FRIENDS! Please re-read this chapter, it has been re-done to fix some problems later on. (See A/N on Chapter 5 for further details.)

Though she preferred starlight herself, Lucy could still appreciate the beauty of the sun bouncing playfully about on the ocean surface. It was so bright, so effulgent. It was so different bobbing in the waves in the sparkling reflections than just under the water, where the dappled light flickered as if alive. Lucy craned her head back to look up to the blue sky. A clear day on the water and in the heavens.

A sharp yank on her shimmering aquamarine tail caused a moment of panic until a blue head of hair popped up next to her. "Juvia!" Lucy cried. "What in the name of- You frightened me!"

"You should know better by now than to be so unguarded, Lucy," Juvia chastised, her deep blue eyes looking out to the east. "Mermaids are not the top of the food chain, and you are not always capable in self-defense."

"I'm not completely useless," Lucy protested, though she knew Juvia was right. Lucy wasn't the strongest, and there were many dangers easily undetectable until it was too late. Like the dark ones.

"All the same, it is safer in numbers," Juvia stated. "There's another one coming."

Lucy's brown eyes dimmed. "Where?"

"East. Let's move."

Juvia dove underwater, followed by Lucy. Looking at her friend, Lucy admired the deep blues of Juvia's hair and tail slide gracefully through the water. Juvia was connected to the water around them in a way that Lucy could never hope to achieve; it was part of her, and she a part of it. It obeyed her and parted to let her pass more easily through its resistance, then closed around her in an embrace of fondness. When the sunlight managed to hit her, it was like looking at a sapphire.

Glancing down at herself, she took in her lighter scales and streaming blonde hair. Unlike her companion, Lucy did not blend seamlessly in the water. She stood out, even more so than the others. Ever since waking up beneath the waves, Lucy'd had a difficult time finding a place to belong. There was a place inside Lucy, a little hollow that longed to be filled. Friends, companionship, connection: even once she'd found Juvia and Gajeel, that little hollow had yet to be filled. Assuaged, yes, but not filled.

"Lucy, hurry," Juvia called. "We mustn't be late."

So Lucy stopped her musings and sped after Juvia. She was right. They couldn't be late, not if there was a chance to save someone from the dark.

Gajeel was already waiting for them by the ships, studying the wooden bellies above him with impatience. "They already know they're just gonna blast each other to bits. Why even bother pretendin' to parley first?"

Lucy scoffed. "Yes, because they should give up a chance at a peaceful solution just because you're getting bored waiting for them."

Juvia remained silent, looking behind Gajeel. Lucy turned to see what had caught her attention. It was two dark ones. Of course they were here, looking for more souls to steal for their twisted master. Dying at sea wasn't as simple as it sounded. Those who died "before their time" were sometimes saved by Mavis, receiving new lives as merfolk. When waking in their new forms, they had no recollection of the lives experienced before. Just new bodies, new forms, new world.

"Don't it just make you glad yer not as ugly as them?" Gajeel muttered, garnet eyes flashing distastefully. He himself was handsome in a rugged, slightly frightening way, all angular and muscular with long black hair and ebony scales. "I mean, ugly and stuck doin' some jerks dirty work? Nuh uh."

The blonde mermaid repressed a shudder as the dark ones began circling, awaiting their victims to drag them off. She wasn't sure how the process worked, but when completed, the drowning human had lost its soul and become a creature of evil emanating promises of filth, and following through with despair. This was the fate of those not saved by Mavis.

Of the three options for drowning at sea, Lucy felt fortunate that Mavis had found her first. Now she had the opportunity to try and ease the pain of passing for others.

"Oi, here we go," Gajeel grunted as debris plunged into the water along with bodies and faint trails of blood. The shark-like dark ones shot forward in action. Lucy and her companions did the same. It was time to get to work.

Lucy was tired from the scene of carnage. Watching humans blast each other to smithereens took a lot out of her, yanking on her compassionate heart and making her feel guilty for every life she could not save. But then, only Mavis could transform a drowning human into a merfolk. Lucy, like every mermaid, had her Kiss she could use at her discretion, but that was hardly something to be used lightly. It all boiled down again to not being able to save many other than by keeping them from the hands of the dark ones.

Gajeel and Juvia knew the blonde liked being alone after grisly jobs, and let her be as she swam away. There was an area not far from shore littered with tall rocks and pillars jutting out from the water, a real menace to any ship daring to traverse that route. Most just avoided it altogether, which made it perfect for Lucy: she could perch on the rocks, admiring the clouds and tiny outlines of distant ships in the daytime, and speaking to her friends the stars in nighttime, all in relative privacy. The sea cliff kept people away on the landside as well.

Something was different when she arrived, however. A ship was caught tilted on the rock pillars protruding from the water. It blazed with bright flames, burning pieces falling to the ocean below. People were falling, too. Screaming people, frightened people. Lucy swam closer cautiously. She didn't see any dark ones around, so at least she didn't have to fight with any of them for the potential dead.

How in Mavis' name had the ship gotten up there? It was mostly out of the ocean water. There was no feasible way, unless a large wave had pushed them. The sea was too calm for such a wave today, so that couldn't be a possibility. And looking again, Lucy saw the massive force would've had to come from the direction of the sea cliff. Waves didn't come from the shore. So what had happened?

More yelling echoed out. Getting closer, Lucy could make out some words among battle screams.

"We don't know what yer talkin' bout! We swears it!"

"None of us know!"

"I haven't seen anythin' like that!"

A roar sounded out, and more fire erupted from the ship deck. This went beyond basic ship warfare. Something different was happening this time. Lucy could feel power throbbing in the air, a power mere cannons could never hope to possess. And the power felt very angry, fiery. Apparently the humans on the ship felt it as well, because what remained of the crew jumped ship for relative safety of the water, anything to get away from that massive aura.

A dingy only mildly aflame landed not too far from Lucy. Anyone even mildly capable had made for shore as quickly as possible. Lucy looked around at the helpless ones, then back to the dingy. She seized the rope attached to it, and pulled it along. The unconscious sea men floating around were tied to the dingy and then pushed towards the shoreline. That was the most she could do for that lot.

Creaking, ripping wood sounded loudly. Lucy stared in awe as the ship rent in twain, and plunged into the water, being further torn apart by the rock pillars around it. It was both horrifying and awe inspiring to watch. What had caused this?

Deciding to retreat to a safe distance to watch for any more humans, Lucy backtracked through the pillars. So much for a calming period away from carnage. Reflecting a bit, Lucy realized that none of the humans had been mortally wounded. Beaten and roughed up, shocked and terrified, yes. But none on the verge of death. Was this controlled chaos then?

Spotting a large piece of driftwood banging against a pillar, Lucy made her way over quickly, emerging from the water. She could see someone barely hanging on. It was a man seriously wounded with a massive jagged wood shard pinning his right arm to his abdomen. She had spoken too soon. Here was grisly carnage enough for the entire battle. He'd probably been speared when the ship had cracked and hurled its shards every which way. Clearly this man had not long to live, no wonder he had no strength to keep much of his body out of the water.

His unfocused onyx eyes opened wide as the "mythical" sea maiden pulled herself up to rest by his side, shouts and explosions thick around them. Proffering a grin marred by pain, he said, "Fancy meeting you here."

Lucy merely raised a brow, either at his greeting or his rose-hued hair, but her expression quickly changed to pity when she examined his wound more closely. Perhaps it would be best to take this one down into the water for a mercy killing, he had to be in so much pain. And it would be better to ease him into the next life rather than allow the dark ones to take him. True, it wouldn't be a real Mercy, and might be more painful because of that.

Apparently he could interpret her expression, because he struggled to lift his left hand in defense. "No, please don't. I'm gonna make it."

She felt her heart breaking a little in pity for this smiling human with too much hope. Perhaps… perhaps she should use it now? It would mean removing the giant splinter and inflicting severe pain, but if it saved him in the end, perhaps she should just do it.

"Don't do anything drastic, I'm gonna be fine in a minute," he said with another grin. "Gotta get back up there and finish the job." He tried to move, but instead coughed up some blood, weakly fluttering his hand between his large wound and wiping the blood from his mouth. "After that, I just gotta get to shore, and I'll be fine."

Steadying him when a falling mast crashed into the water not too far from them, Lucy made a decision. She would do it, she would use her Kiss for this man. Bracing herself for the difficult first task, she wrapped her hands around the wood impaling his arm and torso and ignored his protests and gasps of pain as she yanked hard. He yelled in agony. It didn't come out all the way, and she had to try again before she could fling the thing away as bloody flotsam.

"Really, I heal faster than most people," he said faintly. "And Wendy'll help out, too."

His body was going into shock, eyes unfocused and flat as she leaned down over him. She placed her hands on his wounds and then, with a deep breath, pressed her lips to his. The kiss was cold and salty, and she didn't know if it was working. A mermaid's Kiss could save you even from the brink of death, but it had to be her first, and it only worked once. She had to want it badly, it had to fueled by her desires; it could never be forced from her to heal another. Her kiss was a precious treasure jealously guarded, saved until she felt it was needed. And Lucy definitely felt that it was needed now. This man needed to be saved. She pressed her lips more firmly to his. She couldn't break away until he was healed, until his wounds were closed.

Focused as she was on feeling the wounds close, she was startled when his hand came to cup the side of her face, then trail back into her hair, pulling her closer to him as he moved his lips against hers. A warming thrill of magic tingled through her, and she lifted her face from his to look down at his wounds. It had worked; the only signs of his injuries were the holes in his jacket. A smile burst on her face. She had done it. She had saved him!

She looked up to face him, and met his very aware, very intent eyes. "Lucy?" he asked.

Her smile slacked. How did he know her name? And with his wound vanished, she could feel a pressure around her which hadn't been there before. Something potent, something very present.

"Lucy," he repeated, no longer asking a question. He propped himself on his left arm, and used his newly healed right arm to reach out towards her cheek.

Before he could touch her, she leaped into the water and swam low into its protective cover. How did that man know her name? Was it a side effect of the Kiss? Did it forge some strange connection with the recipient? She should ask someone about that later.

For now, she would just get out of here and find somewhere she really could have some peace and quiet. There was only so much a beautiful mermaid could take before she reached her limit.

"Don't think the dark ones got too many of 'em," Gajeel said on their way back their home coves after another incident a few weeks later. "Since most of the dead ones were just blasted to smithereens instead of drownin', there wasn't much to work with."

Lucy agreed. She hated the battles of humans, and if it weren't for the chance to help Mavis to spare others, she would stay as far away as possible. But she felt compelled to help when she had the ability to do so. Otherwise, what was the point in having power in the first place?

"I'm just glad there were none who needed a mercy, since none of us could have done it for them," Juvia said. After a mermaid had used her Kiss, she was no longer able to heal, but she could use a kiss to attach the wounded or dying men to herself and then drag them down into the depths, effectively administering a mercy killing. At least, it was a mercy killing if you did it the right way. Otherwise, it was just drowning men, murdering them. Juvia hadn't yet used her Kiss. Lucy had decided to keep her Kissing experience to herself until she had the chance to speak with Mavis about the strange encounter.

"Well, I'm grateful that there weren't many new recruits for them, since the darkness has been growing lately. Haven't you felt it?" Lucy asked. And it was true. Outside of the barrier of their coral reef city, it was getting darker thanks to the growth of filth coming from the Crevice, the home of the dark ones and their master. But inside their coves, they were safe. Inside, they were protected, thank Mavis.

Swimming languidly along the coral avenues of the merfolk's underwater city, all of which led to the majestic palace in the middle, they remained silent and enjoyed the peace of their home. In general, Lucy was the chatty Cathy, and would speak freely, but at the moment, she just wanted to relish the peace of her home. It served as such a contrast to the battle they had just come from. They saw other merfolk travelling by, acknowledging them with nods and waves. There were smiles, bright colors, pearlescent sheens. Lucy loved it here.

Confusion replaced her warm feelings. How did that human man know her name? He had invaded her thoughts many times in the weeks since The Incident. She couldn't ask him because her voice had the tendency to drive men insane with her siren call, even if she wasn't trying to. It depended on how susceptible the man was, but she'd wanted to keep on the safe side. Juvia and Gajeel never had this problem, though. They just kept quiet around humans because they wanted to, not because they needed to. Another point of unfairness Lucy liked to gripe about from time to time. Someday she would find a useful advantage to her siren's voice, and gloat to Gajeel about it.

Lucy allowed her thoughts to continue along the lines of her friends rather than the perplexing matter of the human man. Until Mavis could answer her questions, it was better to just do what she could and move on with her life.

Just as they were about to go through the arch leading to the shimmering castle of the Sea King, an agitating wave came charging through their peaceful waters, knocking aside merfolk and loose coral and statuary alike.

"What in starlight's name was that?!" Lucy shrieked from her new place on the floor.

"I've no idea," Juvia answered. She had not been thrust down, merely parting the charging waters instead. Lucy felt a bit jealous. Her gifts only worked on the surface.

They heard shouts coming from the direction the wave had originated. Gajeel swam higher to get a better view. "What's that black stuff? Ink?"

"No squid is that large," Juvia countered as she studied the swelling cloud billowing upwards and outwards. Their tails were strong enough to keep them steady through another shockwave.

"Whatever it is, it's not good," Lucy said, shivering on the floor at the feeling from the mysterious darkness. What was it? It felt like… cold? No, more like a void, an absence. Her mouth dropped when she saw a cluster of mermaids getting sucked into it during yet another rocking shudder and vanish. "We need to get out of here! We need to find Mavis!"

Panic was starting to set in as the black cloud spread faster and consumed more merfolk. Gjaeel and Juvia turned and shot off towards Mavis's Sanctuary, Lucy following closely behind. She was always the slowest, just as she was always the weakest. Just as she couldn't swim as fast, she couldn't swim as steadily through all these shockwaves which were coming repeatedly from the epicenter, slamming her about in the avenues. But she couldn't stop. She had to get to Mavis to get help for the others! She may not be the strongest, but she was determined and reliable in any situation. She came through for her friends.

Juvia's hand reached out to grab hers and yank her into the outer courtyard of the sanctuary. Mavis didn't live here beneath the water since she was actually from the land, but she did come down to them from time to time. As she burst through the front door, Lucy was greatly surprised to find herself eye to eye with the diminutive female who had saved her from drowning years ago.

"Master Mavis?!" the merfolk cried.

"We're so glad you're here!" cried Lucy. "There's something-"

"There is no time to explain; we must act quickly if we are to save the others. Come with me." And with that interruption, they were enclosed into a magical sphere with Mavis, a sphere which went zooming through the water. Mavis was small, not much bigger than a human child, with long pale blonde hair that cascaded down her back over her pink dress. Though she was physically small, she was incredibly wise and knowledgeable. She would know what to do.

"Listen closely. Siegrain has launched an attack, and I cannot get everyone out. Not alone. I'm sending you three to land, and I need you to find the guild called Fairy Tail. It is the guild I created in my lifetime many years ago, and it has many powerful wizards who will be able to help us. Take this." She shoved a small clam into Juvia's hand. "Follow the instructions carefully. Find the Trident. We need it in order to break the darkness and get our friends out. Understand?"

Lucy did not understand why or how everything was happening so quickly. She had just been giving gratitude for how peaceful her home was, and suddenly, this? What was even going on?

Their protective sphere approached an ominous presence, a translucent wall barring the way to shore. Lucy could tell it was bad by the look on Mavis' face. "I will have to propel you from here. There may be side effects of transforming while going through the barrier, but there is no other choice at the moments. My calculations tell me that our best hope is to proceed onwards." Mavis turned to the trio of stunned merfolk with a small smile. "Find Makarov. He will help you. Work together, for bonds of unity can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds."

"Now hold on a minute," Gajeel started, but he didn't get the chance to finish before all three of them were jettisoned from the sphere towards the barrier, shrieking in alarmed surprise.

As she was hurtling towards shore, Lucy could hear Mavis's voice in her mind. "I will remain behind and do what I can for the rest. Be strong, my children. Good luck. Oh. And be sure to try the scallops."

When the voice faded, it was replaced by horrid pain in her lungs and a ripping sensation on her tail. She opened her mouth to call to the others, but found herself unable to produce any sound. A tendril of darkness slipped in and pierced her tongue and burned her throat. Searing sensations raged through her whole body as she felt her tail split in two. How could she help if she couldn't swim? Or, was she… Legs? Lucy wondered if she would even make it to shore to use them. Would she die here in this dark, unfriendly water?

She couldn't die. How would she help the others?

And that's when her mind slipped into oblivion.