This is my first chapter of MUSICAL NOTES, my Nalu prequel to Musical Chairs. Time will move quite quickly in this story but I hope you'll enjoy Natsu and Lucy's journey. Do note that you don't have to read Musical Chairs to enjoy this story.

Author: Epicocity

Rating: T for language and innuendos

Pairings: Nalu (main), with side helpings of Gale, Gruvia, Jerza and more.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail. Those rights belong specifically to Hiro Mashima and Kodansha.

MUSICAL NOTES

A Fairy Tail Fanfiction

Prequel to Musical Chairs

Chapter 1

Autumn, Sixth Grade

The poster was easy to miss, yet it had easily captured her attention. It wasn't flashy or flamboyant; just a simple advertisement. Although, it was a simple advertisement that had managed to make Lucy Heartfilia stand in front of it for almost five minutes, her brown eyes beaming at the poster. Truth be told, she hadn't expected to find something like this on her first day at a new school.

"Join the Magnolia Middle School Band Program!" They were simple, yet profound, words to the eleven-year-old blonde who was staring at the poster in adoration. The school had a band! This was, possibly, the best news she'd gotten all day. None of her previous boarding schools had even considered a band program. School was about learning and studying, not blowing notes out of some instrument. Not that it was the main reason Lucy wanted to go to a public school, but it was certainly a contributing factor. She had just finally managed to convince her father to let it happen.

"So, you're interested in band, are you?" said a deep, smooth voice from next to her. Lucy was surprised to hear anything since so far she'd managed to successfully ignore everything else around her.

"Excuse me?" Lucy asked, looking up at her new conversationalist. She certainly had to look up because the guy stood a full head taller than her, his blue hair styled strangely. If Lucy were entirely honest with herself, she'd have said he was classically handsome, but she wasn't one of those girls that started looking for a boyfriend the second that puberty kicked in.

"I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself," the boy said, running fingers through his hair casually. Lucy stopped herself from blanching inside. She wasn't stupid she could tell when a guy was flirting with her. "The name's Bora."

"That's…great?" Lucy expressed, not sure what that was supposed to mean. "I'm sorry, I'm new around here, so-"

"It's all right," Bora interrupted smoothly. "You're not the first sixth grader to get lost in these halls. I could show you around if you'd like…" He trailed off, as if waiting for her to tell him her name. She didn't.

"I think I'll be fine," she responded. "I'm not really lost. I was just looking at the poster."

"Ah, yes, the band program," Bora noted, almost like it was clever that he thought of it. "Did you know that we're typically the top program in the city?"

"Really? Are you part of it?" Lucy asked, her tone part interested, part skeptical. Bora scoffed.

"Of course! I, uh…" he said with bravado, digging his hands into his pockets. "I play drums. I know, that sounds a little lame."

"Not at all," Lucy said encouragingly, not even sure why she was continuing with the conversation at all. "I think drums are really cool. I mean, I'm more of a fan of woodwinds myself, but-"

"Give them back, Flame Breath!" yelled a sudden voice that cut off Lucy's rambling.

"Your fault for taking them off, Stripper!" called a different voice. Lucy couldn't see who was saying what because Bora was blocking her view. She didn't have to wait long to find out.

"How about I take your face off, Fire Crotch!" The boy's taunt was followed by the sound of a fist colliding with skin. Less than a second later, it became pandemonium. Someone slid across the floor, knocking Bora's legs out from under him, and landed right in between Lucy's legs.

"Either my hair got lighter or I'm looking at an entirely different pink thing." Lucy only needed the moment to realize the boy was looking at her underwear. She gave a short squeak and backed away, covering her skirt up hastily in embarrassment. "Sorry 'bout that!"

"You should be," Bora grunted as he stood. "No one hits Bora, captain of the basketball team."

"Yeah, whatever Boring," the boy on the floor said as he stood. He waved his arms as he did so, but they were holding a pair of pants which slipped and landed on Bora's face.

"It's Bora!" The kid ignored him, turning towards Lucy instead.

"Hey, I didn't mean to embarrass you like that. It was an accident, I swear," he told her cheerfully. Lucy peered at him skeptically, but the earnestness in his eyes shone through to her. He was completely different than Bora, who was obviously a liar and was walking away now, the pants on his face discarded, his secret outed.

"It's…it's all right," Lucy answered him softly. Now that she got a better look, she was able to take in the boy's features. He looked around her age with bright pink locks that could stand out in just about any crowd. He was also wearing an absolutely infectious grin (which was starting to twitch her own lips upward) and a scarf around his neck, despite it being eighty degrees outside. All this only served to enhance his childish features immensely.

"So, I'm Natsu," he proudly stated. "Natsu Dragneel. What's your name?"

"Natsu, give me back my pants!" called the other voice before Lucy could answer. Natsu turned to the newcomer with a scowl on his face.

"I'd look for your shirt instead, Snowflake," Natsu commented with disdain. The boy, "Snowflake", gave a yelp and Lucy gave another squeak when she realized that the other boy was wearing nothing but his underwear. Lucy blushed a little at the sight. Snowflake quickly grabbed his pants and shirt and clothed himself rapidly.

"You spend one summer with your stripping aunt and you pick up her stupid habits. It's a wonder Ultear doesn't walk around naked-Hello, who's this?" The dark-haired boy seemed to finally notice Lucy.

"I don't know, Gray. She was about to tell me before your freaky stripping habit interrupted our conversation," Natsu declared. Gray (which Lucy realized was his real name) seemed to be pissed off by this because he got in Natsu's face.

"What are you trying to say, slanty eyes?"

"You know what I'm trying to say, droopy eyes. Or do you need me to repeat it at a first grade level for you?"

"That's rich, coming from a Flame-for-Brains like you!" Gray countered as the two boys started grabbing each other's faces. Lucy was alarmed at the rather comedic sight.

"Well, at least my brain isn't sloshing around in Ice Water!" Lucy sighed, realizing that the two boys wouldn't cut it out any time soon.

"It's Lucy," she said quickly. They both suddenly stopped the mutual face pulling to look at her. "My name."

"That's a weird name," Natsu commented quickly. Lucy's eye twitched. He was calling her weird. This was coming from the guy who'd seen her underwear without batting an eye before he'd even introduced himself. "It's nice, though. Loony."

"Lucy!" she snapped, her temper momentarily getting the better of her. The boy named Gray smacked Natsu on the back of his head. Instantly, the boys resumed their mutual facial-stretching action, to Lucy's exasperation.

"Just ignore him, or his stupid will rub off on you," he said to her as Natsu pulled on his lip harder, distorting the way his voice sounded. "I'm Gray Fullbuster, by the way, this idiot's best friend."

"I don't recall you being my best friend." This comment seemed to incense the fight further. Lucy took a step back, hoping not to be caught in the scene. She was glad she did as seconds later a giant black shape whipped outward and smacked the brawling boys right in the face. They barely even let out a whimper and Lucy felt her body shiver a little.

"You two weren't fighting, were you?" called a deep and commanding female voice. Lucy turned her head and saw what was likeliest the most beautiful girl that she'd seen in her whole life. Not that Lucy was into girls, but this one was formidably striking. She had long scarlet hair that was tied into a simple ponytail and slung over her shoulders was a gigantic music case, like it was the carcass of some dead animal. She was dressed modestly with a simple blazer and a skirt, but the aura around her was so commanding that she may as well have been wearing armor, especially with the glare she was levelling at the two boys.

"Erza…" Natsu gasped out from his place on the floor. He seemed to have enough presence of mind to move, though, just enough to wrap an arm around Gray, who reciprocated in kind. "Come on, there was no need to hit us. We were just hanging out like we always do. Ain't that right, best buddy?"

"You know it, Natsu." Lucy couldn't help herself; she raised an eyebrow as far as it would go. Just seconds ago they had been at each other's throats, but all too quickly this "Erza" had made them act super chummy. It was baffling and nigh-on laughable if the scarlet-haired girl wasn't inspiring fear in Lucy. This doubled when she turned her head to her and Lucy let out a barely audible "eep".

"I apologize if these two were causing you any trouble," she said as she strode forward. Lucy couldn't move or even manage a response. "They tend to be a little overzealous at times. If they caused you any harm, you may hit me as my form of atonement."

"H-hit you?" Lucy gasped out in surprise, trying to get over the girl's very formal way of speaking. "No…It's fine. They…they were just talking to me. I'm new here, so-"

"New? Then it's wonderful to meet you!" Before Lucy could protest, her head was slammed rather violently against the girl's chest for a brief moment. "Allow me to introduce myself. Erza Scarlet."

"I'm Lucy," she responded, though Erza looked like she was waiting for more. "Just Lucy."

"Hmm…you look an awful lot like someone I know," Erza mused, her free hand tapping against her chin in thought. Lucy cringed inwardly. She knew where this was going to lead, and it caused her to despair inside. The blonde should have guessed she would be figured out as the daughter of Jude Heartfilia before long. Erza suddenly snapped her fingers. "Are you related to the previous First Chair Flutist for the Fiore National Orchestra, Layla Heartfilia?"

The question shocked Lucy, but obviously not because the Heartfilia connection had been made. Rather, it was because the connection had been made to Layla and not Jude. "Y-yeah. She was my mom."

"I loved watching her solos. I was sorry to hear she had passed. That must have been very hard on you."

"Wait, she's Layla Heartfilia's daughter?" Natsu suddenly spouted, springing up. "No way! Me and Wendy went to one of her concerts once. It was brilliant!"

"Natsu, don't be an insensitive jerk," Gray said with a rather solemn look on his face. Natsu just looked slightly incredulous. "Her mom died, genius."

"I get that," Natsu replied with a fold of his arms. "I wasn't trying to be disrespectful."

"It's all right," Lucy interjected quietly. "My mom died a couple of years ago. I'm used to it by now, so, you don't need to walk on eggshells around me. My mom was brilliant." Lucy beamed at the three of them, actually feeling lighter than she had mere minutes ago. It was nice to talk about her mom without solely making it about her death. "So, if you guys liked my mom's work so much, then that means you're a part of the band?"

"I am," Erza answered confidently. "First Chair Bass Clarinet in the school's top concert band."

"Yeah, yeah, Erza's great," Natsu passed off lazily. It briefly earned a "Tch" from the red-haired girl. "Just wait and see, though. Once I join the band, I'm gonna be the best musician in the entire band!"

"Assuming you even get in," Gray commented nonchalantly.

"Same to you, ice lips!" Lucy had to stop herself from smiling at the ridiculous interaction. She just couldn't help it; for some reason, these two boys brought out a happy feeling. This must be what it's like to have lifelong friends. This thought was reinforced by Erza smacking the both of them in the head once again.

"I apologize once again," Erza said. "In any case, it was nice to meet you. I hope to see you around again. Boys, get to class!"

"Yes, Captain Erza!" both boys answered her with a salute before they scrambled off. Lucy didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to them herself before they were gone. On top of that, Erza was already rounding the corner opposite the two boys. Lucy quickly shook herself out of her trance and ran after the scarlet-haired girl.

"Um, wait! Excuse me!" Lucy cried, stumbling a little over her own feet. Thankfully, the hallway wasn't too busy, so Lucy took far less injury than she would otherwise. "Um, Erza!"

Erza finally stopped and a few students almost ran into her, while others hastily skirted around her imposing figure. Lucy caught up to her in seconds while she looked down at her kindly. "Yes, Lucy?"

"I…I was just wondering…" Lucy stuttered out. She was ready to kick herself for choking on her words when she was usually so good with them. Maybe it was the lack of positive social interaction that she'd endured for most of her school career. Nevertheless, Lucy swallowed whatever fear she was holding on to and put her question to the daunting redhead. "I was wondering how I could get into the band program!"

For a second, she thought that she must have spat it all out as one gigantic piece of word garbage, because Erza was looking at her kind of funny. Then, she smiled. "Of course I'll tell you! Sixth graders haven't been picked yet for the bands. Auditions will be in a week to choose who gets into the program, in particular the higher ranked sixth grade band and, of course, chair placement."

"So…I still have time!" Lucy chirruped, her brown eyes shining.

"Indeed. Though I can't promise you'll get in," Erza warned her kindly. Lucy didn't care, excitement flooding her insides. She hitched her bag higher on her shoulder and began making off for her first class.

"That's okay! Thanks for the help, Erza!" Erza cast her an amused smile and a wave before she was out of sight. Lucy couldn't help the grin that stretched her face as she stepped into the hallway where all her classes would be held. Feeling reassured, she stepped into her first period English class and took a seat somewhere in the middle.

It was somewhere between taking her textbook and her notebook out that she realized she was hearing someone snore behind her. For a brief moment, she decided to determinedly ignore it, but that became impossible when someone sitting next to the snorer tried to shake them awake. At that point, Lucy couldn't resist the pull of curiosity anymore and she turned around.

"Oh!" she said quietly upon sight of the duo. Really, she was just surprised that she hadn't noticed the tuft of pink hair that belonged to Natsu when she walked in; he was quite a character to remember. Beside him was a white-haired girl with short hair that was pulling on the boy's arm. In the middle of her futile struggle, she turned and saw Lucy staring at them both.

"Sorry about him," the girl apologized sheepishly. "He's always like this on the first day of school. But he'll get better."

"Oh…it-it's okay," Lucy laughed out, slightly embarrassed that she'd been caught staring. With a brief flicker of a smile on her face, she turned back to the front while the girl continued to try and wake Natsu up. Her attempts were mostly futile. Moments later, the teacher stood and Lucy's first day began.

It was at this moment that the blonde blocked everything out for the remainder of the day as much as possible, including the very loud Natsu. Not that she had him in many classes. In fact, her first class was the only one he actually was in. The same could not be said for the other boy that she'd met that morning. Gray was in at least two of her classes, and she quickly learned that stripping was an actual habit of his. By the end of their second class together, Lucy was no longer alarmed by seeing him in nothing but his skivvies. None of the other students were, either.

Perhaps it was easy for Lucy to block out all those miscellaneous distractions when all she had on her mind was the anticipation of going home and cracking open her flute case, or maybe even the small room that had been set aside for all of her mother's musical accomplishments. She felt completely giddy at the very notion…at least, until she sat down alone at lunch. While everyone around her chattered about, Lucy cracked open her books and got started on the homework that the teachers had already assigned for the day. Her fellow students had groaned at the concept of homework on the first day, but after all the upper level boarding schools she'd gone to, she was hardly surprised.

Somewhere between her first two assignments, an unsettling thought struck deep into Lucy's mind: she'd have to tell her father. That very thought made Lucy put her pencil down onto her paper in despair. Her father never had been the greatest at listening. Especially after her mother had died. He retreated into his work and left discussion of everything else by the wayside. Lucy might not have minded so much at first, but when it became increasingly obvious that Jude wanted her to be the epitome of a perfect daughter, she began to feel pressured, and she began to dislike her father.

The tension between father and daughter had reached a boiling point at the end of the last school year, when Lucy actually punched a kid at school for making a crack about her mother. She got suspended and her father became furious with her. At that moment, the floodgates of anger that Lucy had been keeping shut sprang open and she delivered a vicious diatribe to her father. Following that, they didn't speak for almost a month until her father had delivered a compromise that allowed Lucy to choose her own school in the coming fall. For that very reason, Lucy had chosen Magnolia: it was far away from anyone she knew, was a lovely location, and most importantly, was the location of the only concert that Lucy had gone to while her mother was still alive. Jude was reluctant, but eventually agreed.

None of that meant he'd agree to her actually joining a band herself. The thought was a damper on Lucy's mood and she spent the remainder of her day trying to figure out a way to break the subject with her father. She couldn't come up with a single idea by the time she was walking out of the school front doors.

"How do you talk to a guy who brings his work to dinner?" Lucy mumbled to herself by the time she reached the Magnolia River. In the distance, she could see the manor that her father had bought. She didn't care to live in such a big building, but her father had never been one to skimp on anything. As a result, he'd bought the biggest building Magnolia had to offer from a portly lady that managed a whole complex of buildings. Lucy sighed and saw the sign "Strawberry Street", which made her pick up her pace along the river's edge.

"Hey, careful little girl, or you'll fall in!" called a pair of boatmen on the river. Lucy ignored them and finished the journey to her house…mansion…whatever it was called.

"I'm home!" Lucy called when she got in the door, her voice echoing all around.

"Greetings, princess!" a voice called right next to her. Lucy jumped, her bag falling to the floor with a crash. "I clearly startled you. Does that mean punishment?"

"No, it does not, Virgo," Lucy sighed out wearily, finally looking at the teenaged girl standing beside the door. It was hard to believe that her father would hire a teenage girl to serve as a maid and Lucy's personal attendant, but Virgo took to the job with ease, even if she requested punishment from her mistress every other sentence. "Is dad home yet?"

"Your father will be home in time for dinner in approximately one hour, princess. I have taken the time to prepare suitable dinner clothes for you, as well." Lucy frowned. She hated the clothes she had to wear to dinner. Just once she'd like to feel like a real family at the dinner table, filled with laughter and good times. Her father wouldn't change, though, and dinner would always be a formal affair with him, if it even happened at all.

"Thanks, Virgo."

"Would you like me to help you change, princess?"

"Absolutely not!" Lucy snapped. Virgo gave a final bow and Lucy left the maid's presence. She ran up the stairs two at a time before she finally reached her rather large room. For most girls her age, it would probably be a dream come true. After all, Lucy's room had almost everything one could want such as a fancy laptop, clothes galore and even a television with surround sound. Lucy hardly cared for it, and she cared even less for the dress that was lying on her bed. Another sigh escaped her lips and she turned away from the dress. Instead, she flipped her laptop open, the screen lightning up to what she'd been watching that morning before school. She clicked play.

The sounds of a majestic flute filled the air and Lucy closed her eyes, listening to the beautiful notes wash over her. It had been her mother's last composition before she died. Unbidden, tears pooled in Lucy's eyes and she only noticed it when the video ended and the tears splashed onto her hands. Lucy sniffled and grabbed some tissues, wiping her eyes so that no trace of the tears remained. She then got changed just in time for the knock on her door.

"Laady Lucy, your father asks that you join him for dinner."

"Tell him I'll be right down, Capricorn." No other sound was made outside her door, so she guessed that Capricorn had left. Lucy took a deep breath and opened the door, making sure not to trip over the hem of her dress.

The smell of food wafted out from the dining room, smelling remarkably like chicken soup and roasted steak. She didn't know how she missed it before. Taking in a whiff of the food, Lucy traveled down the stairs as deliberately as possible, slowly making her way to the dining room. She poked her head inside and saw that, sure enough, Jude was seated at the table with a stack of work documents right beside him, along with a bowl of soup. Her own bowl of soup was just two places away. Lucy finally walked in and proceeded to her seat without a word from her father. She didn't wait for an invitation to start in on her soup.

A few minutes of a failed attempt at silent slurping later and her father actually looked up. Lucy smiled nervously, feeling just a little embarrassed. He blinked at her before his pen resumed its scratching across the page. "How was your day, Lucy?"

"Me?" she blurted out without thinking. Her father rarely asked her about her day…maybe it was something new he was trying in Magnolia. Still, Lucy thought it best to remember her place and she cleared her throat, her hands nervously flattening the creases in her dress. "It was good…I guess."

"And school? Was it to your liking?" Lucy was looking down now, her hands moving even faster.

"Yes," she said quietly. For a brief moment, Lucy dared to look up at her father. He wasn't looking at her, but the blonde thought that maybe the corners of his lips were turned up somewhat. Of course, it didn't stop him from working, and silence returned. Lucy's hands moved to return to her soup only to find that Capricorn had replaced it with a steak. She took it in stride and started in on the dinner.

"I'll be going on another business trip in a week," Jude finally informed his daughter when she was nearly done eating. "I've got some talks about expanding the railways into Veronica."

"Oh…" Lucy said in response. She didn't really understand the world of business, or why her father needed to leave so much to conduct it. "How long will you be gone?"

"At most, a week," he answered. Finally, he finished working on all of his papers and he pushed them aside to replace them with his plate. "Now then, tell me about school."

It was more of a command than a request, but Lucy leapt at the opportunity to talk with her father about something so mundane. "It's big and comfy and the other kids were really friendly! There were these two boys named Natsu and Gray who fight a lot but seem really close. They also have a friend named Erza who helped me out, though she scares me a little."

"And your classes? Are they challenging?"

"It's only the first day, papa! Though I do have some homework." Her father opened his mouth here, but Lucy managed to beat him to the punch this time around. "I'm almost done with it. I did most of it at lunch. Oh, and they have a music program, papa!"

"Music…?" Lucy should have seen the way her father's face had changed, but she was so lost in her own musings that she couldn't stop. All that worry melted away the second she blurted out what she said next.

"Auditions are in a week and I've been practicing since mama-" Here, Lucy finally realized what she said and abruptly stopped spewing words. Her eyes widened and Lucy looked up at her father. Had she crossed the line? Was he going to put his foot down? Jude wiped his mouth with his cloth napkin and placed his silverware down. Lucy felt her breath catch. "I'm sorry, papa…I-I just…"

"Lucy," he said sternly. She was afraid to look at him. "Lucy, look at me."

"Y-yes, papa?' she stuttered out, raising her head to look at her father. He sighed.

"We had an agreement, Lucy," Jude began softly. "We agreed that you would go to the school of your choice and that you would be allowed to participate in whatever clubs or programs you so choose. I don't want a repeat of what happened in spring."

"Then you'll let me join the band?" Lucy asked in surprise.

"Feel free. I am trying to be a better father to you," Jude admitted. "If joining the music program helps to make you happy, then it makes me happy. Besides…perhaps the music room has remained dusty for too long."

"Thank you, papa!" Lucy, throwing caution to the wind, leapt out of her chair and embraced her father. "If I make it in, will you come to my concerts?"

"I'll try, but you know that I'm a busy man." She didn't let her father's words dissuade her, even if he didn't hug her back. His simple permission was enough to make her want to go bouncing off the walls. Being a Heartfilia, however, Lucy composed herself and returned to her own seat to finish the meal. They didn't exchange another word for the rest of dinner, but Lucy ignored that fact and ended up skipping up the stairs to her room. As she flopped on her bed, she noticed her dog, Plue, lazily licking a lollipop. Of course, the food was probably bad for the dog, but considering Plue had yet to get sick from it, she left the dog to his own devices and slipped off her bed to the floor.

Lucy flipped her sheets upward and grabbed the box underneath the bed in order to drag it over to her desk and snap it open with a smile. Resting inside was an old flute: the very first one that Lucy had gotten for her birthday four years ago. It was already quite used and probably out of tune since she'd kept her practicing a secret from her father until tonight. The flute was a little grimy and not too attractive, but she hoped that it would pull her through auditions. Lucy felt her fingers ghost over the cool surface and she reached to grab it before a sharp rap on the door stopped her.

"Hey, girl, open the door!" snapped an older feminine voice on the other side. Lucy hastily closed the box and walked to her door to open it. Standing outside was another of her family's house staff wearing a look of impatience and annoyance as she flung her turquoise hair over her shoulder. Lucy stopped herself from eeping and bowed before the woman.

"Hello, Miss Aquarius," Lucy said politely, if timidly.

"Tch…spoiled brat," Aquarius muttered. Lucy kept her mouth shut, used to the short-tempered woman's insults. The woman continued to frown before she patted Lucy on the head briefly. "Come with me."

"Where?"

"Just hurry up!" Lucy chose not to challenge her anymore and started padding after Aquarius, who didn't look bothered to wait up. Eventually, Lucy caught up to her standing outside a door on the first floor. That was where Lucy stopped, staring at the white sheets covering the glass doors inside. Aquarius pushed the doors open and the lights in the room clicked on, but Lucy felt her legs turning to jelly. "Come on, brat!"

Lucy felt her feet start to take one step in front of the other, each one feeling more like lead the closer she got. She stopped at the threshold, staring at the white sheets slowly being uncovered by Aquarius. Then there was a hand on her back, pushing her forward. Lucy stumbled a little before regaining her balance and looking back to see Capricorn and Virgo smiling back at her. She turned once more to see the room finally uncovered and gleaming. Turning on the spot, the girl saw the grand piano and numerous chairs and stands, combined with speakers and the cases upon cases that lined the walls, filled with more sheets of music than Lucy could probably ever play in her lifetime.

"What…?" Lucy finally gasped out.

"Here," Aquarius said, a little softer than she had before. Lucy felt something placed into her hands. She looked down and saw the thin black instrument case. With trembling hands, Lucy placed the case on a solid surface and snapped it open, the sound reverberating around the acoustically tuned room. It was almost like a hiss of air escaped the case as it finally opened. Tears instantly came to Lucy's eyes.

"Is this…?" Lucy whispered.

"Indeed it is," Capricorn told her. "That was the very flute your mother used." Lucy swallowed thickly and reached out slowly. The flute, her mother's flute, was sitting there, reflecting the light so brightly that Lucy almost thought it would blind her.

"Not that you'll be the same as your mother," Aquarius said, "but after hearing you talk with your dad, we all decided it was time. It's yours."

"Really?" Lucy asked, the tears turning into pure joy flowing from her eyes. Her hand finally touched the flute and picked it up. As her fingers lightly clasped over it, she felt warmth seep into her. It felt like the flute was finally home; like all of this was home. And when her lips rose to play a single note, it sounded so angelic that even Aquarius looked as though she was going to cry. "Thank you, mama. I'll make you happy in heaven."

And when little Lucy Heartfilia said that, she had no idea the adventure those words would lead her on.

Author's Note: Yes! A Nalu prequel to Musical Chairs. Many wanted a sequel and while I have potential ideas for that, this prequel came first and here it is. I can't promise an update schedule or anything, but I can promise it will be good. This will take place over a course of many years, so forgive me if it moves quickly over time. Also, be sure to check out my other stories including my one-shot Tiger, Tiger and the other prequel, Musical Measures. Well, until next time, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.