Hey, everyone! I'm back at it again with posting something new instead of updating my other fics. Terribly sorry about that, I have no excuses other than this idea has been eating away at me for the whole time I have been inactive. I sincerely apologize to those that have been waiting oh so (im)patiently for me to get my toosh in gear with them. I promise they will not be abandoned, I just don't know when.

Anyways, on with this new and great AU that I have the pleasure of calling my own! Hope you all enjoy!

She couldn't wait to fly. To have her own dragon and to feel free. She loved her family, but it had been stifling to sit inside the house and not be out exploring the world. She couldn't see her friends and they had all moved on with their lives. Would she ever be able to catch up with them?

But today. Today was the day.

She was going to be free at last.

On everyone's eighteenth birthday, they would receive a dragon. It was a rite of passage, a way of showing that they were now adults in society. Of course, she was the last of her friends to get hers, being the youngest of the group by years, but that means she would be able to fly off and journey around the world, like she as always dreamed about, like she had always read about.

Those adventure novels were her lifeline. They kept her going when she felt tied down. But soon she would no longer rely on them to keep her feet moving, they would become something that would bring her pleasure on the days she decided to rest.

Lucy Heartfilia walked through town, head held high as she made her way to the town center where the rest of her peers were waiting to receive their own dragons. They would each be given an egg, based on their compatibility. They had some way of knowing whether a dragon would hatch for someone or not, something to do with magic if she remembered correctly.

Her father was quite against the idea of a lady of her standing having a dragon, but she had argued profusely that if she didn't have one like everyone else in society that she would never be taken seriously in whatever she did. Days before her birthday, he finally gave in. Little did he know that she was planning on running away as soon as her dragon was big enough to fly with her. She was done playing the pretty heiress to his company that he just wanted to marry off for profit. It wasn't fair to her and it wasn't fair to her late mother's wishes either.

She stopped and waited for dragons, horses, and people to make their way past her. They had no idea who she was today. The Heartfilia heir was dressed as a commoner today, pants and knee-high boots covered her lower half and a loose tunic with a belt completed her outfit.

Finally, the way was clear and she jogged to reach the other side of the street. Everyone was gathering in the town center. If she didn't hurry she was going to be late. It wasn't the fact that there were other people sharing the same birthday, the town of Magnolia decided it would be more efficient to hold the egg giving ceremony at the first of every month for the preceding month. It made the whole process more streamlined overall.

Lucy continued to run through the streets, jumping around people and over obstacles that were in her way, apologizing as she went. Most just laughed and rolled their eyes at the teenager rushing by them, knowing full well what day it was for most.

The next five minutes were a blur and the moment she pushed her way through the crowd to reach the fountain where everyone was, Lucy was able to finally breathe a sigh of relief. The town mayor stood next to an ornate cabinet that contained all the eggs they needed for today. Next to it stood what could be the smallest man Lucy had ever laid eyes on.

Makarov Dreyar.

He handled all the breeding dragons for Magnolia. He and his grandson, Laxus, were in charge of deciding who each egg went to. Makarov would come around and hold each person's hand, and somehow, he was able to read their heart and decide which dragon's egg that would fit them the most. It had to be some sort of magic, there was no other way for all of this to continue to go off without a hitch.

The mayor announced that everyone should arrange themselves in a circle around the fountain, and the Dreyars started their way around. Lucy was bouncing on the balls of her feet, eager to see what the Dreyars were like up close. Despite her status within Magnolia, she never had the chance to interact with them at any social events, not that she made herself any more available than them.

It felt like it took forever for the pair to make their way around to her. She had filled herself with so much anxiety that her hands shook and were clammy. She wiped them off on her trousers before offering one to the small man in front of her.

"Why the jitters, young lady?" Makarov asked as he held her hand in both of his.

"I-uh… I'm just excited is all!" she chirped in response, giving the old man a bright and cheery smile.

She was telling the truth, but the return trip home after the ceremony was making her break out in a cold sweat. Her father had only barely agreed to this, he was sure to reject her dragon once it hatched, no matter how well behaved it was.

"So your family does not agree with you having a dragon? Such a shame to be run out of your own home to be able to have something that you desire so much."

Lucy gaped. "H-How did you-"

"Laxus, grab the silver and gold one, it will be perfect for her."

The small man moved onto the next person in line as Laxus handed her an egg with gruff words about not dropping it before it hatched.

Lucy stood there dumbfounded. How had Makarov, a man she had never truly met, know what her father's opinion on dragons was and how she wanted to run away from his oppressive ideals?

The egg she held in her hands warmed considerably at her touch. Looking down at it, she noticed that it was glowing with a soft gold light, matching the swirls of gold that appeared on the shell. Was this normal? Should the egg be this warm? Does the glow mean that it chose her? She would have asked the person next to her, but because of her sheltered life, she knew next to no one of her age, besides the very few who shared her same social class. She didn't even have the courage to lean over and whisper a question to either of her neighbors, fearing that she would sound like an idiot. But as she looked around, no one else's was glowing, and they didn't even look remotely concerned about the eggs in their hands. So why was hers the only one acting up?

Soon enough, everyone had their eggs and the mayor gave his final words before they were all dismissed.

"As you are all aware, raising a dragon is considered a passage into adulthood. This dragon will become your companion, your partner, and your best friend. They will rely on you as much as you rely on them. Your bond is that of equality and teamwork, of trust and faith, of honesty and strength. Be true to yourselves and you will succeed as a dragon rider and dragon. If you do not work together and distrust each other, you will fail."

And with that, everyone went their own ways. Lucy remained where she was, confused as she held onto her warm, glowing egg. This couldn't be normal. No one else's had done this, so why was hers the only one?

Seeing the Dreyars packing up to leave, she hurriedly walked over, tripping slightly on the uneven pavers surrounding the fountain.

"Um, e-excuse me? Mister Makarov?"

The little man turned around, seeing her as who she was, he gave her a wide smile. Laxus stood off to the side, scowling.

"What can I do for you, my dear?" Makarov asked.

"Is-Is it normal for the egg t-to grow warm a-and glow?" She raised her egg, holding it out to them.

Laxus narrowed his eyes. "The egg isn't glowing, Blondie."

That couldn't be right. There was obviously a golden light surrounding the egg. How could they not see it? It was almost bright enough to cast a shadow.

"You can't see it?" she whispered more to herself than the two men before her.

Makarov hummed and stepped closer to her, holding out his hands for the egg. "May I?"

She nodded and handed the egg over to him. Just as it touched his hands, Makarov flinched and pulled his hands away. He rubbed the palms of his hands, frowning at the egg that Lucy fumbled with.

"I would say that it is certainly warm…interesting…"

"Mister Makarov…is there something wrong with the egg? Is my dragon going to be alright? Does this mean that it's sick? I won't be able to take care of it if it's sick, my father will force me to get rid of it. I can't let this happen. Mister, please tell me ever-"

Makarov waved his hand, cutting her off her small case of word vomit.

"My child, your dragon is fine. Nothing is wrong with it, in fact, he is extremely healthy."

"He? You already know the gender?"

How did this man know so many things with simply a touch that cannot be possible? Such a thing didn't exist outside of him.

Makarov smiled at her once again. "I see many things, my child, secrets do not escape me. You have a good heart, a strong one, aching for adventure. Your dragon, he will be able to provide with the excitement and freedom you seek."

Freedom? "So my dragon is fine?"

Makarov nodded, and Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. Her dragon was perfectly fine. She had nothing to worry about.

"Thank you! Have a wonderful day, both of you!"

Lucy spun and practically skipped away from the two men she had essentially spent the day with. Her egg glowed happily in her hands, and it wasn't until she reached the outer limits of the city that she realized that she had forgotten to get clarification about why her egg was glowing. She had heard no record of dragons having any sort of powers, just the ability of telepathy, and that was used to speak to their rider. But to be emitting light? That was something new and way beyond her.

The next morning, Lucy woke up to find her egg missing from her room. Where could it have gone? Her father had given her permission to have a dragon, why would he back out now? That was bad business and he never backed out of deals half way through.

Searching her room frantically to see if she had left it somewhere and simply forgot. Clothes were tossed everywhere, her bed was already a mess, but she ripped the blankets off and threw the pillows across the room in her search. She exhausted all possibilities in her room and her adjoining bathroom, and it was nowhere to be found.

Where had it gone?

Lucy ripped at her hair and groaned. It was bad enough that today was a day her father had commanded her to attend an afternoon social with him in prospect for marrying her off, but now she couldn't find her dragon. It couldn't have hatched…had it?

He wouldn't.

Lucy didn't even bother with the mess she left in her room. She rushed out and flew through the hallways till she arrived at her father's study, barging in without even knocking.

There it was. Her dragon, still an egg, sitting on his desk as he lazily stared at it.

What was he doing with her egg? He may be an ass about the whole marriage and taking over his business, but he's never violated his privacy like this before.

"Father." Her breath was short from running through the multitude of hallways in their home.

"Ah, Lucy." He wasn't surprised by her sudden presence at all. "I would have figured that you would at least dress before you came to see me."

She narrowed her eyes. "I wouldn't have to see you if you hadn't taken something that belongs to me."

Her father hummed and slid a finger along the egg's shell. It was surprising that he was able to touch it. Makarov hadn't been able to lay a finger on it after she had received it. What had been pleasantly warm for her was scalding to the older man.

"Why do you have my dragon?"

"To ensure that you will go to a social I have planned for this weekend."

She ground her teeth, biting back a snarky response that was on the tip of her tongue. Another social? She had agreed to the one this afternoon, not the weekend. She took a deep breath before she answered him. "We had agreed that I would attend the social with you this afternoon if I was able to get my own dragon, not this weekend. What you are doing is…is dirtying our agreement."

"Lucy, this is simply called insurance. You will understand when you take over the family name."

Like she would be here long enough for that to happen. This was bad business.

"Insurance or not, the egg remains with me," she ground out. It was the day for her father to truly test her patience.

He hummed again. "You are still under my roof, you will abide by my rules."

"You let me have anything I have ever wanted, but as soon as I show interest in having my own dragon, you suddenly change. What is so wrong with having a dragon, Father?" she snapped.

Her father's mustache twitched and he sat up straight in his chair, folding his fingers together. "You will watch your tone with me, girl, or you will find this dragon gone."

Lucy clenched her fists as she stood in front of her father, facing his threats head on. She was so done with him controlling every aspect of her life. If her wants didn't line up with his, he would still drag her to wherever she didn't want to go or do. But now she was an adult. He couldn't control her anymore.

"Father. I have already agreed to go. Now, give me back my dragon."

"I will keep this egg until the social has passed. You may leave."

Lucy was all but growling at this point. She was not going to let her father rule over her anymore. This was it.

"I will not tolerate being treated like an untrustworthy child. I'm a full member of society, and this goes beyond your duties as a father."

Her father froze before her, a hand on her egg. Lucy held her breath as she watched his fingers turn white. The egg wasn't fragile, but who knew where the fine lines lay.

"You are my daughter, and I will raise you how I see fit," he snarled.

Lucy stiffened. She wasn't ready to leave, her dragon hadn't even hatched, but if her father was going to be this way, there was no way she would survive the next couple of years if he was going to continue like this. Over the past few years, as she had gotten older, Jude Heartfilia had slowly tightened his grip on her life. She was no longer able to go out and walk the streets, no longer able to go shopping for clothes or books, and forget even walking outside in their own gardens. He even began to police her wardrobe, insisting on the frilly dresses that drove her crazy.

It was now or never, she had to take the chance.

"I will not allow myself to be controlled anymore."

Her father stood, palms flat on his desk, her dragon resting in between them. His face was contorted in fury, mottled red, almost purple, as he fought to control his temper. Lucy stood straight and stared him down as he sputtered incoherencies at her.

Before he could even form a full sentence, Lucy stalked up and snatched her egg away from him, walking back towards the door. It warmed in her hands instantly.

"Lucille Heartfilia, give that dragon back right now!"

Lucy didn't even bother to stop as she spoke, "The dragon is mine, Father, not yours."

"If you walk through that door right now, you are no longer allowed back in this house!"

She paused and looked over her shoulder. "Then consider me disowned."

And with that, she walked out on her only family.

Tears streamed down her face as she packed as much as she could into her packs. She had asked one of the maids to ready a horse for her since her dragon had yet to hatch, but it was the best she could ask for considering the circumstances.

Lucy sniffed, wiping her eyes on her sleeves. She had to be gone by the next meal, which was within the hour. Her father had told her as much after she had walked away from him.

Finally, she was done packing. It wasn't much compared to the rest of her wardrobe, but with all the pants, tunics, and other shirts she had, it still took two packs. She carefully placed her dragon egg inside the one she would be wearing and shouldered her bags. Lucy trudged through the hallways of her home.

She stopped by a seemingly random closet and grabbed her bow and quiver. Despite being a land of peace, Fiore still had bandits that controlled portions of roads, demanding tolls or simply robbing anyone who happened to pass through. She was competent with a sword, but she was far better with a bow and arrow.

Many of the maids watched from small alcoves lining the hallways, tears in their eyes. Lucy had been the life of the Heartfilia home ever since her mother had passed away. All of them were watching her solemnly, their light was vanishing right before them and now they had nothing.

Lucy felt terrible for leaving them, but there was nothing she could do. She wasn't going to leave her dragon with her father as collateral for going to a social. As much as her father prided himself on being a great businessman, the way he insured deals to go through his way left a sour taste in her mouth, and she had no qualms about letting his business run itself into the ground once everyone found out that she was disowned and he had no surviving heir.

She took a deep breath and exited her home, heading towards the stables. Her horse was led by one the stable hands, already saddled. She took the reins from him, thanking him kindly. She resituated one of her bags and let the other fall to the ground.

Her horse turned to nuzzle her shoulder, and she couldn't help but smile at the kind creature.

"Miss Lucy! Please wait!"

Lucy turned and saw one of the newer maids running from the house, carrying something in her hands.

"Yes, what is it?" she replied, concerned as to why one of the staff would call out to her in such a manner. They were always respectful but they never truly talked out of turn.

"Your…Your father asked for you…you to take this…" she gasped.

Lucy looked down at what the maid held in her hands. It was a pouch of coins. She looked towards the house and saw her father turn away from one of the windows. So he did care on some level to make sure she could provide for herself.

She silently thanked him as she took the pouch, a small smile being all she could muster. She tucked it away and turned to her horse. Her bag had been tied to the back of the saddle and she climbed onto her horse, situating herself and the bag on her back.

Lucy took a deep breath and put on a brave smile for all the maids that had surrounded her and the one stable boy who was waiting to see if she needed any more assistance.

"I wish I was leaving on better terms than this," she said, a small wobble in her voice, "but I wish you all the best. Be patient with my father, I know he is very critical, but he wants the best for this family. His words may be harsh, but his heart is hopefully in the right place…"

She raised a hand to her eyes and wiped away the tears that had suddenly sprung up. Throughout the whole process of packing and arranging everything with the house staff, she had been crying. But this? This was close to downright sobbing. And with her farewell…it was the final crack in the dam.

"I-I want, I wish-Unfortunately, I can no longer remain here with you. Try as-as…try as I might, I do not belong here anymore," she stuttered, "I hope for the best for all of you, but this is goodbye for the time being."

She turned her horse to the gate and began to trot away from them. She heard the tears from many of the maids who had come outside for her farewell. Lucy clenched her teeth and let the tears spill down her cheeks, struggling to restrain herself from turning around and running back to them all. They had been her family and her friends, but she couldn't force herself to live under the same roof as her father. They would survive without her, her father has always treated them well despite the class differences.

Lucy looked down at her hands as her horse continued down the path that led to the main road. When she reached the final gate, she took the chance to look over her shoulder and back at her old home.

It stood regally atop a small hill, a grand entrance of a gold plated gate, and the white stone it was made of glowed orange from the setting sun. It was a sprawling mansion, spreading itself across almost an acre of land, guest wings that remained empty throughout her whole life adding to the complexity of the floor plan. It had been great fun to play hide-and-seek with her favorite maids and mother. Maybe someday she would be able to return to her estate.

Turning around, she took a deep breath and turned her back to the sun, following the night. A few months by horseback and she would be in the country of Pergrande, where a new king ruled and prosperity flourished.

And there we have it, the beginning to a new story and the start of a new adventure for Lucy. I hope you all enjoyed, please leave a review, favorite, or follow, any will do. Feedback is always welcome, I can't wait to see what you guys think!

Until next time,

Mogi