Magic Council has shown up and taken over the investigation! Gray was worried that they would try to pin the murder on Juvia and Fairy Tail."

"Well, I'm flattered that I was the first person you asked for help," Lucy said, smiling.

Juvia frowned and said, "You are not the first. Gray and Erza have been taken in for questioning, Gajeel refused, Cana's hung over, Natsu's on a mission..." Juvia continued on for several minutes, detailing how almost every member of Fairy Tail was absent or unwilling to help, "...Mystogan left, and Laxus got ousted. That leaves you."

"Gee...thanks," Lucy said dryly, "what do you want me to do?"

"Kill the witnesses and destroy the evidence. Then, you can take the fall and go to jail for Juvia," Juvia said.

"Umm...no," Lucy said, starting to lose patience with Juvia's attitude towards her, "besides, I thought we were supposed to thwart a framing, not cover up an actual crime. How about speaking to Master Makarov? That's a plan that is legal and has the bonus of not being nuttier than a sack of pistachios."

So? How did I do on my first try? Review please!