Hello everyone! Thank you for deciding to read my first fic! Now, before we start the chapter, I have a few things I need to say...

This is the only story I will be posting. I will try to update as often as possible, but I haven't quite worked out an entire schedule for my updates. So I may be sluggish to start, and please forgive me for that, but I'll develop a schedule soon!

Also, to clear up any confusion out there, this is going to be an endless fanfiction (Well, as far as I'm concerned...^^"). I'm actually quite nervous. I've never posted anything like this for the public before, and I really hope you enjoy it. I will do a few chapters that wander from the story (Completely), but those are just for holidays. Mainly Christmas, Easter, valentines day (Ohh the fluff), etc.

I'd also appreciate a review at the end of this chapter, letting me know how I did, and if there are any improvements needing to be made. I already have a beta reader, checking my spelling and grammar. But just in case you see any miss spelled words, please let me know. Also, don't be shy! If there's something you think I did bad on, feel free to let me know! I always need a little push to help me get better. This takes place after the Tartaros Arc. The rest is my own story, with many other arcs. MASHIMA-SENSEI OWNS FAIRY TAIL! NOT ME!" Mashima pops into existence, thus creating the Fairy Tail.

Well, I see this 'few things to say' has nearly turned into a chapter itself!

Without any more wait, enjoy the chapter!

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NORMAL P.O.V.

Lucy's eyes bugged as Natsu held up the job flyer. "Are you CRAZY?!" She screeched, grabbing the parchment from her partners grasp. The job payed well, but the job itself? Lucy shivered at the thought of facing a group of dark mages.

Natsu just shrugged "Well, you said you wanted a challenge. So I picked that one!" He smiled proudly, as if he had just won the Grand Magic Games.

Lucy crossed her arms over her chest "Yeah! But this is too hard! Plus, we could only do it with Erza and Gray," She paused, letting out a sigh "But they both went on their own solo missions." Lucy began to wonder why they even went on their own like that. Well, Lucy knew Gray left on a job near Juvia's location, since she also went on a solo mission. She was beginning to suspect that Gray had a soft spot for the obsessed-water mage.

"So? We're both strong enough to do it ourselves. We're Fairy Tail mages after all!" He grinned, lighting his fist on fire. Goodness, he sure does get excited. Lucy shrugged "Fine, but the reward is going to be split 40-60, since I'm practically being forced to come."

Happy then flew onto Natsu's head, Looking at Lucy with a curious gaze. "You only want 40 percent, Lucy?" Happy asked while chomping on a fish. Someday she'd kill that irritable cat..

"I'm the 60 percent!" She snapped, preparing to chase the feline around the guild.

Natsu grinned "Alright!" He pumped a fist in the air excitedly "Can't wait to beat some bandits!" He cheered as he bolted to Mira, informing her the job had been accepted.

Lucy nearly face palmed at his childishness.

LATER AT THE TRAIN STATION...

"Luuucyyy..." Natsu gurgled, doubling over. Lucy flinched at the sound of her teammate emptying his his stomach on the platform.

She quickly payed for the tickets and boarded the train, leaving Happy to haul Natsu in himself. Lucy rolled her eyes at out picky Happy was being at the moment. Man, couldn't this cat behave for once?

"Natsuuu!" Happy whined "You've got spit all over your face!" Natsu merely gurgled in response as Happy struggled to pull him in the small cabin.

Lucy frowned looking out the window "Natsu, do you still have the job flyer?" She asked as she turned her gaze to the Dragon slayer. Wow, his motion sickness must be worse than I imagined...

Natsu was sprawled out on the floor of the cabin, his face a pale green. Large beads of sweat dripped off his forehead from struggling and vomiting and drool coated the lower portion of his face. He looked utterly horrible. Lucy wasn't sure if all Dragon slayers had motion sickness this bad. She had always assumed Wendy was immune due to her healing magic, and she had never really been with the others on a train before.

Natsu nodded weakly as Happy pulled it from the pocket in his single-sleeved jacket. Lucy thanked the Exceed as he passed the paper to her. Lucy unfolded it slowly as the train began to take off, thus suppressing a surprised and pained gurgle from Natsu.

The flyer read:

Help needed!

James Havenworth, Mayor of Acalypha is currently being threatened

by a group of dark mages who call themselves:

Black heart

Their location is near the town, on the ocean end of the map.

The mayor remains in his home, locked in from the group.

Black heart's exact location is unknown.

Please accept within three days of notice.

Lucy frowned. This job seemed to bother her for some reason. Pushing aside the nervousness, Lucy handed the flyer back to Happy.

She looked down at the ill Dragon slayer with sympathy. "Don't you wanna sit down, Natsu?" She asked as Happy perched himself on his shoulder. "Like, on an actual seat?"

Natsu managed to lift his weak head, nodding.

The train suddenly lurched forward, causing the Dragon slayer to gag.

Happy jumped up pulling Natsu onto the seat next to Lucy. As he pulled him onto the seat, he dropped his quickly in attempt to avoid getting spit all over his paws.

Natsu limply fell on his back, dangling off the edge of the seat.

"Happy!" Lucy scolded "Don't drop him! He might throw up again!" She leaned down, pulling him back onto the seat.

Happy frowned "I don't want to smell like Natsu when I'm gonna meet Charle today!" He whined as he pulled out another fish to eat.

Lucy rolled her eyes, ignoring the stubborn cat. Curling up on the seat, she quickly drifted off to sleep, waiting for the end of the train ride.

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NORMAL P.O.V.

Lucy rubbed her eyes, feeling a slight prodding at her shoulder.

She snapped her eyes awake, sitting up. Lucy glanced around, seeing a train attendant jump back in surprise.

"U-um, Miss, the train has stopped." She informed her warily.

Lucy looked to her side, seeing Natsu and Happy asleep on the seat next to her. She turned her attention back to the woman. "Thank you. How long ago did it stop?" She asked, hoping they didn't miss their deadline for the job.

The woman smiled softy, sensing Lucy was in a rush. "Just a few minutes ago. Would you like help with your bags?" She asked kindly.

Lucy shook her head "No, thank you." She smiled as she stood up, stretching. "Thanks for waking me up!" She said happily as she picked up her bag, preparing to wake Natsu and Happy up.

The woman nodded "Have a nice day then, miss." And with that, the attendant left.

Lucy placed her hands on her hips, knowing the exact way to wake the two up.

She bent down, prodding the Dragon slayers drool cover cheek "Natsu! Wake up, we're getting food!" She said in a cheery tone. Lucy jumped back as he and Happy jolted from their seats in excitement.

"WHERE?!" They both yelled, looking around the train cabin.

Lucy nearly face palmed at the sight. She picked up the bags, hauling them outside of the train.

"We're getting some before we meet up with the Mayor, we still have at least an hour before we have to meet up with him." She grunted as she yanked out the last bag.

"Alright!" Natsu cheered "Let's go!" He grinned, running off with Happy, leaving Lucy to carry the bags.

"Urgh..." She growled as she dragged the heavy bags along the sidewalk.

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Lucy looked around, eyeing the restaurant carefully. "Why this place again?" She asked as she sat down in an old booth. The place on the outside appeared decent, but the inside was something else... The main room had a yellowish wallpaper that appeared to be peeling at the edges. The floor was an old wood that was cracked in more place than one. The booths were black, with torn cloth coating them. And the tables were also wood, with many cracks in them as well. Lucy wasn't even sure she wanted to sit on the seat. But Natsu was persistent, saying the was the best chili restaurant in Acalypha, and maybe in all of Fiore.

She curled her lip in disgust at the sight of a large hole in the seat, which was probably made from a mouse... she shivered at the thought of a diseased rodent crawling into her lap while eating.

"Natsu?" She looked down at her menu, which was surprisingly clean and well formatted.

"Hmm?" He glanced at her before returning to the menu, probably preparing to order a butt-load of food.

"Are you sure this place is... sanitary?" She asked reluctantly while gazing at the menu. But before he could answer, the waiter appeared, pulling out his notebook.

"May I take your order?" He asked kindly. Natsu grinned happily.

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Lucy stretched as they walked out of the restaurant. She would never admit this to Natsu, but the food was pretty good. Although she only ordered a garden salad, she wouldn't be able to recall if she had ever eaten anything better.

Natsu glanced around, then turned to face Lucy. "How much time before we meet up with Jam Hailworth?" Natsu asked as Happy perched on his head.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "It's James Havenworth, and about ten minutes. At least his house is right down the block." She said as she turned to walk in the Mayors direction.

Natsu jogged to catch up with her, falling into pace by her side. "Why are 'ya in such a hurry, Luce?" He asked as he folded his hands behind his head.

"I wanna get there early, 'ya know, to make a good impression." She said as she slowly picked up her pace. "Besides, lately every job we've gone on these past two weeks.. well, the clients don't seem to take me seriously. We usually show up late, not by much of course, and everyone seems to look at me like a child. So I wanna change that, and appear serious to ." She placed her hands on her keys for a moment of comfort as they neared the building.

Natsu looked over at her, wondering what she meant by all that. "But you're not a kid, Happy is, but you're not. Besides, all those past clients were a pain. None of them were really nice to any of us." He noted as he slumped an arm around her. She looked up with a smile "Right!"

And just as they finished talking, they appeared at the front door, which was heavily bolted down. "Hmm, they weren't kidding when they said 'locked in'." Lucy noted as she raised a hand to knock. She backed away from the door to take in her surroundings, which were amazing.

The front lawn had to have been at least six to seven acres. A tall brick wall surrounded the place, with neatly trimmed hedges along the inside and outside of the walls. The driveway/pathway was probably made from some kind of marble, which is infused with magic so it wont erode over time, and adds a luminous glow at night. The house itself was probably about four to five stories tall. Each floor appeared to have a bay window, with neatly painted wall trim. The exterior wall were made of stucco, which actually looked nice and in place considering the climate and location of the town. The driveway ended in a loop, which allowed you to exit easily. In the center was a lacrima powered fountain, with lacrima lights floating lazily at the top, adding a mysterious, yet beautiful glow.

Just as Lucy finished taking it all in, the door slowly opened, revealing a tall man with neatly cut, blonde shoulder-length hair. He wore a well-fitted business suit with a light blue bow-tie around his neck.

"W-who are you?" He asked, obviously not recalling seeing them before.

Lucy smiled warmly "We're Fairy Tail's mages! We're here to accept the job." She said happily as she gestured to Natsu, Happy, and herself.

The man narrowed his eyes "Show me your guild marks first..." He said reluctantly as the door closed a few inches.

Sensing his worry, Lucy lifted her hand, revealing the pink guild mark. Natsu and Happy stepped forward, revealing theirs as well.

The man noticeably relaxed and opened the door, revealing three guards behind him, standing in an open hallway.

Lucy and Natsu nearly face-planted at the beauty of the house. Neat, dark, polished wood lined the floors and tall, white walls leading up to a vaulted ceiling which was decorated with large crystal chandeliers, with lacrima powered lighting that game the room a warm and cozy glow. To the left, a large doorway stood, revealing a large study room. Columns of books lined the inside of the space, along with candlelit tables. To the room on the right, another large doorway stood, revealing an open living space. The floor was lined with a thick, long rug with dragon-like designs. The edges of the rug appeared to be lined with gold trim. A large, long dark wooden table ran along the side of the room, also lit by candles. Two large french-style windows faced the front yard, letting in plenty of sunlight. Making the room feel open and airy. A few white couches encased the center of the room, with a neat, glass, coffee table between them. And one strangely tall chair sat on front of a separate set of couches.

The mayor ignored their awestruck expressions and led them into the living room. They both sat on a couch, facing James as he sat in a taller chair in front of them, no doubt for intimidation.

Natsu leaned back on the couch nonchalantly as James began to speak.

"So, I'm assuming you all know most of the details of the job, correct?" He asked as he crossed his legs.

"Yes sir." She said firmly while Natsu just nodded. Lucy quickly took note of how James' weak appearance disappeared as he saw he could trust them.

Natsu grinned and lit his palm on fire "Yeah, don't worry old man!" James narrowed his eyes, obviously not used to being addressed so curtly. However, Natsu failed to notice this, like always, and continued speaking "We'll beat them to a pulp when we're done!" Happy jumped up beside him, copying Natsu's motions "To a pulp!" Happy cheered and jumped onto a table.

Lucy sat up straight, determined to look at least semi-formal to the Mayor. "Sir, I apologize for my comrades behavior, but if you don't mind, I'd like to cut to the chase here." She shot a glare at Natsu and Happy before turning back to James.

James nodded thoughtfully, as if pondering on what to do.

After an awkward moment of silence he sat up straight. "Very well then. Let's run over the details before you head off:" He began, taking a breath "The reward is 100,000 Jewels, the group is supposedly located on the southern end of the coastline, and their symbol is just as their name states. A black heart."

Natsu and Happy nodded slowly, as if thinking of something intense. Lucy glanced at them again before gesturing James to continue.

James nodded and spoke "I expect this mission to be completed by the end of this week. No more. If you finish early, then I'll treat you to dinner here." He paused, glancing warily at Natsu and Happy, who were drooling endlessly. "If you complete early." He reminded them, not sure if he should take the offer back or not.

Lucy smiled and stood up, brushing off her skirt. "Thank you for your co-operation. We'll complete the job without fail." She said as Natsu and Happy stood beside her.

James nodded "Good, I expect none less from a guild like yours. Oh, and I want them alive. If you kill any of them, then your reward no longer be waiting for you." He said before leading them to the door.
"Goodbye." He said plainly as the door closed behind them.

Lucy crossed her arms over her chest. "He was odd. He might've been nicer if you two hadn't acted like baby's from hell.." She shot a glare at the two before walking down the driveway.

Natsu just shrugged as he followed his partner down the driveway. "Yeah, Happy! Why'd 'ya have to act like a baby from hell?" He said, shooting a glare a Happy.

Happy flailed around "Natsuuu! You're so mean!" He sobbed as he flew into Lucy's neck "LUSHI SAVE ME!" He wailed as she glared at the two again.

"Man, you two can't act your age can you?" She scoffed as she stoked the Exceeds furry head, knowing good and well he was fake crying.

Natsu pouted "I do act my age, Lucy! Happy doesn't though..." He crossed his arms, glaring at the now content cat.

Lucy rolled her eyes as she exited the front gate to the house. "Well, it doesn't matter. We should find that group of mages before sundown. I'd really like to get home soon. Acalypha doesn't exactly give me good memories..." Lucy sighed, remembering her fathers death.

Sensing his partners dreary mood, Natsu slumped an arm around her shoulders. "Let's try and finish this job fast! I wanna eat dinner at Jams' house!" He grinned as Happy sat on his shoulder, sucking on a fish.

Lucy smiled back and nodded. "It's James, but I think you should keep calling him that. Especially when we meet him again! I kind of wanna see him flustered. It'd be fun after how he acted." She laughed a little at Natsu's expression. His face was twisted in a thoughtful way, but his nose was scrunched up like he just smelled something bad.

Lucy couldn't help but laugh. Natsu never appeared like he was thinking, so this was a bit odd.

Natsu grinned "Okay! And I'll keep calling you Luigi!" He ruffled her hair and ran up ahead.

Lucy raised a fist "IT'S LUCY!" She yelled, trying to contain her smile. Goodness, Natsu sure is weird..

LATER AT ACALYPHA PORT...

LUCY'S P.O.V.

I looked around the port, expecting to see a huge flag with a black heart on it. Guess what..?

Natsu and I nearly dropped to our knees in astonishment at the complete and utter stupidity of the mages.

There it was, standing tall and proud in the middle of one of Fiore's busiest ports, the Black Heart flag.

Natsu grinned at me lighting his hands on fire in excitement. I couldn't help but grin back as I pulled out my Fleuve d'étoiles and gate keys. But my smile faltered as I felt the empty spot of where Aquarius' key used to be. 'I have to be strong. That's what she'd want for me... And I can't risk telling Natsu, or the guild that it was me who sacrificed Aquarius to Summon the Celestial Spirit King, to destroy Cube and Alegria...'

Natsu tilted his head, sensing my discomfort.

"You okay, Luce?" He asked, seeming genuinely concerned.

I looked up, shaking my head. "I'm fine. Now let's go kick butt!" I cheered, putting on a smile for my comrade.

Natsu grinned "Alright! Let's go, Lucy, Happy!"

"Aye sir!" Happy grinned, lifting Natsu into the air, hoping to avoid motion sickness.

Lucy shook her head as she followed the two to the boat.

The boat itself wasn't very nice. It was a small, wooden boat with chipped edges, due to erosion and aging. It's not like one of those row boats, but not exactly a yacht either. The boat was about two floors, the second one acting as a basement. A small ledge was posted in the center of the boat, which held the steering wheel, and the mast. The front of the boat had a large structure, of what appeared to be their symbol.

I wasn't sure if this was a guild or not, since the job flyer and James had called it a 'Group'. But I ignored that thought as I neared the boat. I crept along the side, ducking behind a barrel swiftly. 'Hah! This training really paid off... I can't wait to get into battle!' Lucy face palmed 'Great, I sound like Natsu now.' She blushed a bit at the thought, but pushed it aside.

'Great, so I get to face them first?' She thought as the sound of approaching footsteps and voices reached her ears. To be exact, it was only three people. Nothing I can't handle.

And without a second thought, I jumped out behind the barrel, igniting my Fleuve d'étoiles. "Loke!" I called, swinging the golden key in the air.

Within a second, Loke was by my side reaching for my hand. "I see you're looking lovely today, Miss Lucy!" He smiled, completely oblivious to the situation.

I pulled back my whip as the men drew near "Loke, now's not the time!" I shouted as I swiped the nearest of the men with my whip. 'I'll have to learn to conserve magic energy,' I thought as the man dodged my strike 'I should go into melee before they cast whatever spells they have.' And with that, I dropped my whip to my side, closing Loke's gate without a word. I charged forward, taking the group by surprise. I quickly crouched down, swinging my leg to the left, knocking over the smallest. Rolling forward, I got on my feet in time to dodge a back stab attempt (A/N Back stab attempts aren't necessarily with anything sharp. It is when your opponent is down and vulnerable and open for attack. Got it from d&d, so nothing super original..). Turning quickly to face the group again, the first one just now began recovering from his fall. I smirked, seeing my attacks were effective. 'Better hurry before Natsu shows up...' I didn't waste a second before attacking the next one. I clenched my fist tightly, bracing for impact. I swung my fist as fast as it would go, right into the opponents mouth. I hissed bitterly at the stinging sensation, which was clearly a bite mark. The man dropped down, blood spraying face face and coating my hand. To my surprise, the man went unconscious. I risked a second to glance at him, and my hand. Blood was streaming down the side of his mouth, and a few teeth were clearly knocked out.

Big mistake.

The second I readied myself to attack again, a searing pain shot through my arm. Staggering back, I felt the bone in my arm twist and crack. I sneered in disgust, pain and anger towards the man grinning like an idiot before me. 'I'm overreacting, this isn't bad at all! Just surprising.' I nearly laughed, which seemed to confuse them. "What 're 'ya laughing at, Blondie?" The man shot a glare at me. I frowned at him, my expression turning fierce. "It's Lucy." I snapped "And you. You're what I'm laughing at." I cracked an evil grin, hoping to provoke them enough to drive them blind by anger. I stretched my arm out, the bones cracking as I placed it back into socket. The men flinched in disgust at the repulsive sound. "It was only dislocated, you scum." I stretched my arm out, making sure it was fine. I'm not sure why I decided to act this way, maybe because of the confidence my new fighting skills have given me.

Without a second thought, I charged forward with my fist raised, punching the man the exact same way as the other one. To my surprise, yes again, the man fell unconscious next to his comrade. The stinging wasn't as bad as the last punch, but it still left a mark. Pushing the rest of my thoughts aside, I decided to take on the last man of the group. "How come you're not using magic?" I asked, hoping he would answer me instead of fight for the moment.

He narrowed his eyes at me "How come you aren't using yours?" He cleverly snapped back, taking me by surprise.

I put my hands on my hips "Because, it wouldn't be fair for me to use magic when you fight barehanded." I stated simply.

The man laughed "Then I see no harm in telling you why. Me and these two," He gestured to the bloodied men on the ground "We're guards." He finished as if he had just cleared everything up.

I frowned "That's not a real answer..." I pouted, hoping he'd continue explaining.

He crouched in a fighting position and charged. Thankfully I was prepared. I mean, you can't always expect your enemy to co-operate with you...

I ran forward to meet his attack, and at the last second, I slid under his attacking arm, narrowly dodging it. He growled in frustration and turned to attack again. I repeated the process, but instead, I met his attack head-on.

Our fists collided momentarily, the man wailing in pain as his wrist made an unpleasant cracking sound. He stumbled back, grasping his wrist.

I quickly took advantage of his open position, and pulled out a small throwing knife. I aimed carefully, only hoping to cause immobility.

The man squirmed as he saw what I was doing.

I took his split second of stiffness as my advantage and threw the small knife at his lower thigh. The man yelled, collapsing onto the ground.

I quickly ran over to him, hoping I didn't hit anything major. I sighed in relief as I saw the bleeding was minimal. But the wound was just enough to temporarily render him immobile. "Stay still." I demanded as I reached for the knife with shaky hands. 'Crap, crap, CRAP! I've never done anything like this before...' I sucked in a breath as I gently placed my hands on the knife.

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NATSU'S P.O.V. (Other side of the boat)

I quickly blasted down the last of the group. Now to find the leader. 'I wonder how Lucy's doing..' I thought as I sniffed the air. Blood. Not Lucy's blood, thank God. But someone else... about two other different scents of blood filled my nose as well. I frowned, gesturing for Happy to follow the scent.

Happy looked down at me "Natsu, what's wrong?" He asked as he lifted my higher into the air. I'm glad I brought him with me, otherwise I'd be dead with motion sickness right now.

I glanced around "Hmm..." I sniffed the air once more, finally finding the direction of the scent. "Happy! Go that way!" I ordered, pointing to the opposite end of the boat.

"Aye sir!" Happy said as he flew me to the end of the boat.

As we drew near, a piercing scream filled the air. I clamped my hands over my sensitive ears, then quickly motioned for Happy to rush froward.

When we finally reached the edge of the boat, the scene before us was shocking. "LUCY!" I yelled as Happy dropped me next to her. Despite the growing motion sickness, I managed to hold it back for the time being. "Lucy! Are you okay?!" I looked around, seeing the blood. It wasn't much, but it was enough to startle you. Thankfully the blood on Lucy's arms didn't belong to her.

I frowned as she ignored me. "Lucy, what happened?" I asked, feeling a bit nervous as I saw the unconscious group on the ground.

Lucy looked up "Nothing important! Did you find the leader?" She asked, mustering up a weak smile.

I shook my head. "No, I don't think he's even on the ship, bu-" Before I could finish, the boat lurched, causing me to gag. I ran to the railing, prepared to vomit.

"Wow Natsu!" Happy flew next to me. "You were so worried about Lucy, that you forgot to vomit?!" He exclaimed, waving his fish around.

I crossed my arms and buried my face in my scarf, hoping to hide my blush. "No! The... blood scared me... tha-" I drooped over the railing, vomiting again.

I glanced over to see Lucy tearing off the top part of her socks to use as bandages. "Wha-" Suddenly I was interrupted by a deep voice that seemed to echo around us.

"Well!" The voice began "I see you've found my... henchmen?" The voice asked, then suddenly a figure swept around the the front of the ship. It was a tall man with a long cloak that whipped around him in an ominous way. "I didn't think they'd last very long." He said as he eyed Lucy. "Well, I didn't think you'd last either. But, you managed to surprise me!" He held out his hands in a welcoming manner. Then his face grew solemn.

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"Daughter of Layla Heartfilia."

Aaaannd that's it for now!

Don't forget to leave a review! I'm really curious on how I did!

I'm not sure all chapters will be this long, but I'll try my hardest!

If there are any typos please let me know. My beta reader is currently unavailable and it is well past midnight.

Thank you!