"Ahh… Beloved Magnolia…" Stepping forward on the lively streets of the city of flowers, the lips of the silver haired, once blonde, curled into a twisted grin, finally being able to see this sight she recalled so many times in her dreams, being reminded of both love and hate.

"Beloved and much hated city… Will you receive me one more time, I wonder?" She slowly whispered as she made her way into the crowd of people like a shadow, her silver mask, her flowing silvery hair, her wild attire and the dark cloak that covered her figure and surrounded her slender neck with black fur attracting each and every look of the people on the street. But she cared not for any of these gazes that were drawn to her. She desired only for a certain someone to be drawn to her that way… like a moth to a fire… And thinking that, she couldn't help but lick her lips in excitement as she finally saw in sight the familiar sign she also bore on her hand not so long ago.

As usual, especially at such a late hour of the day, when the sun was preparing to set and rest, surrounding the building of Fairy Tail was a party atmosphere, her sensible ears being able to pick up and discern the lively sounds even from far away.

"Just as usual, these guys are at it again. My, it feels bad to be a party pooper now, kufufu…"

But even as she said that, the ghost of Lucy Heartfilia went beyond the steel gates and rested her hands against the double doors of the entrance, breathing deeply and making up her resolve.

Five years… All for this moment…

The doors were slammed so loudly and so suddenly that everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes to the entrance, where, in the bright light of the evening sun, they saw a mysterious figure step in gracefully, carrying a familiar yet distant and dreadful scent.

Ahh, this person… is strong… They all thought as they felt her gaze inspect her surroundings.

And then, she smirked pridefully, causing many to change from smiles to scowls and glares.

"Ahhh, this place sure looks petty. And here I've heard it's supposed to be a really good guild. Maybe I was wrong to come here, after all?" She said in a loud and mocking voice, but seemed to question herself, instead of the ones around her that seemed to have their killer instinct activated as they heard her words.

"Oi, you! Who do you think you are, saying such things as if you know anything!? I dare you to say that again!" As she expected, the first to act up was the man she wanted to see for a whole five years.

She looked at him as he stood up from within the crowd and made his way towards her. The same pink hair, the same fierce eyes… He was only a bit more mature than she's left him, but he was definitely the Natsu she knew…

'Natsu…' She recalled his name in the corners of her mind as she was caught by the front of the cloak by his hand, him obviously trying to pick a fight with her. Yet she was silent, a shiver running on her back as he touched her. She couldn't help but smile like a love-struck maiden as she filled her vision with his fiery gaze that fixated over her.

Her hands rose up instinctively, slowly, without her being really aware. With one, she placed her fingers over his, close by her chest. With the other, she trailed a finger down his cheek, surprising every single person that watched them with this gesture. He too had his eyes widened, feeling a certain familiarity in this scene, but not recognising the slender yet muscular hands, with sharp claws instead of nails, neither the shine behind the tiara-like mask.

It was in a split moment, however, that her hands changed position, one grabbing his hand tightly, the other grabbing his shirt. He let his guard down, captivated by the earlier gestures, and now was regretting. She widened her stance, moving her left leg to the side. With her right one, she kicked his supporting leg and made him lose balance. A second later, he was thrown on the floor, his face groaning against the cold stone as everyone watched in shock.

"Ahhhh, that really felt good!" She couldn't help herself but squeal with a pleased smile as she hugged herself, feeling the shivers caused by the sight before her, a sight she's only seen in dreams for the last five years.

"Natsu… was thrown so easily…" Murmurs all over the guild spread, everyone looking at the scene with mixed feelings of shock and fear, together with anger.

"Don't you think you're acting too impudent on our grounds? Identify yourself and the purpose of your being here this instance," the following one to act was, predictably, Titania, with a sword already laying still by the neck of the masked girl, the Fairy Queen glaring dangerously at her from her side, but the Masked Knight seemed to ignore her completely, being captivated in her joyful trace as she looked at the pink haired man get up slowly from where she's thrown him.

"Oi…" The Queen repeated with a growl, her sword pushed even closer to the neck of the woman before her, its coldness being surely felt by her. "Did you not hear what I asked?"

That was when the woman exited her trance, turning her head and gaze towards the red-haired, feeling the slight tickle of the blade that was unable to cut at her neck at all. She curled her lips into confusion, tilting her head to the side.

"Eh? When exactly did I allow you to approach me so casually? I don't recall giving my permission." She said, her voice sounding just as if she would have said a greeting, smiling slightly as she did so. But darkness covered her opponents' eyes.

To her right—Erza Scarlet. To her left—Natsu Dragneel.

She could feel their fire dancing in their hearts, the darkness covering their vision. She bathed in the rage they were feeling; she trembled with joy. In her own heart, the desire to kill was born.

Her eyes morphed unseen by any stares to a purple colour, the magic dancing in her dragon veins.

But the Angel descended.

"Miss, are you here to speak with the Master?"

It was Wendy, who suddenly appeared in the middle of them, grabbing Lucy by a hand, already knowing who the one standing before her was. Charla saw it in a vision before she arrived, and at the moment, Wendy was the only one to know of this besides her.

At the sight of the angel, the child she left five years ago, Lucy stopped her magic in its tracks, cancelling all processes. With a joyful heart, she, however, only smirked on the surface, nodding her head to this child as she seemed to calm down. Only Wendy noticed her true feelings, as her small hand was held tightly by the silver haired's.

"This way, please," she said, leading her quickly upstairs. It was only now, as she passed through the tables, that Lucy noticed just how much this place too changed. New faces and matured people, who almost didn't resemble these she remembered. She looked at Wendy too, and realised she was wrong just before, by calling her a child. Certainly, this girl grew taller and more beautiful.

"Heh… You changed a bit too but… You're still that adorable child I know," Lucy whispered as she leaned close to her ear with a smirk, while climbing the stairs.

"D-Don't tease me! I'm no longer a child!" She quietly yelped, with a blush on her face, almost making Lucy laugh. But Lucy already knew the way and, jumping ahead of her playfully, quickly knocked on the door she knew to be the Master's, knowing that this made Wendy pout once more.

She heard a voice from the inside, telling her to come in, but at that moment, Lucy stopped. It all suddenly came to her—the happiness she has felt before in this building. However, she doubted she could attain that same happiness from today onwards, as she has taken on a new name.

Making up her mind, she opened the door, and everyone saw it close just as swiftly.

Wendy too stared at it, feeling a certain happiness fill her soul. They've waited for her for so long… After before, they had failed her like that. And yet, she too wished for forgiveness, and for the light that Lucy brought with her to return.

It felt like it took a good amount of time for that door to open again, and people looked up expectantly as they saw the Master himself come out first, followed by the weird masked woman. He cleared his throat a couple times, silencing any noise that still went around, before looking at his brats.

"This is Lucilla Kalani. She's been recommended by an old friend of mine and will join us as a member from today on! Brats! Time to celebrate!" He laughed, causing a cheer to flow in the guild. However, not everyone was on board with it, some, like Natsu and Erza, eyeing her suspicious.

"Recommended by a friend of Master's? Why does that sound suspicious?" Erza murmured, her instinct telling her that there was definitely something amiss here.

Wendy quickly rushed up the stairs, grabbing Lucilla's hand again, almost dragging her. Her friendliness to this stranger seemed weird as well.

At the same time, the doors of the guild opened once more, with four persons showing up, together with a small child. They looked a bit surprised to see the atmosphere in the guild, looking around strangely.

"Hey, what's this all about? There's this weird feeling all over the place," Gray, who was in the group, asked Mira, the closest person. Juvia, who was close to him, leaned in, just as curious.

"Weird feeling? Sounds like the usual place to me," Gajeel, behind him, grinned, getting himself a smack from Levy.

"You can't just call the guild weird like that! Ah, Emma, you can't just run around like that!"

"Well, that is…" Mira giggled nervously, ignoring Levy who ran after her daughter. But the black haired girl ran fast, and enjoyed having her mother chase her. Yet, unfortunately for her, she didn't look ahead of her as well, and suddenly, she was picked up by two mysterious hands.

"Eh?" Both she and her mother murmured, confused. Levy raised her eyes from the ground, eyeing the stranger figure from her shoes on, a strange feeling filling her heart. 'It couldn't be…' She told herself, looking at the cloaked figure that held her daughter. Despite this being a stranger, she felt no danger for her child. Instead, as she looked at the masked face of the woman before her, who smiled as the small child reached out to touch her mask with a small hand, Levy felt tears roll down her cheeks. That smile—she knew it perfectly and so, she started sobbing quietly, surprising these around.

"Go to your mother now, little rascal. Give her a hug already," the woman said as she put down the little girl, who obediently ran in her mother's arms. These around looked with glares, as all they perceived was this woman making their Levy cry, and many expected Gajeel to start a fight with her because of that. But the man betrayed their expectations, as he instead just went towards his wife, passing by the woman with understanding.

She gracefully stepped forward, heading to the guild door. However, she stopped before that, looking at the two that were still there, eyeing her with widened eyes.

Gray felt the world stop as he saw her, for the first time in 5 years, and felt a light shine over his life once more.

She looked at him with a gentle smile, understanding his thoughts. He was the first one to find the truth, the first one to seek justice for her sake, the first one she often thought about when waking up in the morning, on the other side…

"Nice to meet you," she said, stepping forward to him and extending her hand. "My name is Lucilla Kalani. I am a new member."

Brief thank you for reading this and letting me know what you think of it through messages! Initially I wished to post on weekend days, but that changed a bit due to some things, so no fixed days for posts. However, I'll post 2 chapters per week, or 1 if it's longer. Thank you again and looking forward to your wonderful opinions!