Here is the first chapter of Beauty and the Beast! I hope you all enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail
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Beauty and the Beast (Ch. 1)
All Lucy knew was the cold. She slept in it, ate the scraps of food she could find in it, lived in it, bare and vulnerable. She never had enough clothes to keep her warm and since the autumn was settling in in Magnolia, Lucy knew she wasn't going to last long.
She sat at the side of the road, dirty and broken, begging every pedestrian who passed her for some money. She just wanted to buy a winter coat for the upcoming season. If everyone had given her one jewel, she's have enough money by the end of the day.
However, not one person turned to even look at her when she begged.
The sun was going down and it was so cold Lucy's organs were shivering. She was lying on the ground, bare fingers and toes numb and she couldn't feel her ears.
Silently, Lucy cried. Just six months ago, she was the richest girl in all of Fiore. The Heartfilia Estate's property was bigger than the city of Crocus. And just like that, they were robbed. The thieves killed her father and her mother had been dead for years. The Heartfilia Mansion was nothing but a pile of ash now and the news spread quick. It was in the newspaper: "Heartfilia Estate burned to the ground! Jude and Lucy Heartfilia, killed!" Lucy didn't bother correcting anyone and telling them that she survived. It wouldn't matter since she was about to freeze to death anyway as the former Heartfilia Heiress – and now an orphan – at the side of the road.
Life can be tricky. At first, she's rich, now she's homeless.
"Miss? Miss?"
She didn't have the strength to lift her head when there was someone shaking her. She opened her eyes to see an old man and Mirajane Strauss, Lucy recognized her anywhere. The famous model she always looked up to was standing right in front of her. However, Lucy didn't care anymore.
"Master!" Mira exclaimed, "she's still alive!"
The old man took off his coat, wrapping it around Lucy's freezing figure. "Let's take her to Fairy Tail. Mira, help me!"
"Of course!"
Lucy felt herself being lifted up by the two people and before she went unconscious.
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"Miss? Miss, wake up."
Lucy fluttered her eyes open to adjust to the light in the room. She was warmer…warmer than she's been in a few months, and she sighed in bliss before taking in her surroundings.
She was lying on the couch surrounded by strange people. She could feel the warmth of the fireplace next to her and a blanket around her shoulders. As consciousness brought her back, Lucy became aware of the smell of food.
The smell of food is always followed by a loud rumbling that erupted from her stomach. Lucy would've blushed in embarrassment if she wasn't desperate to eat something.
Mirajane Strauss was standing next to her and at the noise from her stomach, she stood up and brought a bowl of soup over to her.
"Here you go," her sweet, soft voice echoed into her ears, "you'll need to sit up."
Weakly, Lucy obeyed and sat up, taking the spoon of chicken noodle soup and eating up as much as the bowl allowed to her. Afterwards, she was handed a tall, cold glass of water as the empty bowl was taken away.
She felt alive again; no one would ever know how much water and food could make someone come back to life.
"What's your name?"
She was then aware of how many people were sitting around her. Mirajane and the old man who found her were the closest, but she could see other people behind them. Now that her stomach was filled, Lucy was embarrassed that they watched her desperately devour her meal.
"It's okay," the old man spoke when Lucy didn't reply. "You're safe now. My name is Makarov. I'm the master here at Fairy Tail."
"Fairy Tail?" Lucy questioned.
"Yes," he replied, "it's where you are now: Magnolia's orphanage."
An orphanage. It was one of the last places Lucy wanted to live in for the rest of her teenage life. However, these people saved her. The least she could do is be honest with them.
"Tell us your name."
"My name is Lucy Heartfilia and I, too, am an orphan."
Everyone in the room gasped.
"I thought the Heartfilia's died in a fire six months ago," a little girl with blue pigtails exclaimed. She was holding a white cat.
"Wendy! Don't be rude!" A redhead scolded. Lucy didn't notice her sitting near her.
"I'm sorry! I'm just surprised."
"I was the only one who made it out of the house," Lucy responded. "I've been living on the streets ever since."
"Master," a boy with black hair in the back said, "she could stay with us!"
"Yes," Makarov nodded, "Lucy why don't you stay with us and become a member of Fairy Tail. We'd love to have you."
"I'm sorry," she shook her head, "but being in an orphanage is one of the last places I want to live."
"But where else are you going to go?" A girl with blue hair appeared behind the couch. Her headband pushed back her bangs.
"I understand," Makarov smiled and nodded, "but I guarantee you that you'll like it here. At least stay here for a day and if you still don't like it, I'll find you a place to live."
Lucy nodded; she could work with that, "okay."
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Lucy's room in the orphanage was larger than she expected. The furniture was exquisite, and carpet was soft. It wasn't nearly as fancy as her mansion back at the Heartfilia Estate, but it was cozy and she loved it.
It didn't take her very long to know everyone's names; she had always had a good memory. Levy liked her immediately and was almost on her knees, begging her to stay. It touched Lucy in a way; she had never had friends before. The only friends she had known were the maids, a neglecting father, and a deceased mother.
The orphanage in and of itself was huge and Lucy could understand why they able to fit so many members with large bedrooms. Apparently, according to Erza, the orphanage was the pride of Magnolia.
It wasn't all the fancy rooms and food that suddenly made Lucy want to stay though, it was the people:
It didn't take her very long to fall in love with all her new friends that she was able to make within ten hours. She was welcomed – despite the fact she wasn't really a member – and was treated like a sister to them all. It had been a long time since she's felt loved and belonged. It was before her mother died, which was seven years ago.
When night fell the next day, she just couldn't leave the place; she was in love with everything already.
She changed her mind: an orphanage would be her first pick to live at, especially Fairy Tail.
Everybody literally cheered and celebrated by throwing a party, much to Lucy's surprise, but then again, she should've expected that. She felt like she's known everyone her entire life. The crazy bunch of orphans were the family she never had.
During the party, Mira pulled Lucy aside. It was then that she learned that barely anybody got adopted, but that was the way everyone liked it. No one wanted to leave Fairy Tail and Lucy was completely fine with that too. Thinking of someone else as her mother and father seemed horrible, like a replacement.
"Where do you want your emblem?" Mira suddenly asked.
"What?"
"Everyone one of us here has a fairy tattoo. It lets other orphanages from other cities know which orphan belongs to which orphanage. It also lets people know where we live. It's kinda a safety thing."
"That makes sense," Lucy agreed. "I guess I'll have it here," she pointed to the top of her right hand.
"Alright!" Mira smiled brightly, "what color?"
"Hmm…light pink!" Lucy felt giddy. Maybe it was because it was becoming official: she was joining Fairy Tail!
As Mira stamped her right hand, her emblem shown brightly, "now its official!"
Lucy squealed loudly, looking at it like it was a diamond. She turned around running to Levy, showing her the emblem.
"Levy, look! Mira just put the Fairy Tail mark on my hand!"
Levy in return squealed just as loudly as Lucy did and grabbed a hold of her hand, pulling it into her face to get a closer look. "Awesome! It's so pretty!"
"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Lucy!" Gray causally draped a welcoming arm around Lucy's shoulders. Lucy laughed, but she could feel Juvia's warning, icy eyes piercing into her back and she awkwardly pushed his arm off her.
"Thanks, Gray!" She exclaimed, laughing again.
Lucy loved it here…
As she ate some cake Mira made, she sat next to Erza and Levy, chatting.
"So, I've never been to Magnolia honestly," Lucy said, gaining Levy's attention. Erza as too engrossed in eating her cake to notice the blonde's words. "I walked here from Hargeon a couple days ago. What's it like here?"
"Magnolia is a rather warm town, even in winter: warm days, cold nights during the season. Everything is peaceful; you'll like it here!...except for the forest."
Lucy raised an eyebrow, "the forest? What's wrong with the forest?"
Levy shook her eyes sadly. It seemed her appetite for cake dwindled. "I don't know really; nobody does. The police are still trying to do something about it. Don't go in there though," Levy says, "it's dangerous. Anyone who goes in there, never comes back out."
Lucy shivered at her words, losing her appetite as well. "Everyone who goes in there, dies?"
Levy nodded, "at least that's the rumor. It's probably a pack of wolves, but I wouldn't go in there to find out! Just stay away from there!" She giggled. "It's no use to throw your life away just to find out what in some woods!"
Lucy nodded and giggled, "I agree!"
As the two girls ate their cake, Lucy curiously couldn't help but think, "what is in Magnolia Forest?"
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Please tell me that this wasn't rushed…
-zEllie