A/N: Written as a very very very late entry for NeonClan's monthly writing contest, enjoy!
Lucy isn't quite sure of what to make of her situation, especially of the exuberant pink haired dragon slayer walking by her side. A few hours ago she was still wandering around Hargeon with only a vague idea of where she was going, and yet he had managed to change all of that. In the short span of time they had known each other, they managed to capture a criminal, destroy part of a town, and evade the army.
It had been sudden, and exciting, and Lucy loved it. The world had been nothing more than a blur outside the two of them (well, three if you counted Happy), and all that she could pay attention to was the pounding of her heart, the sound of her feet on the pavement, and the way Natsu was smiling like he was having the time of his life. It was an infectious grin and Lucy couldn't help but smile too when she saw it.
Things had died down since they left the town though. They had lost the Magic Council a few minutes after sprinting out of town, and were currently in the middle of a forest. It was silent other than the sound of their footsteps and the rustle of the leaves. Lucy took the time to assess her situation. She had a new key under her belt, which was always good news. She had narrowly avoided getting kidnapped by a criminal, which was slightly more concerning, but still good news. And now she was on her way to the guild of her dreams, which was very good news. All in all, today was a good day.
While Lucy mulled over her thoughts, Natsu and Happy begin talking. She wasn't quite paying attention to what they're saying, as opposed to how they say it. Everything is accompanied with large hand gestures and Lucy can see every expression flitting across their faces, paying particular attention to Natsu's.
Natsu is loud and brash, he lacks manners and proper etiquette. It's different. She thinks that his heart is in the right place though, even if he is comes off as a bit odd.
Coming from a place where she had to be able to differentiate a soup spoon from a dessert spoon, had to constantly have good posture, and had always be seen as elegant, meeting someone who was about as inelegant as you could come was refreshing. Though, she supposed, being raised by a dragon and being raised in a mansion had to have its differences.
The thought suddenly hit her, she was going with her practical knight in not-so-shining armor to the "castle" that she's always dreamed of going to. It's almost like her own personal fairy tale.
"Hey Natsu?" she asks tentatively.
"Yeah?" he replies, stopping and turning his head.
"What's Fairy Tail like?"
"It's awesome!"
The response is instantaneous and Lucy eagerly waits for him to elaborate. When Natsu turns around and doesn't continue to explain, Lucy remembers that this was also the idiot who thought dragons could be hidden in the middle of a small town.
"Hey, wait!"
"What?"
"You can't just say it's awesome and leave it at that!"
Happy chimes in cheerfully, "Their fish is awesome too!"
"Not helping!" shouts Lucy.
"What else is there to say?" says Natsu, shrugging.
"...Well, what are the people there like?"
It takes him a bit to think over, and Lucy wonders if all the mages at Fairy Tail are as rambunctious as Natsu is. Not that Lucy would mind if they were, though she doubted she would be able to get much peace and quiet if that was the case.
"There's a lot of strong guys there!" answers Natsu eventually.
"As strong as you?" asks Lucy, ignoring Happy for
"No way, I'm way stronger than everyone else!"
"Really?"
"Of course!" says Happy, "Natsu's the strongest mage ever!"
"I'm not so sure about that…"
"Well you'll just have to see for yourself when we get there."
"I guess so."
Silence falls over the trio once more, and Lucy thinks that it's nice to have company even if they weren't talking. She had to admit that traveling alone had been scary, she's never had to worry about her next meal, never had to find her own way around, never had to do anything by herself before. Thankfully she always has her celestial spirits, but she can only hold the gates open for so long before they have to leave.
It's not lonely anymore though. When she thinks of how Natsu is beside her, and how he's so honest and open, how genuine his smile is, then she doesn't feel lonely at all. She has never stepped one foot into Fairy Tail, has no idea whether the people there will like her, barely even knows what it looks like, but that doesn't matter in her opinion.
Natsu had been so passionate about the guild, so furious that anyone had even tried to make it seem bad, and a guild that could inspire that kind of feeling inside someone, had to be amazing. Lucy could care less if it was a run down shack with two members, she wants to be a mage there.
Luckily, Fairy Tail isn't too far from Hargeon, and they reach its enormous doors the next day. While Lucy is busy gaping at the sheer size and majesty of the guild, Natsu and Happy have no problem kicking the door open with a shout of, "WE'RE HOME!"
Lucy watches the room with astonishment, observing the plethora of smiling faces that greet Natsu and Happy. A laugh escapes her lips before she can help it because she thinks that this place feels more like home than her old one ever did.
Her moment of awe is temporarily shattered when the fight breaks out, but excitement still runs through her veins, even with the mass of destruction going on around her. Along with it however, is the feeling of home. And even though the fighting and noise, it never leaves. Lucy thinks that, that's what matters most.
