Author's note: So I added in dividers to show where some scenes end and begin. I thought it might help because I don't want to confuse anyone! I hope you like this chapter the next one will be up soon!


Days were starting to fly by and things were still going smoothly in Magnolia, living here its hard to remember there is a war going on. It's been a long time since Zeref's army has made any major moves. The Wizard knights were getting anxious as it only made their job that much more difficult. They didn't know how many forces Zeref had or what they could be planning. It made it hard to recruit or plan a strategy because there were so many unknowns. They just had to prepare for anything.

Lucy became accustomed to her job very quickly and the bar was getting pretty popular. She was a naturally warm and attractive person so people flocked...naturally of course. Every night Gray was there waiting for her shift to be over, most of his work was done during the day. He did odd jobs to occupy his time until he finally left for the Wizard knights. Sure he wanted to have more faith in her but he just couldn't sleep until he knew she was safe at home. There were rumors on the wind that people were starting to migrate to join Zeref's cause. Some people have even started to panic though on a small scale.

It's frightening when you can't recognize if someone is your enemy.

Gray was leaning on the outside of the bar with his hands in his pants pockets. No coat today, it was far too warm for that. He felt relatively calm throughout the day, maybe it was because it was finally nearing. In only a few days he was going to the capital to get tested to join the knights. He was lost in thought thinking about the whole process and wondering just how qualified he was for something like that. He didn't notice Lucy standing right next to him against the bar looking up into the sky.

She looked up to his face and interrupted his train of thought, "You day dreaming about her again?"

He panicked, "Wha- Lucy! Geez I didn't even see you there."

She looked incredibly sad, "Sorry..."

What was wrong this time? He got off the wall and held out his hand for her to take.

"It wasn't about her. I was just thinking that it's only a few more days..."

That was even worse. She took his hand as he led the way to her apartment. There were so many reasons why he shouldn't go. He had a potential life here with Lucy. There was no real guarantee that he would be coming back either. Sure he can ask to be posted here in Magnolia but that would take a long time to occur for sure. Ordinary troops cant even request a transfer, so he would need to either get lucky or be promoted first. Which meant Lucy could be in danger, could he really go and leave her here defenseless? Even if there are knights here in Magnolia that doesn't mean she is going to be safe.

Lucy broke the silence today, "I heard people are joining up with Zeref."

So she heard it too? His face became dark and he tried hard to hide his twisted nature, "Anyone who even sympathizes with Zeref's cause should be killed."

She didn't hesitate, "Yeah I agree, I don't know how anyone could just go over to their side...after what they did." As she spoke her heart ached.

Lucy looked up at Gray knowing full well that what she said was going to affect him. He stopped for a moment and stared back then in one quick motion pulled her into a tight embrace.

His voice was filled with hurt and even desperation, "Don't trust anyone you hear me!? Especially...especially while I'm gone!"

You're all I have left...

She embraced back and breathed him in. Why couldn't it just stay this way? After their touching moment things proceeded as usual. She made it home safely, exchanging sad and lonely glances with him while she entered her apartment. Now just wasn't the time for them to be together. Gray went home and slipped into the delectable unconsciousness of dream land. His dreams were filled with slaughter...the desire only becoming stronger.

Light bombarded his eyes...he shot up from the bed and looked at his calendar on the wall across the way. Today was the day. Lucy was already up and about the town square looking for something appropriate. She had been trying to find something to give him as a memento while he was gone. At first she wanted to be more subtle about her feelings but now she wasn't so sure. Maybe her gift should reflect how he makes her feel right now? She stopped at a jewelry store and had a look around until she saw a pair of necklaces...something she liked very much.

Gray packed a small sling bag and went off to Lucy's house first thing. He wanted to see her before he was off. But she was no where to be found. He was worried but...she was a big girl now. The carriage was leaving soon and he didn't have time to wait for her to come home. So he left...trying to resist the urge to turn the city upside down to find her. The carriage was in view right at the entrance to the town, there were a lot of trees out there. The north side of Magnolia was covered in a thick forest with only a couple of roads going through it. The perfect hiding place for demons to prowl. They couldn't get enough hands to cut it down without the fear of losing workers in the process.

There were a decent amount of people packing their things. Enough time to think about turning back? There was no way he could do that now. He stood around for a bit waiting, losing himself in his own thoughts. Until he heard a warm voice calling off in the distance. He knew exactly who it was, perfect timing.

"Gray! Wait!" Lucy ran over out of breath, "I have...a gift for you."

She held out both her hands showing a pair of necklaces on black string. One was a heart locket with an intricate design, the other was a silver key that matched the locket. Subtle? His hand reach over picking up the key. She looked up at his face trying to catch her breath.

He just smiled and put it on, it was time for him to go. He went to board the carriage but turned to face her, "I'll be back to protect you, I promise."

"I know you will. I'll be waiting." She felt nothing but happiness.

Even though he was gone, he acknowledged her feelings and didn't reject her, she hoped that maybe one day they had a chance to be together. Her chest felt warm against the cold metal of the heart shaped charm.


Somewhere off on the other side of the continent Zeref's minions were on the move. There were only a few more steps left in his plan for domination. One of which hinged on acquiring twelve special keys. The two servants cloaked in black returned to the headquarters with tons of golden keys. Could this be the end?

The man who sat on the throne seemed pleased at first...but not pleased enough.

"There's no more registered celestial wizards you say? Well is that so...do you think I care about your pathetic excuses? The only thing I see are seven authentic keys in my hand." He slashed their outer arms causing the two to flinch, "Zeref needs twelve! Don't come back until you have the rest of the keys, or don't come back at all."

The dark voice was more than threatening, he had a hold on their emotions, which meant he had a hold on their lives. The two left again feeling a little less than determined.

A man with dark long hair looked over at his companion as they moved further from their base of operations, "I don't know about you, but I think the old bastards being unreasonable. It's like finding five needles in a huge haystack."

"You heard him though, we find the keys, we get what we want. I for one thought you wanted to see them again!" The young man replied mockingly.

The black haired man seemed frustrated, but at the same time failing this mission could mean freedom. Though he knew he was forever bound to Zeref he couldn't help but like the possibility. Losing this opportunity could be worth the gains.

"Well I'm gonna take my time and have a little fun. I won't tell if you don't." The black hair man laughed and ran off ahead.

The young man stood in awe at his brave companion. Fun...it's been so long since he's heard that word. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to enjoy the freedom a little bit more.


It was so lonely with Gray not around anymore. The nights were just getting longer and working just made her miss him. He wasn't there waiting for her anymore. She was trying to distract herself by working harder when a new customer walked in the door that she had never seen before. They sat down seemingly distracted in their own little world. Lucy walked over to the table curious and also needing to do her job. It seemed odd that such a young woman would want to read here in a bar. She wasn't even ordering anything? As soon as Lucy was in view the woman looked up from her book and gave her a displeased look. Did she do something wrong? The book closed and Lucy only came closer.

Lucy was worried she might have already failed, "Hey there, uhm, I was just wondering if you wanted anything?"

She only smiled softly at the book forgetting why she was mad in the first place, "No I'm fine. This place just smells like home, I'm comfortable here."

That had to be the weirdest statement Lucy ever heard. Any time your home smells like a bar can't be good.

"O-Oh I see." Not really sure how else to respond.

She was taken in by the warm young blonde, "My name's Levy what's yours?"

Lucy only smiled back feeling compelled to continue, she didn't seem like a bad person at all. "It's Lucy."

"It's nice to meet you Lucy."

They exchanged smiles, Lucy started to forget why she was sad in the first place. Her loneliness started to fade away even if for a second. Lucy and Levy spoke a lot that night about books and such. It was a nice and refreshing turn of events, Lucy made a new friend.


After a few days of travel Gray finally arrived. The capital was huge, it was covered in towering walls that were technically just the outskirts of the castle. This place was reserved for all of the knights to train. Wizards and regular people that wished to help the cause gather here to prepare for an inevitable clash with Zeref. The air smelled of metal and a little like sweat. It was so loud here compared to Magnolia how could anyone ever get any sleep? Once the carriage came to a stop he grabbed his belongings and stepped off, following the crowd to the entrance of the huge structure. There were bright yellow lights on the ceiling complementing the white stone that made up the castle. It was so much to take in.

He approached a large counter in the shape of a ring in the middle of the main hall. Tons of people were on line waiting to check in to see where to go next. There would be instructions as to where you could go for your test. Magic needed to be tested in order for people to be assigned to appropriate divisions. Different skills could be used for different missions. This type of categorization really helped complement and make the most of all the Wizard knight's capabilities.

Gray stared down at a piece of paper with his name scripted upon it, "Room E-6..."

He followed the instructions and found himself in front of a large gilded door. He opened it up and saw a small old man with a funny looking hat and a clip board sitting on the opposite end of the room.

"Name?" The old guy cut right to the chase.

He spoke confidently in return, "Gray Fullbuster."

The old man raised his eye brow and looked at his paper carefully. Gray had sent in his letter about a month ago details of his magic enclosed. The old man smiled and reached for a lever, closing the door, raising some target dummies, and turning the lights off. Gray started to feel nervous now, a bright red timer showed up against the wall and it was ticking down. He only had a second to take it all in before having to take action. He removed his jacket and shirt and started to shoot off at them one after another trying his best to take them all out. What if he missed one would he not be allowed to join them? The lights turned on...

"Hmm I see, ice magic." His wrinkles moved to accommodate his grin, "I'm assigning you to the Fairy tail division."

Gray looked around trying to catch his breath. It was hard to even tell what had just happened. He never pictured this being so extreme...all of the dummies were downed and he didn't even miss a single shot. A feeling of relief came over him. That's when he took in what the old guy said. The Fairy tail division. The strongest and most fearless warrior's in the Wizard knights. They are able to do the most extreme missions and take out Zeref's most elite demons. Gray couldn't help but smile, it was all too perfect. He was handed a piece of paper with all types of information. His living quarters, the Fairy tail headquarters, dining hall and a strict daily schedule. He wandered through the halls looking for the great and wondrous Fairy tail.

As he neared closer he picked up the faint smell of booze. It was loud and rowdy and furniture was flying out through the door. Was that really the place? Gray thought twice about approaching the doorway. As he reached the door a barrel flew at his direction causing him to think fast. He smashed the barrel into tiny pieces using his ice magic before it could do any real damage. Everyone in the room froze for a moment looking up at their new recruit. It was quiet and awkward at first...

But a beautiful woman with long red hair clad in armor walked over to him and extended her hand, "Welcome, newbie."