When I was about seven years old, my mother always told me, I was a princess… And I actually felt like a princess…

When I was 12 I started attending a public school, because I was sick and tired of being taught at home. But there my classmates didn't understand my behavior and they called me a spoiled little princess. I was proud enough to ignore the spoiled… actually they still called me princess, right?

When I attended High School when I was about to become 15, the princess was turned into a bitch… And it wasn't only bitch. They called me a slut, when I was flirting with one of their ex boyfriends and a whore when I wore a short skirt or high heeled shoes. They didn't care if it affected me… well I know they hoped that it affected me but I knew that I was better than them. But actually I felt nothing, when they did something like that… I never had a friend when I was a child… Even not a best Friend… I had a lot of boyfriends but I actually never loved one of them and I know they did not either. They just wanted to show off with their hot girlfriend, and when THEY broke up they told everyone that I was the bitch who cheated on them and then broke up. But I didn't really care because I knew, when I got home again, everyone loved me and I was a princess again.

But at home I wasn't really happy. I started teaching myself how to deal with clestial spirits since my mother used to be a clestial wizard, too. When my mother died when I was 13 and I hired 3 of her golden clestial keys, Taurus, Aquarius and Cancer, my father was absolutely against my decision becoming a clestial wizard so I started practicing on my own. Of course I really was upset, when my beloved mother died. She never had done anything wrong and she was the most important person in my life.

I started dreaming of big adventures and a prince who was picking me up with a white horse. I started writing down my thoughts and then began writing a novel. It helped me to come over mother's death, although I still miss her very much.

When I decided to run away from home, when I was seventeen , my first thought was, if I was able to find a guy, who truly loved me, not just my body… I decided to go to a place where no one would ever expect me. I ended up in a small town, I can't remember the name anymore, and I got to know an incredible fire mage. By the way, my name is Lucy. That fire mage was called Natsu and his best friend was a blue cat called Happy. Natsu was about my age maybe one or two years older… He got Happy when he was a little kid and since that day they were best friends. Natsu offered me to join his guild which was called Fairy Tail. I have to say, the first two weeks I was in that guild I thought Fairy Tail was spelled Fairy Tale, like the books you are reading, but Mirajane taught me that it actually really was spelled Tail, like a cat's tail…

Never mind, Uhm… where was I?

Yes, the guild. So I joined that guild and Natsu and I became friends. Actually.. I really wish he would have the same feelings for me, as I have for him, but at the moment he is more interested in defeating Gray than cultivating our friendship. So, today it's Natsu's 19th birthday (aaaaaaah so he is one and a half year older than I am :P) and I want to give him something really special, since he is the first person I truly trust, besides my mother of course.

Yesterday I went to the city to buy Natsu's present. I didn't really know what to buy since Natsu is the most important person to me, so it really has to be very special…

I went to a shop where you can buy weapons like swords and stuff, but I guess that's something for Erza… not for Natsu… I also went to a book store, but I didn't know what kind of books Natsu likes to read (does he read any books at all?) so I decided to let it be. I never expected to find the perfect present at a jeweler. It was a silver pendant in a dragon shape. There was a beautiful design engraved on the wings und there was a ruby which was symbolizing the dragon's eye. It perfectly fit to Natsu. I immediately bought it and when I was at home I wrapped it in red paper.

When I woke up today I really was excited… I really really wanted to know, how Natsu would like my present, and I also wanted to be the first person who congratulated him. This couldn't be that difficult since he's at my place nearly every morning even before I'm about to get up. At first it was kind of creeping me out, that he could watch me sleeping. I mean, what if I start mumbling something…. What if I start mumbling something about HIM? Well, now it's very usual that he is there every morning, so I always am preparing breakfast for two (or for 4 since Natsu's eating a lot more than I am) but today he wasn't there. I thought maybe he would sleep a bit longer today, since it is his birthday… maybe I should go to his place? When I was there, he already had left…. Oh boy… Maybe he's at the guild? When I entered the guild he wasn't there too, so I asked Mira-san where he could have been gone. "Natsu… hm… I guess he had left the guild very early today. He always goes fishing with Happy on his birthday… you know… that's their tradition. Maybe you could find them there?" I remembered where Natsu took me when we were gathering some fish on Happy's birthday, maybe they would do the same for him? Somehow that's cute. So I went to the fishing area.

When I finally got there, it wasn't really difficult to hear Natsu and Happy, since these two are very loud… but that's only one reason I like them. I finally found the place where they have encamped.

Natsu should've heard me since I was very loud with my high heeled shoes. "Aaah, Lu-chan! What are you doing here?" He grinned at me like he had won one of the Olympic gold medals. I loved that smile, it always cheers me up, even when I'm upset. And I can't be mad at him when he smiles at me like this. "I just came over to congratulate you. Since it's your 19th birthday… I thought we could hang out together." Natsu widened his eyes… then blushed… "Lucy… I'm very sorry. But my birthday is the day Happy and I were always celebrating together, alone. I really don't want you to be mad or something, but that's you know… tradition." So is that… Is that why he wasn't at my place today? And not at the guild? I hung my head feeling tears building in my eyes, until I couldn't see the grass clearly anymore. Don't you hate that when you're about to cry but don't want to? And more than that you want absolutely nobody to notice, but your face grimaces so obviously that everyone can see? I hate that… And the worst thing is, that I really am crying now. But I still keep quiet. I don't want Natsu to feel guilty on his birthday. That would not be fair. I had to calm down. I wiped away my tears and smiled. "Oh is that so? Then I didn't want to interrupt you. I see you tomorrow morning, I guess?" Natsu blushed even more… He definitely noticed that I was crying, how couldn't he? "Uhm… yes… See you then, Lu-chan." But I didn't want to hand over his present tomorrow. "Uhm… before I go. I prepared something for you. I would love you to open it today, okay?" I laid down the present next to his bag. "See you, bye." I ran away as fast as I could. After a few hundred meters I had to catch some air and started crying heavily. Why am I overreacting like this? It's his tradition. That doesn't mean, that I mean nothing to him. But he could've told me, since it's the first birthday I'm celebrating with him… Well.. you really can't call that celebrating… That's a completely disaster…

I didn't want to tell Mira that story although she could understand me…. But I don't want to talk to anyone at the moment. I just want to think about everything that just happened… Not only in that time I am a member of Fairy Tail, I want to think about the time before too…. How should my father feel now and how did he feel when I left home to become a mage? What did he think when he forbid me to become a clestial wizard… What about these girls which threatened me badly at school… what did they feel, when they called me a bitch? Were they jealous, or did I really do anything wrong?

Why do I always have to screw everything? Every single person I was with hated me or left me. These girls, my ex boyfriends, my father, my mother and now Natsu? What's just wrong with me? Am I sick or something like that? Why does nobody want me around him? I went to my place an lay down on the sofa. I turned on the TV and watched a cheesy Asian drama. That girl wasn't happy too, because her father didn't want her to get married to the man she loved. He wanted her to marry a stock owner who was about 25 years older than her, and her lover's father…. I switched off the TV… that was creepy…. I wonder what would happen… I could bet that the one of them will die…

I wonder if Natsu really would open the present? I hope he will… If he won't… I don't know what I should think then… It's 10 pm now… If it was a usual day, Natsu would sit here with me watching TV making Popcorn with his own fire…. But today isn't a normal day. It's the only day in the year I am not allowed to see him, because he wants to celebrate this day with the person which is most important to him. *knock knock knock* damn… I didn't notice I started crying again… Never mind… whoever this could be he or she will escape as fast as possible again. I opened the door… I expected Mira or Erza but not him… "Na- Natsu? What are you doing here?" "Well, it still is Friday night, why are you so surprised? Do you think I would ever miss one of our watch as much TV as you can nights? C'mon even I am not such a dumbass…"

"But I thought you wanted to celebrate with Happy?"

"Well… Happy ate too much… like every year…. He doesn't feel very well, so I sent him do bed, like a good father should do, right?"

I smiled… that actually was the cutest sentence I've ever heard.

"Uhm… And I'm sorry about earlier… I should've told you that I don't like to celebrate my birthday with a huge party… You know… There are only a few people who actually know when my birthday is… I don't like that… having hundreds of people around me singing Happy Birthday… I never know what I should do then… besides… the flames on the candles look much more delicious than the cake you know…^^" I laughed… That was Natsu…. No matter how stupid he just was a moment ago, when he smiles I forget everything. "Haha… Well… Should I open your present now? I didn't like the thought of opening it and you won't see me happy…" I blushed… No matter how I was threatened in the last 17 years… He just makes me forgetting everything… "Well… before you open the present… Can I talk to you a bit?"

"Of course…"

"Well… where should I start… I've never ever felt something like that before… So I don't know what it actually is, it's just that warmth, you know? That warmth you feel when you're around somebody you feel comfortable with. I've never had real friends… Until I was 12 I always was at home and then at school everyone hated me for no reason… My ex boyfriends were all dirty liars and my father only was interested in the company… The only person I really trusted in was my mother. She died when I was 13 so, I was all alone for 4 years. I tried to get over Mother's death with writing the novel, but I still am crying at night, because she was the only person I was able to talk honestly. When she died she gave me her four clestial keys that's why I became a mage and ran away from home. I thought that everyone I ever knew left me in any way… And in the end I'm all alone again. But then I met you and I became a part of Fairy Tail. I love you all so much … I can't describe. For the first time of my life I feel comfortable with the people who are around me…. But today … For some reason I overreacted. I thought that you didn't want me around because I don't mean enough to you… Well it wouldn't actually be a new feeling to me… but for some reason… I want especially YOU to like me… for some reason I want you to make me feel like I was important to you. That's why I was reacting like that today… I'm sorry for making you worry." I started crying again. I was relieved to talk about everything and not just sitting there covering my true feelings with a smile.

"Listen… Lucy… There's nothing in the whole world that means less to me than Happy, the guild and you. You are the first real family I've ever had… and since you have become part of the guild I feel even more… happy… There's nothing in the whole world that could make me disliking you…. You really are one of the best things that could've ever happened to me." He leaned forward and kissed my forehead… I was still crying… No matter how much I knew him… I would've never expected something like this. "So… Don't you wanna open your present?"

He slowly unwrapped the paper and looked at the present. His eyes widened and his lips were curving into a gently smile. "That's so much better than fish. Thanks Lucy! That's awesome… Well… I know it's still a couple of days until it's your birthday, but I guess I'll give this to you now…." What was he just saying? He already has bought my birthday present? And he actually carries it with him? He let his hand slip into his bag and then held his fist in front of my face. I slowly opened his hand and I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a golden pendant in shape of a key. "Well… seems like we had the same thought." He grinned at me… I didn't know what to say… I lay down the key and hugged him. I could feel his heart beating faster than usual. I smiled. I was happy. Happy that there actually is a person I can trust again. "I still don't know what this warmth is… but at the moment I'm about to burn up." I heard him giggle… "Well… I don't know either… but I can tell you, that I feel that way too…. I guess that's what people call…" I knew we two felt the same, so I didn't have to hear the last word. LOVE.

Suddenly his lips crushed mine and for some reason I felt more and more burning up now. He was so incredibly warm… "So, I guess it's time to start a new tradition."

I smiled… In that night the princess and the dragon fell for each other.

That was the first night I didn't cry when I thought about my mother. I was happy. Happy to finally have a person who truly loved me and happy for having the feeling he would never ever leave me.