The Girl with the Celestial Tattoos

Chapter 3, Burdens

A/N: I'm grateful how many hits I've gotten in the last few days which soon turned into weeks since I put out The Girl with the Celestial Tattoos, shocked even. Many thanks to all the readers of this story, and I'll try my best not to disappoint!

^.^

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail

Normal Pov..

Year X774, Heartifilia Manor.

The water rippled softly in the crystal glass on the nightstand of Lucy's room. The young girl hadn't slept, her hand outstretched and fingers flexing as she tried to will the water to follow her movements. Simply said, controlling one of the elements was nearly impossible for her. She realized the full strength, will, power, and potential of Juvia, Natsu, Aquarius, and so many others. It just made her more furious at her weakness and willed herself to practice as much as inhumanly possible before her body dropped into unconsciousness.

She just had to get the control of water magic down first, but simply said it wasn't going so well. Lucy could move it slightly though, so it was granted possible for her. Problem is, it took her a little over a month to make that possible - which caused her to only make a ripple in the water. What she didn't know, was how rare that was amongst mages. For a mage to be able to switch from holder magic to combat was extremely difficult to achieve and only the eldest, wisest, and more experienced mages have accomplished such a feat.

What she also didn't know was that water is the hardest element magic to control since the atoms were so far away from each other. Water atoms were also very lose and independent, making controlling it so incredibly hard. It is why water magic is so powerful, since once you get it mastered it is the strongest and most resistant amongst the other elements.

That is also why Aquarius was the strongest amongst the Celestial Spirits, including the Zodiac leader, with only the Celestial King stronger. And Juvia, who was apart of Phantom Lord as an S-Class member and in the Element 4 of the most elite mages of the guild.

But of course, Lucy wouldn't see that. All she saw, was the need to be stronger no matter the amount of blood she would have to shed, or the intensity of pain. No pain, no gain, and everything would be for nothing - was her chant to herself when training.

It was the mere fact that Aquarius and Juvia could control water so well, both amazed her and intrigued her.

Over the past year she's been attempting to rid herself of her self-loathing and instead replace it with the giant burden over her shoulders to save everyone from the strongest dark guild, Tartarus. However, she still over-trained herself past her limits every day and night. She just wanted to self-loathing off her shoulders so she could focus better, but she would never, EVER forget that it was her fault everyone was lost in her old future now unseen past.

Another thing was her magic; it was beginning to become visible from the sheer power and intensity of strength that she had to sneak out in the middle of the night while everyone was asleep to meditate on her growing aura in peace without having to worry about getting caught and also training her body physically with the extra time. In her mind, she was weak. Even if it meant training to the point where she was drenched in blood, sweat, and tears or was unconscious from the intensity of the training, she was fine with it.

In fact, she had become addicted to such a routine it was normal for her.

Self-teaching herself water magic however was very time consuming for her and fortunately kept Lucy from rupturing her magic filters during her hidden training. Layla, her mother was like Lucy's guider by teaching the hows and whens while Lucy constantly trained using her guidance since Layla had practically drilled it into her head.

Although this didn't stop Lucy from feeling like her progression was going slow, not quite realizing that Erza and Natsu (the ones she's been aiming to surpass) didn't even start training their magic until they were a little older than Lucy is now. Lucy was now seven, meaning it's been three years of her new life her, with her second chance. She kept counting the years like a bomb that was about to go off, with her as the bomb. Her D-Day (Death Day) happens when she turns twenty four here and right now she has only seventeen years left. Only, she tells herself.

Currently she has reached the average strength of a mage of 12 years that has been training since they were eight. In other words she who has been training since she was four when she barely has any magic in her filters, has surpassed those that has trained for four years in just three years. And she's still seven meaning that when she turns 12, just what level will she reached then? How much will she have improved? That's five years from where she is now, meaning that she'll be more than double the strength of the average 12 year-old experienced mages, and at the average of at least a sixteen year-old!

But Lucy doesn't see that, and she doesn't care to know the facts. She just trains and trains and trains, a couple lessons in between that time, but that's basically been her life.

An unfortunate life, but a life she has chosen and so she would stick with it.

It was sort of strange to her, to be wondering what sort of lives her future friends would be living in now. She figured that Natsu would be with Igneel soon the following year and would begin his basic training in fire dragon-slaying magic. Lucy greatly underestimated herself in comparison to her friends, but it was what also what kept her willing to become stronger no matter the cost.

She had already begun pushing herself past her limits far enough, and what came to her next would only make it harder. It was in early January when she awakened another magic from none other than the twins - Gemini. They had given her transformation magic and for Lucy it was a bitch to deal with.

The reason was because when she first discovered the transformation magic it was when she was helping the maids clean up the kitchen (neither her parents knowing this) and had slightly touched one of the maids hands when they were handing her a dish, and well.. her hand slowly began to change shape, color, and form. She was quite startled by the reaction and nearly dropped a plate before rushing out of the room as fast as possible without looking too suspicious. She claimed it as "really needing to use the restroom".

However, ever since then she's been very anti-touch as she tries to control Gemini's transformation magic. If she even came to the slightest contact with someone, she would begin to take their form along with their memories. It was a burden really, but she didn't hate it since it was given to her by Gemini, who willing sacrificed themselves for her to change the future.

She swore she would master the magic, and hopefully learn a way to control seeing someone's memories. She knows the lives of all the maids, which has given her a bit of a whiplash, heavy amount of guilt, and still very shocked on the information of the lives of the Heartifilia's maids. It is one of the main reasons she hates money now, and hates herself for wanting so much in the past. She never really understand the people who grew up with very little money until now, and has been growing closer to her family's maids and helping them out constantly.

Another fortunate matter to keep her from over-training alone with a cease of neglecting against others. She had been isolating herself for a time the past few years since her return, do to not wanting to relieve memories whether bad, sad, or happy.

Even with the no-touching rule she has been able to outgrow her isolation a bit, but the training and means to be stronger never dimmed even the slightest. Maybe this was a good thing, and maybe not. Training constantly with her burden came with both positives and negatives. However the negatives were far greater in number than positive.

Lucy was willing to give up any sort of social interaction, love and companionship in order to become the strongest mage she could possible be. She decided she had to be at least the strength of a magic council mage in order to be able to defeat Tartarus. It was quite a stretch, but she was willing to sacrifice what she needed in order to reach it.

However, no matter what she told herself she was still lonely and deeply sad by the events that unfolded in her future. Something she could never let go or forget, and so accompanying the maids at times was very helpful to fight against her loneliness.

But, things all changed during one lesson with her mother, and the very even she dreaded the most, had arrived..

Flashback..

Lucy stood outside on the front lawn with her mother across from her, smiling encouragingly at her. Lucy looked down at the golden key in her hand, the symbol of Capricorn staring back at her. Her mother decided it was time to see how Lucy could handle a golden key, and if she was ready to take the next step in Celestial magic.

But for Lucy, this was a whole other matter. Her mother hadn't done this in the past, because she wasn't powerful enough. Lucy smirked slightly as she stared at Capricorn's key. She had improved, but she still had a long way to go to achieve her goal.

Capricorn; he was like a god-father to her. Watching her back, giving her advice when needed, and never going easier on her when she asked for training. She had sacrificed him, and has yet to discover his gift to her, however she doesn't mind. She's about to meet him again, though she would have to hold back on her power.

The information she had gained about Celestial magic and spirits from Cruz and the library both surprised her but also worried her.

When one summons a celestial spirit, they measure up how much magic is in their user's filters in order to estimate what techniques they can use against the opponent along with how long they can be out. In the past, Lucy would freely use her magic filters when summoning a golden key spirit, since she never had much magic to begin with back then and didn't even know she was showing how weak she was to her spirits.

The only way Lucy would be able to keep her filtered magic a secret would be to measure and predict how much magic she needs to use in order to open a golden gate key. For her, since she's had experience with the golden gate spirits it shouldn't be too difficult.

Lucy took in a slow inhale before letting out, closing her eyes, she then channeled her magic inside of her.

On an inside look of her body the area where her heart is began to glow a dark golden hue, and slowly began to course into the torso, limbs, and most importantly her hands. Originally her aura was blue, after her mother. A calm and sweet aura, however that changed when she sacrificed ten golden keys along with her silver keys, transforming her previous baby blue aura into a dark golden color after the celestial spirits.

On the outside, Layla was startled to feel the intensity of Lucy's aura. What Lucy hadn't realized, was that no matter how much one can control one's magic, one simply cannot hide the feeling of their aura. It is in that reason why the Magic Council conducts aura tests on their members in order to know if they have good or bad aura. Good meaning calm and for good purposes and bad for murder intent and destruction of Fiore.

Lucy's aura used to feel like a calm sunny morning with a mixture of strawberries and vanilla. However now, the aura felt like the ocean. A mixture of rage, calm, sadness, and wisdom. Her scent was that of the ocean but also of blood and pine. It was very peculiar for a mage - no, a child - to have and to hold. Layla worried slightly what the meaning behind that was if Lucy could wield such power but at the same time she was proud that her daughter had grown so much over the years.

A light golden aura appeared above Lucy's flesh, radiating and pulsing with will power and determination that make Layla smile at the level Lucy had progressed in within so little time. Her daughter would be a great mage some day, but with intense power. Power that people would seek, and so Lucy would be in for a surprise when she would be old enough to be free.

Layla doesn't wish a noble's life for her daughter. She merely wanted her to grow up safe and with food on a daily bases. Jude has given that to Lucy, and has also made her happy. But, Jude also wants Lucy to be the heir of the Heartifilia company, and within that duty comes with politics and an arranged marriage, something Layla didn't want Lucy to get involved with.

However, Layla doubted Lucy would be staying anyways. She could see the mage inside her daughter, something that Jude had always been absent of, and this intensity of magic that was inside her daughter, that her daughter was born to.. she would be free some day, and Layla wouldn't be the one who would let her go.. Lucy would do it all on her own, she had no doubt.

"Open the Gate of the Goat, Capricorn!" Lucy chanted with determination, without a sense of doubt of herself while the golden key in her hand began to glow until it was beaming in gold brightly.

A portal then opened in front of the key, soon followed by a flash until Capricorn was standing before Lucy and Layla, kneeling with his head bowed and wearing his usual fancy flawless suit.

"Ah, you're Layla's daughter no?" Capricorn asked her, looking up at her with kind eyes.

Lucy lowered the key and moved her right foot forward before nodding. "Yes, I'm Lucy."

Capricorn smiled softly before standing, giving a respectful nod to Layla, before turning his attention to Lucy.

"I made a promise to your mother that I would serve you if you should chose to follow in the path of magic. Now that you've summoned me, you are now my master as I am your servant-" He was interrupted by Lucy before he could continue however.

"No! You are a dear friend to my mother and as much a person as my mother and myself. You are no servant, but a friend. If you are only a servant then I do not wish to be you're master." Lucy said firmly, astonishing Capricorn in the pure words by a seven year-old child. Lucy beamed in pride and happiness that Lucy has truly understood what it means to be a true celestial wizards.

Capricorn nodded thoughtfully. "Alright then, I am you're friend Lucy. You are like your mother, kind to us. I will serve you well, Lucy." And with those last words, Capricorn retreated back into his gate that Lucy held open for his exit, surprising him slightly.

Lucy turned to her mother surprised by what had just occurred. "Mother, what did he mean that he serves me now? Is he no longer you're spirit?" Lucy asked her, confused by the situation. She hadn't expected to gain Capricorn as a spirit so early.

Layla smiled and walked over to Lucy. "Yes Lucy, I had meant to pass on my celestial spirits unto you once you were old enough. However, by the amount you've progressed I've decided to pass unto you Capricorn now, rather than later. Is that alright Lucy?"

Lucy nodded, and looked down at Capricorn's key just now realizing how much the time-line was changing by her presence. "Yes, but it means that you no longer have him as a spirit.."

Layla nodded. "Yes, that is true. However, it is alright because Capricorn is and will always be my friend."

Lucy nodded, clenched her hand into a fist that wasn't holding the golden key. She felt her self-loathing rise, knowing that she had sacrificed all her friends to have this second chance. What kind of friend does that to their friends? Lucy shook her head, water building into her eyes, as she thought that this shouldn't be happening.

Her mother should keep Capricorn, because she would always be a better person and a friend than Lucy could ever be.

"Oh, and Lucy? Good job." Layla said, as she wrapped her daughter into a hug. Lucy's eyes widened as she came in contact with her mother, wrapping around her arms around her mother she stared at her hands as they thinned and lengthened, becoming like her mother's own. Lucy whispered silently no, can't believing what's happening.

She stared at her hands, willing the transformation magic to retreat, causing her magic to silently and unknowingly by Layla surround her as Lucy tried to keep herself from transforming into her mother and revealing herself capable of a celestial being's magic.

Lucy felt her hair begin to lengthen and her body begin to slowly grow in height causing her to grit her teeth in frustration, her eyes never blinking as she willed so badly for the magic to retreat completely into the filters.

And slowly, it did. She regained her normal appearance however the moment Layla pulled away, Lucy was thrown into a wall of blankness. Looking around, there was only white, no corners and no shape until she felt herself thrown forward again, and found herself in a small room.

A scream erupted in the room, and Lucy spun around to find a women on a bed with a black haired man holding her hand while another was in front of her legs as she was giving birth.

The women had a sharp face, similar to her mother's and had green eyes with long wavy blonde hair. The man was tall, appearing like a sculpture with dark brown eyes and spiked hair. The women screamed once more before a baby's cry was heard and Lucy looked around to see a baby wrapped in a white cloth, and immediately realized in great shock that this was her mother.

Lucy's eyes widened in fear, the very thing she dreaded to happen was to lose control of the transformation magic, and invade her mother's memories. And now, she had done exactly that. There would be no way out until she saw all the major events that Layla - her mother - cherished the most.

Lucy now has to live through her mother's memories, as a mere ghost in the memory to whatever road her mother had taken.

Simply put, Lucy wasn't prepared for the memories ahead of her.

Well, there's that chapter. I decided to end it there so I wouldn't go too far past the usual chapter expectancy in the amount of words. So yeah, sorry for the wait everybody but I thank everyone for their support and only ask for you guys not give up on the story!

I'll try to update at least once a week from now.

Sincerely,

-Queen of the Demon Rabbits