The Backdoor Entrance: A way to get into a guild without actually taking the exam. It completely undermines the existence and trials through which wizards go on the exam. It is unclear if this truly exists, or if it was used as a ploy to trick Lucy. Another mystery is whether this grants the wizard a License, or simply entrance into the guild.

Lucy peered into the smoke to see the figure of someone that had just crashed through the ceiling. "N-Nastu?!"

Salamander rose to his feet. "Th-That's the kid from earlier today!" He appeared completely befuddled as he eyed Natsu.

The pink-haired boy grimaced, placing a hand on the floor for support. His other hand clutched his stomach as he continued to look into the ground, kneeling on one knee. What was he doing?

"What's going on here?! How did a kid come falling out of the sky?!" Salamander looked through the hole created by Natsu, only to see the night sky. "And why's he just kneeling there all frozen?!"

Lucy looked up, suddenly remembering a certain blue acquaintance. "Happy? Are you there?!"

"Lucy?! What are you doing here?" Happy came into view and peered inside to find Lucy.

"He tricked me! He said he'd help me get into Fairy Tail, and I—"

Happy swooped down, quickly flying into a man sneaking up behind Lucy. His extended foot pushed the man's arm back, before using it as a springboard to launch toward Lucy and grab the back of her dress. "Save the details for later!"

"I don't remember you having wings!" Lucy dangled in the air as they zoomed away from the boat. "What about Natsu?!"

"I can't carry two!"

Happy's nonchalant attitude about trying to rescue Natsu both shocked and confused Lucy.

"You think you can get away?!" Salamander put forth his arm, releasing a powerful stream of Fire Magic at Happy.

Lucy's body twisted and turned as Happy maneuvered his way around the twirling blend of red and orange.

"Don't let them escape! If the Council gets wind of this, it'll mean big trouble! Those Royals will kill us!" Salamander informed his lackeys.

Bullets rained down on Happy. Several Magic Weapons fired different forms of magic projectiles, but Happy's expert flying skills easily dodged the attacks.

"Lucy! Natsu needs help! He can't fight them!"

"That's why I was saying we should—oh, forget it! Just drop me into the water!"

"W-What?!"

"Now, Happy!" Lucy demanded.

Happy reluctantly let go of Lucy, sending her plummeting into the salty water below. She called up to Happy and told him to fetch Natsu, but the constant attacks from the ship prevented any further movement.

Lucy dove underwater, the water stinging her eyes as she frantically searched for her keys. Her mind swarmed with thoughts and questions that seemed to have no answers. Is this what Fairy Tail is all about? No...I can't believe it. He has to be an impostor! But even so, he is still strong. I need to get my keys and...

Taking a moment that she really had no time to take, Lucy wondered just why she wanted to save Natsu. She hardly knew him, so why would she waste her time doing him a favor? But then it hit her.

You are a very selfish person, and that's okay, but one day, you will meet someone who will make you selfless, and you will help that person, even when it means nothing to you. When that happens, your journey will begin.

Those words had been said to her by that man, all those years ago. That weird, annoying man.

I have to save him. Because...because he saved me! Lucy snapped herself back into action and started to look for her keys. Could they—there! They got caught in the shallows!

Her keys swayed from the current, but to Lucy's relief, they hooked onto a rocky surface, preventing them from being swept away.

Natsu slammed his fist against the wall. Incredible amounts of sweat puddled beneath him. His motion sickness prevented him from rising to his feet, but he powered through, trying to fight back. "Fairy...Tail...! You...went...and..."

Salamander growled at the young boy, who had ruined his plans. "You little..."

Lucy deeply inhaled as soon as she broke through the water's surface. Without hesitation, she reached for a Gatekey. "Happy! Get out of the way!"

"What?!"

"Get over here! I can help!"

Happy flew beside her, a questioning look spreading across his furry blue face as he looked at the golden key gripped tightly in Lucy's hand.

Lucy placed the key into the water and turned it to the side as if she were undoing an invisible lock. "Open! Gate of the Water Bearer-Aquarius!"

A sudden flash of light temporarily blinded Happy, but once he saw the appearance of a beautiful mermaid caring a gray pitcher in the water, his jaw dropped. The glowing figure arched her back, gracefully flipping her hair in the water. Majestic? Angelic? Beautiful? Happy couldn't find the words to describe it. Perhaps, the best word was...yummy.

"How did you do that?!" Happy gawked at Aquarius's body. "It's a fish!"

"I'm a Celestial Wizard. I use Gates of the Celestial World to call on Celestial Spirits. And those Spirits help me by doing amazing things," Lucy informed the blue cat.

"That's incredible!"

"Now, Aquarius!" Lucy pointed forward. "Use your power to force the ship to shore!"

"Tsk!" Aquarius glared down on Lucy. "Do not give me orders, little girl. And you! How dare you call me a fish?!" Aquarius towered over Lucy, forcing the young woman to cower in the water. "I have one thing to say: The next time you drop my key, I will kill you!"

"I-I'm sorry."

Aquarius grunted, seemingly satisfied with the meek answer and waving her hands through the air. An enormous tidal wave appeared, flooding the entire area. The force drove the ship to shore, along with everything else.

"Y-You're overdoing it! Aquarius!"

Lucy barely managed to get the words out before her body flew through the air along with the ship as it crashed into the harbor. Pieces of wood and metal flew in all directions, decimating the entire port.

Salamander braced himself, using what was left of the wall for support. "What just happened?!"

Natsu took several deep breaths. His feet slowly rose. A hard gulp fell down his throat. "Looks like we're...not movin' anymore..."

Lucy washed up outside of the broken yacht. "Aquarius, you could have killed me in that! You could have killed all of us!"

"It was carelessness." Aquarius placed her palm against her forehead. "The boat got in the way and was washed away with you, too."

Lucy sighed. "Why do you hate me?"

Rather than answering her question, Aquarius simply thought it best to say instead, "Listen! Don't call me for awhile. I'm gonna need at least a week off, okay?" The mermaid began to glow, slowly dissolving from the air. "And don't lose my key again!" Her voice echoed through the air as she disappeared completely.

"You two don't seem to have the best relationship, do you?" Happy asked.

"She's just...I don't know. At least we did it. With the fuss they're making, I'm sure the Army will be called. The Magic Council's Knights should be on their way. Now, those girls will definitely be saved." Lucy let out a sigh of relief. Maybe she was a good enough Wizard after all.

Happy's little legs brought him toward the door. "We gotta get Natsu!"

"Oh, right!" Lucy joined, slamming open the door to the same room in which she'd been trapped. "Natsu! Are you—" Natsu's rage stopped Lucy's mid-step. An exceptional aura radiated from his body and felt as though it shook the air. Her jaw dropped at a tattoo on Natsu's shoulder, revealed by the removal of his jacket. "Wait...is that...?!"

Salamander slammed his foot down. "Kid, it isn't polite to barge in on someone's private yacht, you know! Men, kill him!"

"Yes, sir!"

Happy looked up to see Lucy's shocked expression. "Oh, we didn't get the chance to mention it, but Natsu is a wizard, too."

"Okay...but...he's more than that. He's really a..."

Natsu stood still as the two men charged forward, his mind only focused on asking one thing: "You're a Fairy Tail wizard?"

Salamander's devious smirk once again appeared on his face. "Yeah. What about it?"

"I wanted to see your face real good..." Natsu clenched his fists, ducking between the two attackers before leaping into the air. His legs kicked both of the men flawlessly, slamming into their faces and instantly knocking them out.

Salamander took a step back. "W-What the-?!"

After completing a full circle, Natsu's feet gracefully landed on the ground. His fiery eyes gazed down upon Salamander. "'Cause I'm Natsu of Fairy Tail. And I ain't never seen you before in my life!"

Natsu's mark revealed itself to the other men as he wiped the sweat from his face.

"Huh? That mark!"
"That's the real thing, Bora!"

Salamander growled, raising his arm at the men. "I told you not to call me that, you idiot!"

Happy lowered his eyebrows. "Bora? Could he be that guy that got expelled from Titan Nose for bad behavior?"

"I don't care if you're good or evil." Natsu pounded the ground with a ferocious step forward. "I'm not lettin' you slander the name of Fairy Tail!"

Bora, who had been revealed as a fake, extended his arm, conjuring Fire Magic. His immense flames enveloped Natsu. "Stop with the stupid speeches, you little brat!"

"Natsu!" Lucy reached for him, unable to save him from the powerful flames. Her sorrowful eyes helplessly watched, until suddenly focusing on the silhouette inside the flames.

Natsu casually stood inside the fire. Bora looked closer, before taking a step back. The fire quickly contracted toward the center, disappearing into Natsu's mouth.

"What's this supposed to be? You're really a Fire Wizard? 'Cause I've never tasted fire this bad."

"What. The. Hell?!" Lucy exclaimed, unable to comprehend what she had just seen.

Natsu's smirk could be easily seen through the smoke around him. "But thanks for the meal, I guess."

"W-What the hell are you?!" Bora gulped hard.

Happy smiled wide, calmly watching his friend in action. "Fire Magic doesn't work on Natsu."

"I've...never seen magic like that," Lucy mumbled, her eyes wide as she focused on the pink-haired young man.

Natsu bent his knees, stretching his arms to the side. "When I eat, the power wells up inside me..." A deep breath entered his lungs. "Here I go!"

One of Bora's men looked closely as Natsu prepared his attack. "He...couldn't be! Bora! I've seen this guy before!"

"You what?" Bora shouted, confused at what was playing out before his eyes.

"He's famous for his name and destruction! But there are three things that will give away his identity! The pink hair! The scarf that looks like scales! And Fire Magic that you can't find anywhere else! I know it! It's him! He's the real—"

"Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu snapped his neck toward Bora and the others, unleashing a powerful stream of Fire Magic stemming from his mouth. The destructive blast burned all surrounding debris to ash.

The gust blew Lucy's hair back, leaving her awestruck expression for all to see. Salamander...

"Remember this well!" Natsu focused Fire Magic into his fist, leaping toward Bora, who had been blown quite the distance away. "This is the might of a Fairy Tail Wizard!" His fist crushed Bora's face, pounding him into the practically destroyed stone pavement.

Lucy covered her gaping mouth with her hand. "He eats fire, he punches with fire, he roars with fire. Can this even be called magic?"

"A dragon's lungs exhale fire. A dragon's scales dissolve fire. A dragon's claws are covered in fire." Happy smiled at Lucy's impressed expression. "This is a rare magic that transforms the body and gives it the aspects of a dragon. Of course, this was originally developed as a weapon against dragons."

"Against...dragons?"

"That's right! He's a Dragon Slayer! And Igneel taught Natsu all that he knows."

"He's amazing." Lucy nearly smiled once again as Natsu continued to unleash his attacks. "But he's getting too carried away! The whole harbor's a wreck!"

"Aye!"

The clanking of a suit of armor filled the air. Several knights armed with swords and magic shields rushed toward the scene.

"It looks like the Magic Council's Rune Knights are here!"

A man in gold armor looked around as he ran forward. "All right! Who is responsible for this?"

Natsu grabbed Lucy's right hand, dragging her along with him as he fled. "We gotta get outta here!"

"What? Why are you mixing me up with this? I don't have time to mess around!"

Natsu turned and smiled, briefly stopping as he tightened his grip around her fingers. "Hey, you said you wanted to join Fairy Tail, right?" He grinned from ear-to-ear, a knowing look meeting Lucy's wide eyes. "Then come along!"

Tears welled up in Lucy's eyes. She cracked the first true resemblance of a smile, albeit still somewhat hidden, while wiping her tears away.

Once again, I find myself saved in a time of weakness. But for some reason, this time feels different. This time feels special. My savior stayed with me, and they brought me with them.

Thank you, Natsu.

Natsu saves Lucy and reveals himself as the real Salamander of Fairy Tail. He brings her along to start an epic journey. Next chapter, Lucy signs up for the Wizard License Exam.

Note: Having finished the Exam Arc already, I am coming back to say that there is a summary at the end, for those of you who do not want to read it. It is very OC heavy, which leads it to being pretty different than canon Fairy Tail. Reading the summary will at least give you a strong idea of what happened, and if there is something you might want to go back and read, you can do so. In my opinion, I think you should read it! But, I can totally understand not wanting to read something full of characters that you don't really care about.

Thanks for reading the first couple chapters, and I hope you stick around for the ride!