It's Monday! And we pick up with Lucy.

Irina: For sure - Side villains make a reappearance next week. Natsu and the gang will be back the week following. One place where this story differs from the movie it was based on is that as a fanfic, readers are already familiar with all the characters, minus any tweaks I've made. Since this is Fairy Tail (which was very long), fans are used to being invested in a large ensemble cast. I don't think broadening the focus will confuse anyone, so that's what I'm planning to do. While the film stayed very close to the hero and his love interest (with one of the minor characters actually mattering), I want all of the characters (on Team Natsu) to play a part. But first, they'll have to earn their epilogue, so to speak.

- K. Chandler


Today was the day. Her wedding day.

Lucy was little more than a dressmaker's dummy as castle attendants helped her into her wedding gown. It was supposed to be the happiest day in a person's life. Yet, she felt no joy at this wedding. Of course, she had known this before it had happened.

There was no future, no happiness for her. She had resigned herself to this fate the day the Juliet had sank.

Only then, she thought Gray was dead. Because of her, he was alive!

Lucy wondered where Gray was. If he was safe. If he was happy. If he were those two things, then all of this would have been worth it, and she'd be satisfied.

Lucy bunched her bouquet in hands and covered her face with her veil. Jerky marionette movements took her down the corridor and into the great hall. She was little more than a puppet on a string. A pawn in a twisted game in which there were no winners.

The music played, the organ heralding the end of her happiness. She couldn't save herself, but she had been able to save the man she loved. She should be proud of that.

Lucy dragged her feet as she walked down the aisle, her eyes glued to the ground.

There was talking, murmuring, shouting. Lucy let it all wash over her, shuffling through the sea of faceless wedding-goers and townspeople here to wish the bride and groom well.

Lucy wished that time would speed up, so she could get the horrible thing over with as soon as possible. She wished that time would slow down, so that she wouldn't have to do it. She wished that she were nowhere at all.

She choked back a sob, the pain in her chest almost physical. The man waiting for her on the other side was not the other half of her heart. She wasn't marrying Gray. She wasn't marrying Gray…

Finally, she reached the altar. Slowly, the veil was lifted from her face.

But the person who had done so was not the prince. Instead, in his place was a woman with neon pink hair pulled back with a cat-eared headband.

Lucy blinked in surprise. "You're not Laxus," she said, the words out before she could stop them.

There was a sharp crack as pain blossomed across the side of her face, Lucy's head turning with the force of the slap.

"Laxus? Laxus!" the woman screeched. "After all this time, he's the one you're looking for?"

Lucy cupped her stinging cheek. "What? No, it's not like that."

"You're a piece of trash," spat the woman. "Where is the man who spent years at your side when you were nothing but a turnip farmer's daughter? Where is the man who sailed from the ends of the earth to reunite with you? Where is the man who loved you more than life itself?"

"Gray?" whispered Lucy.

"She has to ask… Ungrateful wench!" said the woman. "Laxus, indeed!" she huffed.

"You don't understand," said Lucy. "I want to be with Gray, but—"

"But what? But nothing!" said the woman. "You had a chance at love! But you threw it away like it was nothing. And for what? Our pig-headed prince and his throne of garbage. That's not love."

Voices jeered from the crowd.

"Garbage. The princess of garbage!"

Lucy whirled around, looking at the faceless masses. Except, they were no longer townspeople. They had turned into three handsome young men in uniform, all on horseback. Lucy recognized them as members of the Pegasus Mounted Guard and their trollish captain.

"Garbage! Garbage! Princess Garbage!" one shouted.

"Garbage! Garbage! Heartless trash!" echoed another.

"All hail the heartless trash!" sneered another.

"No!" said Lucy. "That's not true."

"Once again, men!" bellowed their captain.

"Garbage! Garbage! Princess Garbage!"

"Garbage! Garbage! Heartless trash!"

"All hail the heartless trash!" prompted the woman. One of the guardsmen extended his hand to her and she climbed into the saddle behind him.

"Hail Princess Lucy, heartless trash!" they chanted in unison, taking up the rallying cry.

"You heard her, men. Again!" ordered their captain.

"It's not like that," said Lucy. "I was saving his life!"

"You were breaking his heart," hissed the woman. "That's not love."

The chanting continued.

"No! I—I didn't! Laxus would have killed him!"

"And now you're marrying the prince who would have killed him!"

"I had to," protested Lucy.

"Was it your prince that rescued you from your captors? Was it your prince who protected you in the Changeling Swamp? Was it your prince who saved you from a broken heart and a loveless marriage?"

"No… no. I love him. I love Gray!"


Lucy sat bolt upright, gasping for air.

She let out a shuddering breath. "Just a dream," she whispered, dragging a hand through her sweaty hair.

Or was it more of a premonition?

There were ten days before her wedding. She could still stop this.

Lucy knew what she had to do before her feet even touched the floorboards. She dashed out of her room, wearing only her nightgown. She skidded to a stop in the hallway, pausing to speak to the guard that was stationed at her door. Laxus had posted guards everywhere since the kidnapping attempt. He said that it was for her safety, but sometimes she wondered…

"Where's Laxus?" she demanded.

"Ma'am?"

"Where's Laxus? Where is my fiancé? I need to see him."

"I—I think he might still be in his study," stammered the guard. The poor man had never seen her assert herself. He looked terrified.

"Bring me to him," said Lucy, drawing herself up to her full height. That too, was Princess 101. Until she broke off her engagement with Laxus, she was still the princess and their future queen. If she was going to make demands, she would do it the same way Laxus did. Boldly and unapologetically.

Following the guard, she marched into Laxus' room, throwing the door open.

Laxus looked up, startled by her sudden appearance. "Lucy. What a surprise." He had been bent over his desk, pouring over a map of Fiore and the surrounding countries. Lately he had started placing tiny toy figures near the Sabertooth/Fiore border and sliding them around the map.

"You may leave," she told the guard, waiting for the door to close behind him before she spoke. "Laxus, I want to call off the wedding," she said. She doubted that Laxus would mind the cancellation, since they both agreed that this was a loveless marriage. She just wanted to save him the embarrassment of a rejection in front of the castle staff.

"Aw, what for, my sweet?" asked Laxus, looking more focused on imagined war games than on her.

"I can't do this. And I won't do this."

That got his attention.

Laxus stood up, putting down his toy armies. "What do you mean you can't do this?" he demanded, his forehead creasing in irritation.

"I… I still love Gray," breathed Lucy, a smile tugging at her lips. "I'm in love with Gray!" she said again, the declaration lifting the weight that had settled in her chest. It felt like she had gotten a little bit of herself back.

"Oh…" Laxus frowned. "Well, that's unfortunate."

"What do you mean?" asked Lucy, sobering.

"Well, my dear, you do remember rejecting him, right?" asked Laxus slowly. She couldn't tell if he was trying to be gentle or just patronizing.

"But, that wasn't…" She did do that, didn't she?

"That probably hurt him. Badly," tutted Laxus. "Who's to say if he'll still accept your love after that?"

"Of course, he will," said Lucy. "It's Gray."

"You didn't let him down easy," said Laxus.

"…I'm sure he understands," said Lucy, not feeling very sure at all. She remembered the look of hurt in his eyes. He knew that she didn't have a choice, didn't he? "Or maybe…"

"Tell you what," said Laxus, surprisingly amicable. "Why don't we ask him and see if he wants you back?"

"How do you propose we do that?" asked Lucy. "He's back aboard his ship, out at sea."

"He couldn't have left more than a couple of days ago," said Laxus. "Why don't you write him a letter? Whatever you want to say to him. Make four copies. Then I'll send one with each of my four fastest ships. One in every direction."

"Will you get to him in time?" asked Lucy.

"Don't underestimate the Fiorian Navy, my dear. Even with this head start, the fastest ships in my fleet should be able to catch up with him easily. And come back to us with his answer. If he's out there, we'll find him," promised Laxus. "And after that, we'll see if your Gray really does come for you."

"Thank you, Laxus!" cried Lucy.

"You look surprised," said Laxus.

"I just… I didn't think you would do something like this," confided Lucy.

"You are my bride to be," he reminded her. "I do care about you, believe it or not."

"But you said yourself that we aren't in love," said Lucy.

Laxus sighed. "I knew from the start that my marriage would likely be a loveless one. Political, probably. But that doesn't mean that I want to see my wife unhappy."

"Still, thank you," she said again. "I'll get started right away."

"Don't put too much faith in him," he called after her. "He is a scoundrel and a rogue, after all."

"It's Gray," Lucy assured him. "He'll come back to me. He always does!"

"But if he doesn't," said Laxus. "Perhaps you'd consider me an alternative?"

"Gray will come back," Lucy promised him, rushing back to her room to pour her heart out on paper.

She returned two hours later, with four letters, signed and sealed.

"Here they are," she said softly.

"I'll take care of it," said Laxus.

"I've got a newfound respect for you," said Lucy.

"I'm glad to hear it. I'm hoping your positive opinion of me continues," said Laxus, waiting until she left to throw the letters straight into the fire.


A scoundrel and a rogue? Takes one to know one, Lax.

But do you really think that Gray's on a ship? A clue: ...No. ;) (Did anyone get the reference? It's a line from one of my all time favorite TV shows!)

Next time, in As You Wish, our boy's having quite the ordeal: "I'm assuming you're going to kill me," said Gray. "Then, why heal me?" / "Master Jellal wants you in one piece for the finale."

Stop back next Monday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.