Chapter 6: Welcome Home

As the wizards made their way home back to Magnolia no one spoke a word. It was utterly quiet except for the occasional brawl Natsu and Gray would get themselves into. When they reached the outskirts of Magnolia, Makarov spoke. "You all should head back to the guild for now. And Lucy, you should wait in the infirmary. I'll be back with our healer, Porlyusica to check over your injuries."

"No. I am completely fine. I don't need a doctor." Lucy said.

Anyone could see the girl was in desperate need for a healer to tend to her wounds, with the many bandages covering the left side of her head she looked like a mummy.

"That is not a suggestion Lucy it is an order." Makarov said sternly.

"Y-yes master, I understand." Lucy murmured nervously.

"Oi gramps! What was that for? Lucy wasn't done anything wrong!" Natsu yelled at Makarov.

Makarov didn't stop walking into the Magnolia Forest to yell at Natsu or to crush him with an oversized fist like he usually would. He simply kept walking in silence, and that was infinitely worse.

When they all made it back to the guild, he noticed the sun was starting to set. He wondered why he was made to stay at the guild when all he wanted to do was go home and sleep.

Natsu pushed open the guild doors and yelled "We're back!" as loud as he could.

Mirajane was cleaning the tables when she heard Natsu's bellow and the guild doors swing open.

"Welcome ho-"Mirajane dropped her washcloth when she saw Lucy stagger into the guild, dressed in a hospital gown and covered in bandages.

Mirajane ran over to lucy and looked her over. "Lucy! What happened to you?!"

Mirajane's screech got the attention of a small, blue haired girl sitting in a corner of the guild absorbed in a book.

Levy's eyed widened in shock and dropped her book as she raced off to her friend.

"Lulu… are you okay?" Levy almost whispered.

"I'm fine, really. I just got hurt a little by a spell." Lucy smiled to try and reassure her friends.

"You're not fine you almost died." Natsu grumbled as he made his way to the bar.

"Yeah, she almost got ripped apart." Gray casually said as he walked by.

Erza put a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Yes, that stunt you pulled was incredibly stupid and could have costed you your life, but it saved the guild masters and you pulled through. I'm proud."

"You almost died?!" Mirajane and Levy yelled in unison.

Tears started to prick at Levy's eyes. She held a hand up to her face in shock. "Lucy…"

Mirajane hugged Lucy in a warm embrace and Lucy could feel tears hit her back.

"I lost her; I can't lose any more family! Thank god your alive." Mirajane sobbed.

"There, There Mira." Lucy said as she got one arm free and patted Mirajane's back.

"I should have never made you go on that mission!" Mirajane said between sobs.

"It's okay, I'm okay Mira." Lucy said soothingly.

Mirajane let go of Lucy and wiped her tears away. "You must be hungry after such a long day. How about some food?"

"Did someone day food?!" Natsu yelled as he looked around frantically for something to eat.

Lucy giggled. "That sounds good Mira."

"Don't worry Natsu, I will get everyone food." Mira giggled.

This time Levy was the one who broke down in sobs as she hugged Lucy. "I never want to see you like this again, Lucy."

"Don't worry, I will not be this injured again. It's a promise." Lucy said.

Levy just continued to hug Lucy and cry into her chest.

"I sure am getting a lot of hugs today." Lucy said.

And that one sentence made Levy burst out laughing. "I don't really understand you Lucy, but I'm glad you're okay." Levy said as she wiped away her tears.

"How about you show me what that book is about. The one you dropped earlier." Lucy said.

"Well, why don't I show you." Levy said as she pulled Lucy along by her arm.

When Makarov entered the guild with Porlyusica, he saw everyone eating and talking by the bar, The usual scene in his guild. He clapped his hands to get the attention of everyone present, which was a little over six people and a cat.

"It's good to see everyone here." Makarov said.

Natsu ran up to the master demanding an answer. "Oi gramps! Why do ya want us here?"

"I just thought you might want to wait for your friend after she comes out from surgery." Makarov said.

"Surgery? Who's getting surgery?" Natsu asked.

"Who do you think, hothead? There is only one of us covered in bandages here." Gray replied.

"Oh yeah? Well, when I'm done with you, you will have em too!" Natsu declared as he punched Gray straight in the jaw, knocking him off the bar stool.

"What was that for? Flame for brains!" gray grumbled as he punched Natsu in the gut. And with that another brawl broke out.

"You would think they would get tired after such a long day." Lucy said.

"They never tire out unfortunately." Levy replied.

"So, this is the patient?" Porlyusica asked.

"Yes. Meet Lucy, the latest addition to the Fairy Tail family." Makarov said.

"Tsk. What do you think this place is? An orphanage or a wizard guild?" Porlyusica grumbled.

"She is a wizard and not an orphan… to my knowledge." Makarov told Porlyusica.

"To your knowledge. Tsk. You've never had knowledge in that brain of yours." Porlyusica grumbled.

"Lucy, come meet Fairy Tail's resident healer Porlyusica." Makarov said.

Lucy slid out of her chair, walked over to the grumpy looking old woman and offered out her left hand for a handshake.

"It is nice to meet you." Lucy said.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Just get inside the infirmary." Porlyusica said as she pushed Lucy around the guild to the infirmary.

Makarov glanced in Erza's direction. "Erza, you come too."

"Yes Master." Erza said as she followed the small man.

As Erza shut the door, she heard Lucy fighting with Porlyusica behind a curtained off portion of the infirmary for privacy.

"Take the damn gown off! I need to see your wounds." Porlyusica grumbled.

"No! you cannot look at my body!" Lucy yelled.

Makarov turned to Erza. "Your on-guard duty. We don't need a flaming moron to break in and set fire to the place."

"Understood." Erza said with a short bow.

Porlyusica put her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. She was getting too old to be doing this at her age. "I've seen it all before girlie, your nothing special. Do you want to be in pain or not?"

"It's not that… it's just that… my body…" Lucy murmured.

"Speak up. I can't hear you if you mumble." Porlyusica sighed. "If you won't let me touch your body then at least let me examine your eye."

"Yes, that is fine." Lucy said.

Fairy Tail's healer carefully took the bandages off the left side of Lucy's face, and threw the bloody material into a wastebin. All that was left on her head was a blood-stained eyepatch.

Porlyusica was about to take off the eyepatch but hesitated. "Can I?" She asked.

"Go ahead." Lucy murmured.

Porlyusica's face contorted into a grimace when she saw the state of Lucy's left eye. It was almost completely destroyed. It looked as if someone had tried to put it through a meat grinder.

Porlyusica ripped the curtain open and motioned for Makarov and Erza to come close. "You might want to look at this."

Makarov's face contorted into a grimace when he saw the state of Lucy's eye, or rather what was left of it. He fought back the urge to vomit at the sight of it.

Porlyusica sighed. "There's only one way to say this, Your blind in your left eye and you will never see with it again."

Everyone in the infirmary expected Lucy to freak out about her unfortunate news but she didn't, Lucy just sat on the cot quietly thinking over what she heard. "That's okay. I can still see with my other eye." Lucy said quietly.

"I will have to clean out your eye socket and then place a magic seal on it so you don't get infected and die." Porlyusica grumbled.

"I think I'll leave now." Makarov said as she shuffled out the door, not wanting to see the gruesome sight.

"Erza, are you going to leave too?" Lucy asked.

"She's been through this before." Porlyusica mumbled under her breathe as she gave lucy pain medication.

"I don't understand." Lucy murmured before she swallowed the medicine.

Erza kneeled down so she was at Lucy's eye level.

Lucy could hear Erza chant some kind of spell and saw her pull out her own eye.

"Erza! Don't rip out your eye!" Lucy shouted in shock.

"Don't yell right in my ear! stupid child!" Porlyusica said as she continued with her ministrations.

"It's okay Lucy. This is an artificial eye." Erza held out the bio-mechanical device for Lucy to look at. "When I was a few years younger than you Lucy, I too had had lost my eye."

Lucy gasped in surprise. "I'm so sorry."

Erza shook her head "Don't be. This eye is now just as part of me as any bone or muscle in my body."

Erza did another magic chant and placed the artificial eye back in place.

"If you would like, Porlyusica can give you your eyesight back as well." Erza said with a sad smile.

Lucy was quite for a moment before she spoke up. "I do not need it."

Porlyusica scowled. "What, you think your too good for my medicine?!"

"No, no! I am thankful for your care, it's just that the eye will hinder me more than help me." Lucy said.

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

"My eye will regrow." Lucy said.

"Your eye will regrow? What utter nonsense! Don't act like a fool." Porlyusica said as she finished up her ministrations.

Porlyusica zipped up her medical kit and was about to walk out the door, but before she turned the knob she said. "Erza, take care of the girl, she must be delirious from the pain medication. And kid. Don't think hiding your arm under a sheet could fool me."

"She was a mean doctor." Lucy huffed in annoyance.

"Yes, but she does her job quite well." Erza replied.

"Um…Erza?" Lucy said.

"Yes, what is it, Lucy?" Erza asked.

"I will not tell anyone about your artificial eye." Lucy said.

"That's very kind of you but everyone already knows." Erza said.

"How?" Lucy replied.

"You can't keep secrets for too long in Fairy Tail, whether you like it or not." Erza said as she walked out the room.

Lucy sat on the cot thinking about what Erza said. Lucy clenched her hands to try to calm her nerves. "If they really will find out about my true form, then I need to leave immediately. But what if they already have? Even that healer noticed my arm… No!... I can't think like that. At least not for now."

Immediately as Lucy opened the door to the infirmary, Natsu and Happy threw themselves at her giving Lucy a giant bearhug.

"Lucy!" Natsu and Happy yelled.

"Are you okay?" Natsu asked. Noticing the black eyepatch covering her left eye.

Lucy pushed Natsu off of herself and picked up Happy, giving him a pat on the head. "I'm fine, really."

"That is great to hear, lucy. Just don't go doing it again." Gray said with a smile.

Levy ran up to Lucy and gave her a quick hug. "Lulu! So did the surgery go well?"

Lucy nodded her head. "Yes. Although I still only have one eye."

"So, you didn't get an implant like Erza?" Levy asked.

Lucy shook her head. "No, I do not need one. My eye will regrow."

Levy looked on with shock with everyone else.

"You're a lizard, Luce?" Natsu said.

"Don't eat me!" Happy yelled flying off.

Lucy sighed. "No, I am not a lizard, but I can regrow my eye."

"Lucy my dear, I think the medication has taken a toll on you. Perhaps you should sit down and relax. Makarov said.

"Of course, Master." Lucy replied.

"Come on, let's go and talk about that book again." Levy said, as she made her way back to her table, with books spread out everywhere.

As Lucy was walking to Levy's table she ran straight into Erza's back.

"Sorry." Lucy said.

"Don't be. It's fine." Erza said before sitting down to eat a piece of strawberry cake.

"It looks like your depth perception is all out of whack. You're not used to seeing with just one eye." Levy said as she made her way back to Lucy to help her to the table.

After an hour or two passed, Makarov had left the guild to head home and had instructed Mirajane to lock up.

"Can someone please help Lucy get home? I'm afraid she will run into everyone and everything on her way there." Levy said.

"I can do it on my way home. So, Lucy where is your place?" Mirajane said.

"I don't have a home. I camp." Lucy said.

"Okay, so where is your tent set up then?" Mirajane said.

Lucy cocked her head. "Tent? Why would I need a tent? I simply lay on the ground."

"Lucy your…homeless?" Levy said.

"Lucy, is this true?" Erza said.

Gray was rocking back and forth on the leg of a chair. "Why don't you stay at Fairy Hills?"

Lucy shook her head. "No, I am not homeless. I have a home it's just very far away."

"Yes, but, where do you sleep at night?" Mirajane asked.

"Oh! Anywhere really. Usually I sleep in a tree, but lately I found the beach nearby to be really soft and warm. Once I did sleep in a few different alleyways, but they were always too dark and cold. It brought back too many bad memories." Lucy said as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Everyone was in shock. Was their newest guildmate really living rough? The question swept through all their heads as they looked on.

Lucy noticed the conversation had stopped and saw everyone staring at her.

"Quit staring everyone. It's creepy." Lucy said.

Mirajane wrapped her arms around Lucy and embraced her in a warm hug. "Oh Lucy. Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"Because that is how it's always been." Lucy murmured as she slipped out of Mirajane's grasp.

"So, who is Lucy going to stay with tonight?" Levy asked.

"Natsu and Happy said I could stay at their place." Lucy said.

Erza slammed her steel gauntlets against the wooden table. "Absolutely not! I do not permit a young maiden such as yourself to stay in the same house as Natsu and Happy!"

"Why? What is wrong with staying with them?" Lucy asked.

Erza face became flush with embarrassment. "Because he might try to steal y-your i-i-innocence."

Lucy cocked her head in confusion. "Innocence? Oh! You mean my virginity?"

"Yes." Erza whispered.

Natsu's face became beet red. "Wadda ya mean Erza? The only virgin things I'd take is virgin oil."

"Aye! We have lots." Happy said.

Natsu forced out a yawn. "I think I'm tired from such a big day. Gotta get some sleep! Seeya tomorrow guys!" Natsu yelled as he scurried out the guild doors with Happy flying by his side.

"What was that all about?" Lucy mumbled.

"I would let you stay with me, but my room is more like a library than a bedroom." Levy said.

Lucy's face lit up with excitement when she heard the word 'library.' "Can I visit you sometime, Levy? I would love to see your library."

Levy giggled a little at Lucy's excitement. "Yes, you can, anytime you want."

"Oh, thank you Levy." Lucy said as she gave levy a light hug.

"Normally I would have you stay with me since the only other option is going to Natsu and Happy's place, but I have recently been cataloging my armors so my room is a bit of a mess. Sorry Lucy." Erza apologized.

"It's fine, Erza." Lucy replied.

Mirajane clapped her hands. "So, it's been decided then!"

"Pardon?" Lucy said.

"From now on your staying with me, Lucy." Mirajane excitedly said.

"I hope I won't be a burden on you, with me staying." Lucy said.

"Nonsense! You could never be a burden. Now let's go home." Mirajane said as she dragged Lucy out the guild doors.

Mirajane dragged Lucy around town from street to street until she stopped when they came across a small wooden cottage located just on the outskirts of Magnolia.

As she saw the small home, Lucy knew the cottage was worn with age. Cracks in many of the wooden pieces of the house and a chimney that seemed to be missing a few bricks.

Mirajane let go of lucy's hand and unlocked the front door. She turned to Lucy with a big smile on her face. "Welcome to your new home, Lucy."

When Lucy walked inside, she saw a small but cozy house decorated with Photos, paintings and furniture. Lucy saw a large, brown lounge that took up most of the space in the living area. "Can I sit here?" Lucy asked.

"Yes. Make yourself at home, Lucy." Mirajane said.

As evening turned to night, Lucy felt the exhaustion creep in from such a long and tiring day. She lied down on the lounge with her legs to her chest. Lucy was in a deep, dreamless sleep when she felt someone lightly shake her arm.

Lucy slowly opened her eyes, ready to strike at the enemy. But to her surprise, Lucy saw a smiling Mirajane looking down at her.

"Come on Lucy. You need a bath before you fall asleep." Mirajane said.

Lucy sat up and realized she was only wearing a rather dirty hospital gown.

"I readied the bath with hot water, it's the door to your left." Mirajane said.

As lucy sat in the rather large bath, soaking in the pleasantly warm water, she thought back on the long and hard day she endured.

"I can't believe I faced off against one of Zeref's demons. I never want to see one again." Lucy mumbled to herself as she heard a knock at the door.

"Lucy, can I join you? There isn't enough hot water for both of us and-"Mirajane rambled on before Lucy interrupted her.

"It is your house…so…yes." Lucy said.

"Thank you, Lucy." Mirajane said as she opened the bathroom door.

When Lucy saw Mirajane open the door completely naked she gasped. "Oh my."

Lucy blushed slightly as she took in Mirajane's voluptuous figure. "I can see why you are a popular model."

"Why Thank you, Lucy." Mirajane said as she sat at the opposite side of the large bath.

There was a comfortable silence as both women relaxed in the warm water, letting their stress from the day disappear.

Mirajane noticed Lucy only had her head above water. "Are you embarrassed, Lucy? I can get out if you want."

Lucy shook her head. "No, it's fine. It's just… aren't you afraid of me?"

"Why would I be afraid of you, Lucy?" Mirajane said.

"Because of this." Lucy sat up in the bathtub, unfurling a large, diamond scaled wing that was kept hidden by keeping it folded up and pressed up against the bathtub.

"Why am I doing this?! I'm such an idiot. Mira could tell everyone if she wanted." Lucy thought to herself.

Lucy clenched her fists and closed her eye in worry while she waited for the yelling to start. For the accusations to start, to be forced to flee and go somewhere else. But, to Lucy's surprise she just heard giggling.

Lucy slowly opened her good eye and unclenched her fists when she realised Mirajane wasn't mad.

"A wing. How cute. I wasn't expecting that." Mirajane said in her usual sing-song cheerful voice.

Lucy was as confused as could be. She cocked her head to the side. "You're not scared? Horrified about my appearance?"

"And why would that be, Lucy?" Mirajane said.

"Well…because…" Lucy murmured.

Lucy suddenly saw a bright light envelop the bathtub and in a second it was gone, in its place was Mirajane. Standing in the bathtub with hideous, purple lumps that were scattered over her stomach and chest, her left arm was now covered in a hard, brown material that looked like wood and two small black horns that protruded from her head.

"When I was a few years younger than you, Lucy, I encountered a demon in my village church. The demon killed my parents, but I managed to defeat it and took its soul in the process. My siblings and I were kicked out of our village because I was a demon. We travelled far until we found Fairy Tail, the only wizard guild that would listen to a bunch of kids. For the longest time I hated myself, believing that I was a demon." Mirajane said.

Lucy's eyes widened in shock and a large gasp left her mouth when he took in Mirajane's appearance and heard her story.

"You're not alone Lucy and you're not a monster, and yet people judge you. That's why you always wear that cloak, isn't it?" Mirajane said.

Lucy shook her head. "But…Why are you telling me this?" Lucy said.

"I'm telling you this because when I see you, I see so much of myself and that scares me. So, I want to do what I can to help you, like I wished someone would help me." Mirajane said.

A small smile formed on Lucy's face. "Thank you, Mira."

Shortly later the two young women finished their bath and got ready to head to bed.

"Um…Mira…I do not have any clothes…" Lucy murmured as she hid behind the bathroom door.

"How could I forget! You were only wearing a hospital gown earlier. Don't worry, you can wear some of Lisanna's clothes." Mirajane said.

Mirajane handed Lucy a set of clothes and gave her privacy to change. Lucy wore a loose, white tank top and pink underwear. She wondered just who this 'Lisanna' person was, whose clothes Lucy was wearing.

Lucy walked out back to the lounge to sleep but was stopped by mIrajane grabbing the back of her shirt. "Come on. The bed is much comfier."

Lucy followed Mirajane to a large bed with an equally large blue blanket covering it. Lucy joined Mirajane under the covers of the soft, warm bed and found herself falling asleep rather quickly.

"Thank you, Mira. The last bed I slept in…. was very…hard and lumpy…" Lucy trailed off as she fell asleep.

Mirajane clapped and the light lacrima that lit up the room turned off and went dark.

"Goodnight, Lucy." Mirajane said.

"Goodnight, Mira." Lucy whispered.

Hello all! Here's a new chapter. I hope you enjoy it. This chapter is not an adaptation of an episode or chapter, but rather an original chapter.