The streets of Magnolia became stained with water as the dense clouds began rolling in. Rain started to pour just as Lucy stepped into the doors of Fairy Tail that morning. The Celestial Mage made it there before many others were. Even Mirajane was just getting in. The she-demon placed her coat on the rack as Lucy walked by her.

"Good morning, sunshine!" The white haired mage smiled brightly at the young blonde.

"Hey Mira." The Celestial Mage waved with a grin. The young blonde began searching through her purse. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, anything you need."

After a few moments, Lucy pulled a letter out of her bag. She hands the envelope to the barmaid. "Can you please give this to the team when you see them?"

Mirajane looked at it for quite some time, it was pretty thick. "Are you sure you don't want to be the one to do this?"

"I'm getting a head start on the trip." The young blonde stated. "I want to get a jump on this quickly."

"Is there a reason for the rush?" the barmaid inquired. "I don't want to pry, but it's just not like you to avoid your teammates."

Lucy sighed. "I'm not avoiding them, Mira. I've been wanting this change for myself for a few weeks now. I know it's not the best timing, but I'm tired of waiting."

"Are you sure it's not because of…." The barmaid looked at the Celestial wizard, unsure of how to say what she wanted.

"Because of what?" The blonde raised a brow.

"What happened at the guild this morning?"

Taking a deep breath, Lucy rubbed the back of her head. "I've thought about taking the mission for a few days now. Not taking that job with Natsu has just allowed me to do this one faster."

"I just know he was really disappointed when you didn't show up this morning…" Mira mentioned, but as she noticed Lucy's unaffected features, she changed the subject.

"Well, I wish you the best. We'll see you when you return!" The she-demon smiled as she made her way towards her normal station.

The Celestial mage waved goodbye as she went upstairs towards Makarov's office.

It wasn't every day Lucy was up on the second story. Only S-Class members were allowed in most parts of this floor, except for the portion that held Master Makarov's office. Walking the long hall, the Celestial Mage began feeling a little anxious. Was Gramps going to try and talk her out of going again? Or was he actually giving her something to aid in her mission.

Lucy stood outside of Makarov's door for a few minutes. The young blonde's heart began to race as she knocked on it a couple of times.

"Come in!" Said a tired voice from the other side of the door.

Moving the large piece of oak wood, Lucy poked her head into Gramp's office. "Good morning!"

"Ah! Lucy, good morning." Makarov gleamed as he gestured for her to take a seat. The Master offers her some tea, which she graciously takes. The two begin their conversation with small talk. This helped Lucy's nerves.

"You seem anxious.." Gramps leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of his tea. "Are you having second thoughts?"

"I am anxious.." Lucy admitted. "But, I'm also very excited." A smile began to brighten up her features. "I'm ready for this, Gramps. You said there were a couple of things you had to give me?"

Makarov nodded as he opened the top right drawer of his desk. He pulls out a leather bound book, and an unknown object. "I'm not sure if you're the type of person to keep a journal. I have one for you, because I feel it's important to do so on jobs like this. Having no contact with the world you know can be a scary thing. I want it to bring you some comfort."

"I really appreciate that." Lucy smiled brightly. "What is the other thing?" The young blonde was unable to take her eyes off it. The object looked like a button of some sort.

"This little doohickey is pretty special." The Master grinned as he tossed it to her. "If you press that button, it will send a signal to its partner in my office."

"Really?"

Gramps nodded. "In case of life or death, we would send in a group to extract you from your mission." Leaning back in his chair, the older wizard looked at the young woman. "I just want you to know that your family won't abandon you. If you need us, we are always going to be here, Lucy."

"Have you given this to any other wizard?" The Celestial Mage asked curiously.

"Of course." Makarov smiled. "Nearly every S-Class member has used this once or twice."

Looking down at the button, Lucy smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Master Makarov."

"Well dear, you'd better get going." The older wizard grinned at the guild member. "You have a client to meet with!"

Stars twinkled in the clear night sky. Natsu and Erza were on their way back to Magnolia from their mission. The duo was on the outskirts of town, and the scarlet maiden could tell that her partner for the trip was more than anxious to get back home. If Titania were honest, the Dragon Slayer was completely insufferable during the mission. He wouldn't stop talking about Lucy, and his guilt for what happened.

"Natsu… I know you're ready to get back to Magnolia to see Lucy. However, I think we should stop by the guild and complete the mission before doing anything else."

"Can't you take care of that?" The Dragon Slayer questioned, slightly irritated at her comment. "I really have to fix this, Erza."

"I understand that." The scarlet haired wizard sighed. "However, Lucy could also be at the guild hall. If you went to her apartment first, it'd be for nothing."

Natsu began grumbling under his breath. The pink-haired wizard became more irritated by the second. He needed to see the Celestial mage and make things right.

Happy was circling the duo, observing his best friend acting strange once again. The Dragon Slayer didn't mention a single thing about his disappearance, or why he was so worried about Lucy. The blue Exceed was so confused about his behavior. "Natsu… What happened between you and Lucy?"

The pink haired wizard froze. Images of his night with the Celestial Mage came rushing back into his mind. "Uh… Well Happy, it's kinda complicated."

"Did you finally tell the poor girl you looooove her?" The Exceed inquired.

A bright blush flooded the Dragon Slayer's cheeks. Unable to answer his best friend, Natsu rubbed the back of his head. He continued to look at the ground as they walked. The pink haired wizard's silence was enough to alert his best friend that something was wrong.

"Hey, I'm sure whatever happened, can be fixed right?" Happy landed on his friend's head.

"She's never going to talk to me again!" Natsu groaned. "I finally said it, and she even said it back… But, arriving at the guild hall early was a mistake. If I would've -"

"You can't start thinking like that, Natsu." Erza looked at the Dragon Slayer. "Thinking about what you would have or should've done is a treacherous path."

"I can't help it." The young wizard fidgeted with his own hands. Natsu was more anxious than he'd ever been. Something inside him was telling him Lucy wasn't even here, and he needed to find her. "I was gone for almost two days after Lisanna kissed me. It wasn't the best move to make, Erza."

"Why didn't you get this hashed out before you left?! Natsu, Lucy's gonna kill you!" Happy gasped in shock.

"I know.." The Dragon Slayer was quiet, looking up from his feet. The guild hall was in their sights, finally.

The large doors of Fairy Tail swung open as Natsu, Erza, and Happy walked through. Some of the wizards turned and waved happily, while most didn't pay the noise any mind. The Dragon Slayer scanned the expanse of the main hall, but didn't see a sign of the blonde.

"Hey guys!" Mirajane waved happily from the bar. She noticed the pink-haired wizard looking for something. "How was the mission?"

"Mira, have you seen Lucy?" Natsu blurted out as he ran towards her. "Has she been here since we left?"

"Woah, calm down." The barmaid raised her hands.

"Answer the question and I won't start getting worked up!" Natsu was practically fuming.

"Gray!" Mira yelled, startling the ice mage across the room.

"What does he have to do with this?!" The Dragon Slayer yelled, his fists igniting.

The Ice mage rolled his eyes at Natsu's behavior. "Put those things away, flame brain!"

It didn't take long for Erza to come to the realization of what was going on. While Natsu and Gray weren't the 'undercover' type, the scarlet maiden had her fair share of them. Being one of the most trusted members in the guild, several chose Titania to pass information to the right channels. Erza would receive a letter, usually through Mira, or some other method. Then, she would decide the best course of action, depending on the request.

The scarlet haired wizard looked towards Mirajane with wide eyes. The beautiful barmaid gave her a sad expression. It was then Titania observed the notorious envelope in her hands.

"Is everything okay?" The wizard with a missing shirt questioned. He sensed from the moment he walked up that it was a very tense situation. "What's with the letter, Mira?"

The white haired mage nodded as she raised her hands, presenting them with the Celestial Wizard's letter. "Lucy asked me to give this to you three."

"What is this? Why couldn't she give it to us herself." Natsu asked as he took it from her, nearly ripping it open.

Erza, Gray, and Natsu,

Each adventure we've been on has made us stronger individually, and as a team. However, this is one mission I must do on my own.

After we came back from Edolas, I realized that I don't know everything I'm capable of. Seeing a completely different version of myself has made me wonder if I'm living up to my full potential. I see how strong each of my teammates are. Every one of you is strong on your own, but together you make the team unstoppable. I feel as if I'm constantly being saved by my friends. I am so grateful that I can trust you.

However, I want to be strong with and without the three of you. The thought of not being able to protect those I hold dear is one of my greatest fears.

With all of this weighing on my mind lately, I have decided to take the Royal Tree Productions mission. I know this is out of character for me. It's not every day that I take a mission where I go undercover. However, I need you to understand that I've been wanting a change in my life for some time.

This job gives me a chance to protect my family, as well as many non-magic users. I see each of you going out to save our world every day. I want to be able to do the same!

Please do not attempt to contact me while I am on my mission. I'm not sure how long I will be gone. However, the moment it is permitted for me to let you know anything I will do so.

I'm going to miss you three terribly, as well as the rest of my Fairy Tail friends. Please make sure everyone stays safe.

Until next time!

Lucy

"She's… Gone undercover?" Gray wasn't sure what to think. "Why now? It seems so sudden."

"It may not make sense to us, but we must be supportive of our friend!" Erza said, her eyes looking in Natsu's direction, trying to gauge his reaction. "Right, Natsu?"

The Dragon Slayer felt as if he were swallowed by a black void. Was this caused by his actions before he went on the mission? The pink haired wizard shoved his hands in his pockets as he began to pace. He could feel the Celestial Spirit key also there. Natsu's eyes began to sting with tears. Why did she leave, after I told her I loved her…. I should've fixed the problem when I had the chance. WHY DIDN'T I JUST GO TO HER HOUSE?!

Titania gazed at the Dragon Slayer with a worried look. "Natsu? Are you okay?"

"I need to think…" The pink haired wizard was gone in a flash once again, the doors of the guild hall slamming behind him.