A/N: Hmm... You know, this came to me one day and I was like, hey, I got to write this out and see where it takes me. Think of this as an AU of the Fairy Tail universe if Zeref had won. And I don't mean by using Neo-Eclipse. Before that. This story will follow some of the same events from the original story, but it is also different!
So I hope you like it!
I don't own Fairy Tail.
Enjoy!
War of Fire
-O-
Chapter 1: Survival
There was a crunch, then- snap! Her eyes went wide as an explosion went off. She threw herself over the edge of the building, falling in the air, then crashing through piles of boxes and landing with a hard thump on the cold ground. Breathing hurt as she felt her lungs constrict, her breath lost to her. The blast was so close, her eardrums felt like they would explode.
Groaning, she turned to her side and winced. Reaching down, her hand was coated with a warm substance.
Blood.
Dammit. She must have cut herself on her way down, she thought as her eyes immediately scanned her surroundings. With two looming buildings at each of her side, and a dead end behind her, there was nowhere to go.
"There she is! Get her!"
At the sound of the imperial guards, she hauled herself up, frantically searching for an exit.
"Don't let her get away!"
Running left her feeling haggard, but what choice did she have? Her boots crunched under her, her breath coming out in a hoarse whisper. The exit was only a few feet away. A smirk made ways to her lips.
Another explosion and Lucy almost fell to the floor. Stumbling, she leaned against the wall for support.
Bloody hell!?
She looked up, and her face drained of color. Imperial guards blocked her only exit. The captain of the guard looked down at her with a sick, menacing smile.
"Feisty blonde, aren't ya?" A perverse, sickening smile and she shuttered. He licked his lips and she glared.
"Go to hell." The perverted smirk fell and a frown embedded his disgusting face.
"Stupid bitch."
She searched her surroundings and nothing was coming to her. She was cornered.
Think Lucy, think!
"What Duke Porla wants with you, that I have no idea. But, you must be something special if the price on your head is as high as it is."
Her stomach churned at the name of the vilest human being she had laid her eyes. Duke Porla could rot in hell for all she cared. He was another one of the Emperor's mindless cronies that sought for money. His business was corrupt and he treated the patrons of his land with no fair justice, taxing for wages that had families hanging by mere threads.
Her eyes surveyed the area quickly, and with the glint of the moonlight and a puddle of water, found her escape route.
"Well then. I suppose you can relay a message for me."
"Eh?" The captain of the guard said before he laughed. "And what would that be?"
A smirk played on her lips as she reached in the pocket of her trousers. "Tell him Lucy Heartfilia sends her regards."
She didn't have a lot of magic left, but she had enough for this.
"Open! Gate of the water bearer! Aquarius!"
Suddenly, a bright, golden light encompassed the surrounding area. Lucy had to shut her eyes in prevention of going blind.
When the light disappeared, a bright, floating being stood between the blonde and the platoon of imperial soldiers. A mermaid, like from the tales at seas, stood tall and proud, her radiance intoxicating the nostrils of the men in front of her.
"Tch! Stupid girl! Did you honestly summon me from a puddle?!" She turned immediately to Lucy, a dark glare etched on her face. "And I was in the middle of a date too! What have I told you about summoning me when I'm on a date!?"
Before Lucy could answer, there was a clanking of metal and both women turned their attention to the sounds in front of them.
"She-she's a celestial mage!" The captain shouted as he also fell with his platoon behind him.
Aquarius turned back to her, blue eyes looking midnight blue as the glare became fiercer.
"What trouble are you in now!?"
"It's too much to explain right now! Please help me, Aquarius! I promise I'll make it up to you later!" Lucy begged and Aquarius released a frustrated sigh as a vase suddenly appeared in her hands.
"Damn right you will!"
The vase in Aquarius' hands made a deafening sound as water erupted from within. The captain, along with his platoon of imperial soldiers, were engulfed by a wall of water that washed them out of the alleyway into the ocean that stood a few blocks away.
Unfortunately, Lucy found herself in the tidal wave of water.
"Why am I caught up in this too?!" She yelled as water engulfed her mouth.
"Because you ruined my date." A glint and a smirk, and the water vanished. Lucy fell and was on all fours as she coughed up water from her lungs. The imperial platoon that was chasing her was now gone.
Looking up to her celestial spirit, Lucy threw her a heavy glare. "I would appreciate a warning next time."
The blue mermaid frowned, a vein visible on her forehead. "Tch! That's the thanks I get for saving you! Stupid girl."
"I'll make it up to you later. Promise."
Arms crossed, Aquarius shook her head as she looked down at the drenched blonde. What a pathetic girl. Standing, Lucy rung out her hair as she mumbled something about needing a hot shower.
"Also! Need I remind you that you shouldn't be summoning me! Nor that perverted cow! Don't you understand how dangerous it is!? It cost your mother her life! I refused to be in the hands of the empire!" Aquarius lectured and Lucy listened, knowing the dangers of summoning her spirits.
But she had no choice.
"I know that! But I didn't have any other way out!" Lucy retorted. "I know the consequences! I have been living with them for the last 12 years of my life!"
Lucy was now heaving, her chest moving in fast pace. Her side ached and she was exhausted. Out running the imperial army was no feat, especially when it involved scurrying away from explosions and magic.
Aquarius sighed. "Don't call me again, brat! I'm going on a long vacation with my boyfriend!"
With that final sentence, she disappeared, golden remnants were all that remained of the spirit that once stood at her feet.
"Typical." She commented, but then persisted to keep moving. It was dangerous to stay here, especially after revealing her celestial spirit to a platoon of imperial soldiers. Moving along the shadows of the night, Lucy found a spot down by the harbor where she could asses the wounds and continue with her mission.
"Find her! Find the celestial mage!"
The shrilling voice of the captain rang into the night as imperial guards filled the streets of the trader town. The clinking of their weaponry and armor could be heard collectively, and Lucy knew which direction to avoid running into.
The peaceful town of Hargeon was crawling with imperial soldiers and the blonde-haired woman felt remorse for the innocent lives that were caught in the crossroads of war. Most folk in this town were honest people who worked for an honest living.
And here she was disrupting that.
No.
Their lives have been disrupted for some time before that.
As long as the empire and the Emperor stood, there will never be true peace.
She winced once again as the cut on her side brushed against her shirt. Luckily for her, she had been alone long enough to understand that basic first aid needs. Lifting her blood-soaked shirt, she cringed at the horrific sight.
"And I liked this shirt too." She mumbled to herself.
After steadily applying a bandage to her side, discarding her current article of clothing, and changing into something new, she threw the hood of her cloak over her head. There was a small bag hanging at the side of her belt, coins jingling.
Once the commotion in town settled, she would find an inn to stay at for the night. With the guards knocking down doors, searching this small trader town for her, it was going to be impossible to find an inn to keep her safe now.
So, she settled for the port until things settled for the night.
"Hibiki better be right about his key. All this trouble and nothing to show for it." Lucy muttered as she nestled under the crook of a washed-up boat. The darkness of the night sky hid her away from any knowing eyes and for extra measure, draped her cloak over her head.
But the exhaustion of the day's events began to wear at her. Eye lids heavy with fatigue, the blonde mage rested her eyes, falling asleep to the pull of the waves and the muskiness of the salty, ocean air.
-O-
With the cloak shadowing over her head, Lucy walked briskly through the trader town of Hargeon. There were a few imperial soldiers stationed around the town, but it seemed as they stopped their search for her momentarily. For hers and the town's sake, she hoped that they assumed she ran off.
As the blonde mage made her way through town, she could see the uneasiness and fear in the townsfolk eyes. It was disheartening, a heavy weight on her heart. Their lives were at stake because of her.
The sooner I find the key, the quicker I can leave this town and stop jeopardizing the livelihood of these townsfolk.
The thought motivated her, wanting to prevent any innocent casualties.
The war against the emperor had already torn apart enough families.
Her search continued for the golden gate key. A close friend and member of the Resistance, Hibiki Lates, possessed archive magic that gave him the ability to search through thousands of documents and saved data about all things related to magic. Somewhere in his collected information, he had read about a golden gate key being housed somewhere in Hargeon.
Hence why Lucy was in trader town to begin with.
Current objective? Find the black magic market.
Ever since magic was outlawed by the Emperor, black markets quickly arose throughout the country of Fiore. All magic shops and stores were disbanded, along with registered guilds. All mages were forced to join the rankings of the imperial army or his royal highness.
The black market was constantly being targeted by the imperial army due to its selling of magical enhancements, weapons, and other magical items. Only through the vine of mages was the location ever known. Those who housed or had any knowledge of the black magic market risked their lives. Some had good intentions, wanting to aid the Resistance in their fight against the empire. But, others.
Well, they valued the money for the ridiculously priced magical items.
The only place a gate key, a golden gate key, could possibly be in a place like this was the market.
Her brown eyes searched for a certain shop that was rumored to house entrance to the black market. Inns, especially late in the evening, proved to be useful for gathering information that was otherwise unknown to ears. Drunkards and veterans of war often, of this battle against the empire were willing to share information to a pretty girl if they played their cards right.
A smirk and Lucy felt like she hit the jackpot.
Avoiding the gazes of the ragged soldiers, she made her way to through the sidewalk without a suspicion. Looking up at the sign hanging from its bars, she had to chuckle at the irony of it.
A slight jingle from the opening of the door, Lucy's nostrils were filled with a musky scent. She could tell that this old antique shop was hardly visited by the dust that settled on all the old objects sitting on the desks.
Pulling her hood down, the blonde assumed her safety for the time being. She doubted that imperial soldiers would be searching for her in this dingy place.
But, Lucy reached for her keys, one could never be too sure. Her eyes fell to a scowl, searching the premise of the shop immediately.
"I assure you, young Miss, that whoever you're running from isn't waiting for you in here."
Turning immediately, Lucy directed her eyes towards the voice that spoke out to her. Eyes wide with caution, the grip on her keys tightened.
"Rest easy, girl. The imperial soldiers have already searched my home and shop for you. They will not be returning."
Finally finding the owner of the voice, she found a stunted old man with light brown eyebrows and a toothbrush mustache. He wore a black hat on top of his hairless head. She gulped, still feeling the frog in her throat. Her hand was hovering over her gate keys, not sure whether to believe the word of the man.
"What makes you think they are looking for me?" He rose his brow, and sighed. Using his cane that Lucy didn't notice before, he walked towards a chair that was seated next to an old globe that looked like it hadn't been spun in years.
"Missy, my shop has been here for in this town for thirty, long years. My antique shop doesn't attract the typical tourist or traveler. It's rather old and doesn't seek the interest of the wearier traveler. The only types of character to enter my shop are either a) searching for answers or b) on the run." He explained, climbing into his chair. "I assume you are both."
Sweat rolled down the side of her temple and she grit her teeth.
Careful Lucy. He might seem like an innocent, old man, but he may be dangerous. You can't trust just anyone in these times.
She had to be thoughtful in how she constructed her words.
"Say you're right… will you hand me to the imperial army?"
Silence came and Lucy reached for her whip, preparing to make another run for it. But, instead, the old man chuckled hoarsely. His body shook as he shook his head.
"Why don't you take a look around, Miss? You may find something you like." And with that, the old man proceeded to look through his notes scribbled on a parchment.
While the nerves still jumped at her, she decided to heed the old man's words for the time being. Lucy walked through the store, keeping a studious eye on the shop owner.
You just never know.
Her eyes scurried her surroundings, searching for possible exits if need be. She looked for weapons, distractions, things she could use to help her escape in case the imperial army came bursting through the door this moment.
Those thoughts plagued her mind, but she also found herself wondering aimlessly through the shop. Most of this stuff was junk. From old compasses, to worn out parchments, and useless frames, Lucy wasn't finding any indication as the residence of the black magic market.
"Keys."
Her ears perched and she looked to him immediately. A pen went to his chin, as he continued writing. Lucy's hand immediately went to cover the gate keys that dangled from her side.
"What… about them?" Carefully answering to his question.
He smiled. "The keys to a safe in this shop. It seems that I do not remember where I placed them."
A sigh of relief, and Lucy allowed herself a slight giggle.
What a senile, old man.
"Say, young Miss!" Lucy turned, eyebrow arched. "Do you think you could help me find those keys?"
Lucy didn't have time for this. She needed to locate the black magic market, find the golden gate key, and leave Hargeon. The longer she remained in this town, the more peril these townsfolk were in.
"I… apologize, sir. But I cannot he-"
"I think you may find the results rather… intriguing, my young celestial mage."
Her brown eyes went wide, shaking with distress. She immediately shoved the ring of keys into the band around her waist.
Lucy wouldn't let him have them. She would die before she gave up her celestial spirits to another person. Especially the keys that were passed down to her from her mother. She refused to let her friends be used for harm, to destroy lives, to kill.
"Put your keys down, young Miss. I mean you no harm." The old man remained calm, his face expressionless.
It was making her uneasy.
"How did you know that I was a celestial mage?" Cat was out of the bag, so there was no use in hiding the truth.
"Let's just say this isn't the first time a young, pretty blonde wonders into my shop looking for a golden gate key." Lucy's jaw dropped slightly, uncertain of a reply.
The old man merely smiled as he jumped off his chair. "I must say though, you made quite the ruckus last night. Half the town was watching your battle with the imperial platoon."
Maybe… maybe this old man wasn't her enemy.
"It would have been better had I not been washed up with them as well." She mumbled to herself, before shifting her gaze at old man.
"You best be careful, Missy. Celestial magic is considered rare these days. Golden gate keys won't be so easily found. And you won't know who you can trust." She heeded his warning, nodding.
Lucy understood the gravity of the situation and the predicament she put herself in. Celestial magic was a rarer magic, the 12 golden gate keys becoming more difficult to locate. She had been searching for 2 years now, and most of her leads had led her to a dead end.
"I understand. But, that doesn't mean I will give up searching for them!" Fisting her hands tightly, she looked forward with a burning determination. "I have to find them so I can't help beat the Emperor! And rid this world of him!"
The owner of the shop shook his head, and smiled. "You youngin's and your youth. Trying to fix the mistakes of our past. The Resistance is surely recruiting the most spirited and energetic bunch, aren't they?"
The… Resistance?
She pinked immediately.
"Oh. I'm actually not a part of the Resistance."
I wish.
But, the smile never left his face.
"Anyone who stands against the injustice and corruption against the people of Fiore is part of the Resistance, Missy. You may not be involved with the alliance, but your fighting spirit and battle against the Emperor makes you an integral part of the fight."
Those words warmed her heart. For years, she didn't think that work she did mattered. It wasn't at a larger scale like the Resistance. They plotted intricately and thoroughly against the empire. She had heard stories at first, about their victories against the emperor and his court.
Destroying conveys, intercepting messages, rescuing prisoners of war, overrunning corrupt political figures, saving lives.
But, it wasn't until her first year alone in her journey that she had witnessed a battle between the rebels and the imperial army. She had been travelling through a small town outside of the current capital, Magnolia, when she heard an explosion go off.
Her first thought was an attack.
Lucy was quick to reach her keys, ready to defend herself. But, taking a better look around, she noticed that the village was unharmed. Instead, a train that was bound to Magnolia was blown to bits.
Weapons of all sorts were scattered across the floor, no doubt reinforcements for the imperial army. There was immediate retaliation from the imperial platoon, searching for the person, or rather group responsible for this.
She had never seen a large scale fight between magic users like she had that day before. Sure, the blonde mage has fought her way out of a magic fight once or twice. But, luck was always on her side and she was able to land a final blow with either a kick or her whip.
The Resistance was much more impactful than she would ever be.
"Thank you, grandpa."
"Now, will you help me find that darn key?"
Lucy laughed, and for the first time in months, felt her body relax. Her shoulders fell, and gave herself a moment to drop her defensive guard The anxiety and stress of keeping her identity hidden and concealed was exhausting. It wasn't until most recent that she's had to start walking in the shadows of the night.
Duke Porla's thirst for her had made the price on her head high in these areas of Fiore.
If she continued using her celestial magic, it would make it impossible to walk freely through any village, town, or city. The blonde had to be more cautious, like Aquarius had lectured. Though special, her magic was going to get her killed if she didn't think more rationally.
"You're 100 years too young to be looking like me, Missy!"
"Oww!" She yelped as his cane swiftly smacked her in the middle of her forehead. She rubbed furiously as tears kissed her eyes. "Now, what did you go and do that for?"
"If you have time to sulk, you have time to help me find those keys! Now get to it!"
Scowling, Lucy stuck her tongue out at the shop owner once he turned his back. Begrudgingly and without any other choice, began searching the room for his lost keys.
What could be so special about those keys, anyway?
Both the shop owner and Lucy searched through the old antiques that found refuge in his shop. Lucy had stopped a few times, immersed or finding interest in selected books. Though, her excitement was cut short each time as the old man would scold her and have her continue rummaging through all his things.
Eventually, they took a break and he brought out smoked fish that Lucy devoured. With all the excitement and adrenaline, the blonde nearly forgot about eating. She had trained herself to endure these feats as there has been instances where she had gone almost a week without eating.
All things considered, Lucy was thankful for the safety and refuge of this old, antique shop. While she may had been skeptical about the man's intentions at first, he was an ally.
She had no way of knowing that for sure, but there was something telling her that this older man could be trusted.
"Sorry, grandpa. But, I don't think your key is here." He frowned at Lucy's words, who was now wiping away the sweat from her forehead.
"That can't be. We must be missing something."
She sighed, feeling discomfort seeing this old man sulk. While Lucy wished she stay, and help him in his quest on finding the key, she really needed to find the black magic market. They searched almost every crook of this shop, and nothing turned up.
Damn, another dead end.
"Maybe we should just continu-"
Suddenly, the ground began to move under Lucy. The objects in the store began shaking and falling one after another. The blonde almost lost her footing as the vibrations increased.
"Earthquake?!" She yelled, looking for the shop owner.
But before any of them could answer, there was a blast that knocked both Lucy and the old man over. The ringing from last night returned as she covered her ears in pain. The sound of the explosion reverberated within her.
Clanking of armor and collision of weapons could be heard outside the windows.
"What are you idiots doing?! STOP HIM."
Lucy's eyes widened at the recognition of the voice. It was the captain of the imperial platoon that hunted her down just yesterday. Hauling herself off the floor, she immediately searched for the shop owner.
"Grandpa!" She shouted in panic as she found the old man buried under his antiques.
The celestial mage proceeded to pull his antiques off, rescuing him from being buried by his own items. All guilt was lost while throwing the items and only thought of the frail old man that could be dead right next to her.
"Grandpa! Grandpa!" Lucy continued shouting as she pulled him up to her lap, cradling his head close to her body. There was a nasty cut right about his eye, his hat missing.
Another explosion, another shake of the building.
She immediately shielded the older man and closed her eyes, waiting for the impact of more of his antiques. A few fell next to her, behind her, but she was in the clear for now.
"Mmm." A groan and Lucy looked over the man.
"Grandpa?" He opened his eyes and sat up slowly, Lucy releasing her hold on him. "Are you okay?"
At first, he spoke nothing and the blonde looked at him in worry.
"I'm… fine." A pause, but then a release of a breath. "I'm okay, young Miss."
She sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."
The ground began to shake again and Lucy lunged for the old man, covering her body over his.
When the shaking stopped, the celestial mage made a bee line for the window.
"What in the world is going on out there?!" She heard the old man shout, coming up behind her.
From inside the shop, Lucy could see the imperial platoon that nearly had her caught yesterday. They looked haggard and tired, their armor broken and weapons on the floor. The captain that gave her a sickening smile was scowling at someone across from the wounded men.
"You disgusting, rebel scum! You will pay for your crimes against the Emperor!"
Rebel… scum?
Could it be?! The Resistance was here!?
"Pay for my crimes, eh? This should be fun."
Lucy didn't get a chance to take a look at the rebel because suddenly, her vision was engulfed with a fiery ball of an orange and yellow flame that billowed outward towards the imperial soldiers.
"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST."
And everything went white.
A/N: Alright! What did we think? I've actually had this idea in my head for a few months now, and I've written things down for it. But, I wasn't sure if I should continue and make it a story now while I'm still working on From Across the Hall, or wait till that's done, and start War of Fire. But, since FATH is going to be kind of lengthy compared to Fallen Star, I thought well, I could probably do both stories at the same time. That way I don't lose interest!
Anyway, I was inspired after watching all 8 Star Wars movie and thought how cool it would be to create a story with the basic plot of Star Wars (Rebellion vs. Empire), and then add the Fairy Tail world to it. I already have the first ten chapters outlined and I'm actually really excited for what's going to unfold. I hope you all are too!
For those of you waiting for an update for From Across the Hell, don't fret! It is coming! I had to take a break from writing to finish off school. So keep an eye out in the next couple days for an update, okay?
Let me know what you think!
Until next time!
Dark Waffle