Hey very-few-who-have-taken-the-time-out-of-their-day-to-read-this,

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"People, with just one life, are trying their best to thrive."

Lucy Heartfilia

Everyday, Lucy Heartfilia would wake up to her maid, Virgo, gently rocking her awake, and the sound of metal chains clinking together. Today, she woke up to neither. Instead of the comforting rubs and occasional tickle Lucy usually received, she was awoken to gears clanking loudly in a dissonant war with the high-pitched whines of some boiler or perhaps a gas stove, slowly awakening. Through the glare of her bare windows (the lacy curtains had yet to be put up), she was able to see the dawn of a new day. Blinded by the radiance of the colors, yet longing to stare some more, Lucy squinted her eyes, facing the yawning sun, before giving up and flopping back to a light slumber.

That lasted a few more seconds.

The buzzing ring of a new alarm clock awoke her. Jumping up, Lucy rubbed her eyes.

"Get up! Are you giving up your education for sleep?!" A cranky Rubbon-san yells.

Yes.

"I'll tell you a story?"

"I'm getting up!"

As Ribbon-san begins, Lucy grabs a fountain pen and snatches a few sheets of paper.

Fiore, long ago, was a place of diversity, but that was a long time ago, when I was your age. However, in those days, the economy was very drastic, up and downs in the same day, the stock market fluctuated very fast, too fast for someone to earn profit. Loss was soon eradicated, along with profit. The risks were simply to high for someone to attempt to profit. One minute, we'd all be billionaires, and the next minute, the stock market would crash again, scattering mini-depressions around Fiore. The magic council scrambled to make a irrefutably promising solution, as demanded by the government and citizens of Fiore. In those days, magic was not seen as something dastardly, but rather as a beneficial everyday solution to the smallest of problems. And so, the Magic Council, along with the 10 Great Wizard Saints decided to meddle with the diversity. One exiled man, Zeref, had lured Siegrain Fernandes, a Great Wizard Saint, into helping Zeref after he heard all about what Zeref promised. This is where Siegrain turns out to be nothing but a fake, a copy of his 'twin' Jellal. Everything Siegrain did was what Jellal wanted him to do, everything Siegrain witnessed was what Jellal had also witnessed. This way, Jellal was in a top position, viewing the trends of the stock market before all other civilians. Because of this, Jellal made a large sum of money in a fortnight. This profitable position was always guarded by Jellal until a group of Jews found out that Jellal and his slaves were behind the erratic stock market. Jellal had gone mad with greed, forgetting about his friends, and adding fuel to the flames, Jews had discovered him- the very race he abhorred. After that fiasco, Jellal Fernandes went into a nomadic lifestyle, meeting with two others, Ultear Milkovich and her adopted daughter, Meredy. Together, they created the independent guild, Crime Sorciere, to help cleanse their sins and protect the very mistakes they had made from ever happening again. And to this day, Crime Sorciere has protected the rights of every citizen, mortal or mage.

"But how come I've never heard of them?" A befuddled Lucy asked, "Wouldn't they be hired to protect my father?"
"Child, you have much to learn. Monetary gain is not everything, especially to Jellal, whose greed has ruined his life." Ribbon-san whispered, sadness staining her voice.

Natsu Dragneel

Sting Eucliffe, that bastard, came again. And he was holding the same exact cake Weirdo had thrown to him, smacking his piggy lips as he savored the flavor in front of the starving children. (Chocolate truffle cake, Erza informed after also informing him that he was in limerence. He only slept with the Weirdo's ribbon 'cause it was soft, okay? Not 'cause he thought about her all the time- just some of the time!) Sting didn't deserve cake. That was only for Weirdo.

Juvia, one of the two newcomers, stared at the cake unabashedly, drool forming at the corner of her mouth.

"Grey-sama, Juvia has a new love, Juvia deeply apologizes, but... it smells so wonderful!"

That fast? Her infatuations (As Erza had also informed him, a rich people word for obsession) don't last very long...

Just then, Grey unconciously strips, from instinct or fury, Natsu cannot tell.

"Grey-sama! Juvia takes it back! Juvia acknowledges the passion you give her! You will be Juvia's only love!"

... I don't even know... Ack-noll-i-ges... What.

As that takes place, Gajeel also stares at the cake, sniffing the air as it is tainted with the bittersweet smell of dark chocolate.

"Oy! Blondo! Can I have some?" Gajeel asks, leaving behind dignity and pride in favor of the hunger eroding his stomach.

'Blondo' turns his head to the heavily-pierced boy, laughing, before daintily scooping a piece into his open mouth, taunting the slaves, daring them to make the 'first move'. Or at least, that's what he would write in his report. Coward.

Gajeel, enraged, sucks his saliva in, clenches his jaw, and...

SMACK

Gajeel is hit squarely in the apple of his cheek,and is left with a pink, hand-shaped splotch, with the fingers grazing above Gajeel's eyebrow piercings. Gajeel's mature spit attack lands on the ground, far from the delectable target. Sting adds insult to the injury, eating, devouring, the last piece of cake (as Erza's heart breaks), looking directly at Gajeel.

Metal-head should ask Grape for some ice for that burn...

"WHY YOU INSOLENT CHILD! YOU PUSHED HIM TO EAT THE LAST PIECE, YOU .POOP!"

How does Erza know what type of cake it was...

Juvia Lockser

Juvia is named after the perpetual rain, la lluvia, the only constant in her life.

"Lockser was a well-respected name in the world of money and greed. The Lockser's own a water-purification company, a necessity for all. Lockser was known throughout the nation, a sign of cleanliness. Even within her own family, nothing ever happened. Scandals never occurred, that's simply how Juvia's family was. An affluent family was a sure sign of spoiled children and Juvia was no exception. But none of the other prominent company's children ever liked the Juvia, not even the widely-known Lucy Heartfilia did. That's what Mr. Heartfilia told her, after warning her to stay away and that Lucy didn't want to be her friend. The rain poured as Juvia cried for the next week. Then, Juvia met Gajeel, an orphan on her family's well maintained door step, begging for food. Juvia was the one to answer the door, it was the evening before Hanukkah, and all of the servants of the Lockser household were with their respective families. Juvia welcomed Gajeel in and allowed him to eat whatever he would like. Juvia still remembers that very well. Gajeel ate like a pig! And after that, Gajeel was adopted into the Lockser family, but it was never publicized, such a'rowdy' child would not have been accepted in the world of thinly veiled insults. Some who knew looked down on our friendship, others whispered of affairs. Juvia and Gajeel didn't care, it was fun together, and Gajeel did not mind the rain, because he articulately stated:

"Rain cleanses the world of it's sins."

(In all honesty, it was more like:

"The rain helps me feel refreshed and clean.")

Though it was a gruffly spoken sentence, Juvia was so happy! She finally had someone who did not inwardly judge by the rain surrounding her. Juvia stayed like that, happy! Until, the Heilercame.

And rich or not, most Jews were taken here."

Juvia spat out, after describing her life before.

Before it.