"The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege."

-Charles Kurait

-Note: Writing style has changed from first person limited

"LOKEEEEEE!" The two screamed together as they bolted into the Shrine, barreling over the poor unsuspecting familiar. The poor Zodiac tried to squirm away from the poor Priestess and Aries, both stilling squealing in fright.

The lion spirit wriggled out and dusted off his traditional shrine outfit. He shook his head at the wriggling blonde Priestess and trembling ram girl.

"Calm down, what happened?" He asked as he extended his hand to Aries. The young sheep blushed as she took his hand and let out a small 'eep' as she was whisked closer towards him. The two looked well together in a ballroom-like dance position, it was almost like their troublesome past was behind them.

Both had been former familiars to another Priestess named Karen Lilica, a well-respected Priestess on the outside but on the inside, she was extremely abusive to her familiars. In order to protect Aries, Leo –his past alias – sent her to the Spirit World, where all familiars resided, and disabled Karen from being protected by her familiars.

Not used to caring for the Shrine on her own, it filled with miasma and lead to her downfall. Lucy found the two sealed at the Shrine and freed them with her divine powers, leading to them becoming contracted as her own familiars.

Lucy smiled at the two then pushed herself up, knowing she'd have to interrupt their 'moment' as they would all call them.

"Ahem?"

The two jumped away from each other and stood in a solider position in front of her.

"Sorry Lucy!" The two said simultaneously and Loke spoke, "What were you guys screaming about anyways?"

"People saw us Loke! Saw us! We weren't faded or anything, we were solid people!" Lucy yelped, clutching her head – she nervously began to jog on spot. "I don't have enough divine power to be able to appear in front of people, the only reason my father could even see me was because my mother gave him divine eyes!"

Aries and Lucy hugged each other tightly, trembling. Loki rubbed his temples and sighed, trying to think of a reason.

"Did you sense any divine essence in them?"

"We didn't stay long enough to sense anything…" Lucy admitted while Aries nodded her head as if to confirm the statement.

Loki shook his head then shrugged, "What's done is done." He remarked, then lead the two ladies into the shrine where dinner awaited them. Inside, sat a long table where the celestial spirits – who could fit inside the shrine – sat alongside it.

Aries took her spot beside Loke while Lucy took her spot at the head of the table, picking up her meal and gesturing for the others to begin to eat.

xXxXxXxXxXxX

"A Priestess…" Gray started.

"…Who can't be seen by ordinary humans…" Erza continued, raising an eyebrow.

"…but we can still see her?" Natsu finished, eyes widening. He grinned and pumped his fist in the air, "That's so cool!"

"Exactly," Makarov nodded, acting as though what he had told them was as normal as can be. He looked up and sighed as the disbelieving faces of Gray and Erza – ignoring Natsu since he seemed absolutely pumped about the idea.

"Then how come we can only see her?" Gray asked, still not entirely believing the story Makarov was giving them.

Makarov let out a chuckle, slowly walking up to them with a grin.

"Why don't you go find out for yourself?"

The three took a step back, looking at each other with mixed emotions. Erza unsure, Gray doubtful, and Natsu excited.

"C'mon guys, we've got to go and meet her." Natsu reasoned, "A person invisible to everyone but us? Don't tell you don't want to go and see this!"

Erza and Gray opened their mouths to reply when an upbeat meow interrupted. A 'blue' cat with a white belly slid forward, jumping up onto Natsu's shoulder – considering he was one of the few that could support the overweight cat.

"See? Even Happy thinks we should go!" Natsu beamed and Happy meowed again, as if to agree with the pink-haired boy. "Come on!" He whined.

"Alright, alright, we'll go but don't blame us when we get disappointed, ash tray." Gray growled, then turned to Makarov who had already scribbled out directions and handed the paper to Erza.

"Alright then, let's go." She said, leading them out of the building. Natsu pumped his fist in the air once more, a grin lighting his face as he followed Erza out of the area with Happy on his shoulder.

He turned around to look at the sign, a warm feeling eliciting from inside as he read the words 'Fairy Tail' proudly. Many would question the name, but those who were part of it knew better.

Fairy Tail was guild that had taken in abandoned children – Natsu, Erza, and Gray included. The Guild had been founded by Fairy Priestess, Mavis Vermillion, an abandoned child herself. Makarov, a few generations later, had inherited the Guild later.

Natsu himself had been found in a fire, where Makarov had taken in him and brought him back to the small guild. Natsu himself didn't have many memories of the incident but the burns on his back always reminded him that it had happened.

Gray had been found locked away in a house, where his father had hung himself after the death of his mother. It was reported that he had a brother, but Gray had never talked about one so they left the subject alone.

Erza was the worst child that was found, especially considering the circumstances. A extremist cult had created an underground slave system for the sake of building a tower to Heaven – one that Erza had been forced to be part of until the police found out and destroyed the entire system, though it was rumored that some members escaped the massive siege. Erza had been taken in by Makarov as well and brought back.

She had been cold and distant at first, but after some warming up to, she had opened up and found her place in the Guild.

The other members of the guild were taken in at various ages, each containing their own stories and secrets. But as time went on, they grew closer and closer as a family – with the mark to prove it.

Natsu looked over at his should, seeing his insignia and pride filling his gaze the longer he looked.

"We're here," Erza said, looking up from the map and up at the staircase. Past the usual gate that stood as a marking that a shrine was there.

"Yosh!" Natsu cheered, Happy jumped down from his shoulder and circle around his feet meowing urgently. The cat began to race up the steps, meowing back at them as if trying to get them to follow.

"What's gotten into Happy?" Erza asked as she and the others raced after the cat – who was surprisingly fast despite his weight.

As the three made it up the steps, they began to walk through a gate. As Natsu pulled his body through, a feeling seemed to envelop him…a divine feeling.

"Did you guys feel that?" Gray asked, looking at his hands. The two nodded and looked around.

"We better find Happy," Erza remarked. "Quick."

xXxXxXxXxXxX

"Mooo!" A familiar voice cried and a bulky body towered over Lucy, who had been checking the list of the recorded prayers. "Priestess Lucy!"

Lucy stood up, inspecting the familiar's frantic condition. "Taurus, what's wrong?" She asked, looking over at the usually perverted cow.

"These three humans came into the shrine-" Taurus began.

"Taurus, humans are supposed to come into the Shrine." Lucy reminded, beginning to sit back down but Taurus stopped her.

"These humans are different, they have a strange spiritual essence." Taurus said then pricked his ear as footsteps grew louder.

"P-P-P-Priestess!" Aries cried, "It is the same h-humans from before!" Lucy stood up at this, eyes widening. She quickly followed the two to where Loke and Virgo stood.

"There Priestess," Virgo said, pointing at the wandering trio.

Lucy nodded, "I'll handle it – stay back here." She ordered and began to walk forward but stopped abruptly as a hand was placed on her shoulder. She turned to stare Loke in the eye.

"Remember, if things get out of hand, summon us with the keys." He reminded, she stuck out her tongue playfully and nodded before turning back around and walking forward.

She tip-toed further, eyeing them nervously. She wasn't taking any risks, especially if those humans could see her. She stealthily prowled towards them, almost rather proud of how slick and sneaky she was being. I could've been a spy for a living, Lucy thought smugly, maybe a ninj-

"Aye!" A squeaky voiced suddenly cried. Lucy whipped around to see a blue cat, standing on its back legs.

Lucy raised an eyebrow, assuming it was a spirit that had wandered in. I've really got to remind Aquarius and Scorpio to close the gate when they come back after a date, Lucy thought, slightly annoyed.

"OI LADY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH HAPPY?"

Lucy spun around to be face to face with a pink haired boy, falling backwards with an 'eep' and scooting away. The cat spirit – apparently named Happy – ran forward on two legs and stood in front of the now astonished boy.

"Aye sir!" Happy greeted, saluting the awestruck boy.

"ERZA! GRAY! HAPPY CAN TALK!" Natsu yelled and soon enough, two other people come running.

"Hate to break it to you, flame-brain, but cats can't talk." Gray scoffed, placing his hands on his hips. He turned to Lucy and raised an eyebrow, "Whose sh- Wait, it's you from before!"

Lucy flinched as all eyes were on her, taking a step back. Her eyes widened as she stepped to one side, watching their eyes follow, before stepping to the other, their eyes still trained on her. She clenched her fists and took a fighting stance.

"Who are you?! What realm are you from?" She demanded to know before adding, "You can't possibly be humans!"

Natsu scoffed at this, completing forgetting about talking Happy.

"And why not?"

"…Natsu…" Gray said in fear.

"Yeah?"

"Your hand…"

"What about my hand?"

"It's on f-f-f-f-f-f…" Gray trailed off, raising a trembling finger at Natsu. Erza shared his terrified expression.

Natsu raised his hand before recoiling in fear. For it was blazing with a mighty fire – but Natsu felt no pain. But the shock still got to him as he let an a massive shriek and began to wave his hand around, desperately trying to put out the fire.

"H-H-HELP!" He hollered.

"Aye sir!" Lucy looked down to see the little cat spirit running towards the pond where Pisces resided. She watched in amusement as he cupped some water in his tiny paws before tottering back over to where the panicking Natsu was.

Wings erupted from his back – getting another shriek of fear and amazement from Erza and Gray – and he hovered to Natsu's height, tossing the water at him. The water seemed to snap him out of his fear as the fire disappeared and the pink-haired boy collapsed to the ground, staring at his once enflamed hand.

He turned to Lucy, eyes wide.

"Who are you?"

xXxXxXxXxXxX

The three traumatized teens were sat at the meal room, which had been cleaned by the spirits. Lucy sat on the other side of the table, calmly sipping her tea. She set it down and looked them in the eyes.

"Let's start with the basics: Who are you three and why are you here?" She asked, resting her hands on her knees.

Erza seemed to shake out of her trance and looked at the Priestess, "I'm Erza Scarlet. This Gray Fullbuster-" She glanced at the gray-haired boy then looked at the pink-haired one, "-and that's Natsu Dragoneel. We were sent here by Makarov Dreyar, who-"

"Makarov?" A deep voice rasped. The four turned to see Capricorn – who seemed to frighten the trio even more – looking at them, sunglasses off and expression wide. He turned to Lucy, "May I ask them some questions, Priestess?"

Lucy nodded and patted beside her, allowing the Spirit to sit next her. He sat down and leaned forward, putting his sunglasses on again once more.

"Where are you three from?"

"F-Fairy Tail, goat-I mean sir…" Gray muttered, eyes still wide that he was talking to an anthropomorphic goat.

A gasp arose from Lucy, Capricorn, and the other eavesdropping Spirits. Lucy and Capricorn looked at each other.

"This explains it…" Capricorn murmured.

"…Why Makarov sent them…but…" Lucy continued.

"…but that still doesn't explain a lot." Capricorn finished. He looked at them, "You three can see us perfectly right? We don't waver or fade?"

The three snapped out of their trances and nodded in union. They jumped as Lucy suddenly sat up, determination in her eyes.

"Take me to Fairy Tail!"

I'M A TERRIBLE PERSON I KNOW I'M SORRY AFHYDEWRFHDDHSLDSF

Yes, here it is, the long-awaited chapter for Celestial Shrine x.x I feel awful for taking forever to write it omg

So yes, basically this explains everything and nothing at the same time. Don't worry, this first arc will answer all those questions .3. Oh yes, and the reason I exposed their pasts now was so that you have a basic idea of this world but not everything is what it seem my dear readers, all there are darker secrets in these little hints I give you…

ANYWAYS

Please review, it motivates me! ^-^