Chapter Three - Start of the Race

Why Lucy found herself staring at the entrance to Kardia Cathedral at 4.30 in the morning, when the sky was still pitch black, she'd never know. She brought the wooden box as well as her keys this time, acknowledging her intuition once again; something told her she needed them.

"Stupid Fortune Teller… " Lucy grumbled. She continued to eye the building, the tug in her stomach tightening again.

"Early, are we?"

Lucy froze. She could feel the breath of cold air graze her shoulder, and a small snigger coming from over her shoulder.

There was someone behind her.

She slowly turned, expecting the worst. 'Is this seriously how I'm going to die? Assassination? Pathetic!'

When she made eye contact with the man before her, though, the tug in her stomach tightened, the familiar euphoria and the blazing warmth lightening her core once again. 'He's safe.' She concluded.

It was only now that she decided to take in his appearance. He was right in her face, clearly not caring about simplicities such as personal space! He wore an odd outfit; was he cosplaying, perhaps? He adorned a blue, fur-lined coat, the hood of it pulled up, barely concealing his face, and showing off the mane of light buttery blonde hair. A metal, dangly earring hung on one ear.

The first thing she noticed was his blue eyes, and strangely, slitted pupils, like that of a cat's. A thin scar ran along his left eyebrow, completing his predatory look.

'Dragons.'

Lucy bashed herself on the head; where did that thought come from?

His smug grin displayed the shockingly sharp teeth, and before she could step back to regain her balance, she was gently pushed back - by his surprisingly careful - hands.

"Lucy Heartifila. You're really not going to like what happens to you next, lady. I suppose Ultear told you to come here, eh? Guess I should do my part too… " He paused. Looking around, scouting? the area, he finally reached into the pocket of his black slacks, pulling out a small, grey envelope. "Here. Take this."

Lucy hesitantly reached out, pausing only when a dire fact hit her. How had he known her full name? She was certain she only gave Ultear her first; had they met before? What did this strange, most likely interconnected, group have anything to do with her and her mother's song!? Did they know about the keys, too? What is this!?

"How the hell-" Before Lucy could give out a harsh scolding, the man's cold hand silenced her.

"I know you have a lot of questions, but for now, I need you to know that things will be answered in" - He checked his watch - "23 hours. Good bye!"

Lucy peeled his hand away from her mouth at the same time he stepped away from her.

Mist was everywhere. The man shoved the envelope into the shocked Lucy's hands, a final snicker tumbling out of his mouth. He gave a small salute, before turning his back on her, breaking off into a sprint into the now grey earth.

It was almost like mist rolled in just for this occasion, as it seemingly enveloped his figure into the abyss.

He was gone.

Wary, Lucy stared at the envelope in her hands, considering burning it. Once again, the familiar tightening of her stomach and the glowing warmth spread in her core. A small smile erupted as the unbeatable euphoria consumed her.

She was definitely going to get herself killed listening to this soulmate of hers. Was fate really that attached to messing with her?

Lucy clutched her cup of hot chocolate tightly in one hand, the grey envelope still in her other. Sitting down on her couch, Lucy placed the hot cocoa on the coffee table, staring at the envelope with an intense glare.

Finally deciding to open the thing, she pulled out the white slate of paper within it. She read the message with wide eyes.

"Lucy Heartfilia.

Eclipse Gate, Crocus, 7th of July, X2084, 11.30 PM"

"Are they being serious right now? Seriously? What is this, a scavenger hunt?" Lucy scrunched the paper up, throwing it away from her. She downed the hot cocoa in one gulp, slamming it on the table as if it were ale. Her frustration only increased when her stomach tightened, and the fire spread over her core.

Despite the odd occurrences in her life, she found the change enticing. Her life was so repetitive, each and every day the same. The adventure she found with her soulmate; it was a very invigorating change. Though, the insanity of the connections with her mother's song and her life was quite… scary. They were way too closely connected for her comfort.

She unfolded the note once again, staring at it with scrutinising eyes.

'I guess it wouldn't hurt.. It's probably just a prank… '

Lucy was soon on the road, the drive to Crocus being a few hours. She stared at the clock on her dashboard, the digits flashing 11:00PM just as she pulled up at the base of the hill. Pulling out of the car, she grasped her golden keys in her hands. She fingered them, drawing out the warmth from them. She held them to her chest, a gut feeling telling her she'd be away from home for a long time.

Looking forward, a small light radiating from the summit; The Eclipse Gate.

The Eclipse Gate. It was one of ancient history, and one of legend. There was a common myth that circled around Crocus. The Eclipse Gate was supposedly built by Lord Zeref, a historic figure in Fioren History. The Demon King (whose name was unknown - and will be unknown till the end of time) was Lord Zeref's younger brother, and wielded the largest amount of raw power imaginable.

Lord Zeref's motive was one; The Uniting of Tartaros and the Realm of the Living. This meant one thing; the destruction of the human, fairy, dragon and every other mythical creature of light.

Lucy frowned.

It was definitely going to be a long, steep climb, one she wasn't anticipating by any means. She observed the old, broken stone advances that spiraled up the slope with a scowl, slamming her car shut, not locking it. She'd need a quick escape, and having to unlock the car would only waste time. Besides, nobody was there this late; it'd be safe.

She started forward, determination spreading across her features.

"Holy Shit! I did it! Woo hoo!" Lucy pumped her fist up in the air, laughing. Clutching her heaving chest, she let out a sigh of victory and scanned the area.

Walking over to the proudly standing gate, Lucy stopped and stared.

"What now?" She mumbled.

She eyed it warily, waiting for someone to pop out. The Eclipse Gate, though, caught her attention. It was beautiful. The large pillars engraved with beautiful patterns; the arch of the gate… Lucy didn't know why, but the gate invoked great emotion in her.

Her lips quivered as unshed tears built up in the corner of her eyes. Her pale hand dashed straight up to them in an effort to silence the waterworks. 'Why am I crying over a stupid gate!'

"Meow!"

Lucy froze. She seemed to be doing that a lot these days.

Turning towards the sound she spotted the - blue - cat. Her eyes widened, and she let out a squeal of surprise. It was so cute!

"Oh my- Are you a blue cat! Awww!" She cooed at the small being, running towards it. The cat, on the other hand, had other ideas. Leaping towards Lucy, it jumped past her and towards the gate.

"Hey! Wait up!" Lucy ran at the cat, trying to prevent it from hurting itself.

She didn't notice the way she went through the gate. She didn't notice the searing heat emanating from her Zodiac Keys. She didn't notice they way the constellations in the pitch back night sky awoke at once, their radiance challenging the light of the sun itself. She didn't notice the warming of the temperature, nor the gathering of ethernano, awakening the Eclipse Gate. She didn't notice the opening of a portal, or her body passing through it one swift motion.

No, she didn't notice any of this. Rather, she noticed only two things.

One, she was about 2000 feet in the sky, and falling. Fast.

And two, it was daytime.

Author Notes

Hello there! Did you like it? Any guesses on who the blue-eyed dude with the scar is? Or the cat? Hmmmm?

OOoooHHHh MMMyyySStttEErrrYYYyyyy!

Thanks sooo much to everyone following and favoriting my book! This book is really fun to write and I'm glad people are enjoying reading it, too! I have up to chapter 6 pre-written, and just a warning, the chapters are going to get much, much longer than this. Have fun, guys!

CC Appreciated!

~ Kyla