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After traveling for who knows how long, Lucy arrives in Magnolia, the home of the Fairy Tail guild. She steps out of the carriage with shaky legs and a queasy feeling in her gut. She holds the letter from her mother in two trembling hands, and she forces herself to walk. She's barely slept since her mother woke her up and sent her to Magnolia. She's been running on nothing but adrenaline.

She ends up walking around town for a little bit, feeling rather overwhelmed in the new space. People are just about everywhere, and Lucy has never been in such a crowded space before. So many new scents and sounds for her to take in. She manages to avoid walking into someone, and in the process gets lost.

And as soon as she realizes she's lost, she feels like crying. But Lucy is the daughter of Stella the Dragon and the Heartfilias. She won't cry.

Instead, she pushes the urge to cry away and asks for directions to the Fairy Tail guild.

The few people that she approaches look shocked to see a young girl asking about the town's rambunctious wizard guild, but they give her directions. Diligently, she follows each direction as best as possible until finally, she reaches the guild.

Looking up at the enormous building in front of her, Lucy's eyes widen and she suddenly feels very, very small in comparison. She feels a pit of uneasiness in her stomach and her resolve wavers. Staring down at the letter in her hands, she shakes her head. She has to do this!

Lucy reaches a hand out and pushes on the doors. Nervously, she peeks in and sees absolute chaos in the guild hall. People are sitting at tables chatting, while others are full out fighting. A few people at the bar seem to be watching the fights, laughing. Suddenly Lucy feels a lot more nervous than before.

Timidly, she steps inside.

Right as a pink haired boy comes flying toward her.

Lucy squeaks and quickly evades him. The boy crashes into the doors, landing with a groan. Lucy can only stare at him with wide eyes, not even realizing that all eyes are now on her.

"U-Um… are you—" "WHAT THE HECK ERZA?! DID YOU HAVE TO THROW ME SO HARD?!"

The pink haired boy jumps up, rubbing the back of his head with a wince. His shout easily overpowered Lucy's question, and she simply just stands back and stares at him. However, she doesn't go unnoticed by the boy, and she sees him start to sniff before his eyes land on her.

He blinks, "Who are you? I don't think I've seen you around before…" He says, and Lucy looks down at her shoes. She starts to feel the coil of anxiety tighten.

"I um… I'd like to um…" She stammers, suddenly very aware of all of the eyes on her.

"You'd like to..?" The boy prompts, tilting his head to the side.

"Geez, let the poor girl breathe, Natsu." Someone says. Lucy looks up and sees a red haired girl walking over to them. The boy, Natsu, tenses and glares at her as she comes over. The girl gives Lucy a smile, "I'm sorry, this probably isn't the best introduction to our guild. I'm Erza Scarlet, and you?"

Lucy fidgets under her stare, "L-Lucy…"

Erza smiles at her once again, "It's nice to meet you Lucy. What business do you have with Fairy Tail?" She questions, and while she sounds kind, there's a certain edge to her voice that makes Lucy even more nervous.

"Well I um… I…" She can't get the words out and it only makes her frustrated. Why is she so nervous? Sure these people are a bit intimidating, but she was raised by a dragon! That's like… the most intimidating creature ever!

"What's going on over here?" A new person cuts in and the three children look over to see an old man walking over to them.

"Oh, Master. I was just asking Lucy here about her intentions with the guild." Erza explains, but Lucy barely pays attention. She's too focused on the old man and what Erza called him.

"Are you… Makarov..?" Lucy questions, her voice shaking.

The man looks at her, nodding, "Yes, I am. Do you need something, child?" He asks, but not unkindly.

Lucy quickly nods her head and without her permission, the tears return and she sniffles. She hands the envelope to him, "P-Please… m-my mother…" She cries.

Makarov looks at her in surprise as he accepts the envelope. As soon as it's in his hands, there's a tension that leaves Lucy's body and she suddenly feels exhausted. With that, she seems to lose control of her muscles and she's plummeting to the floor, eyes closing.

On her way down, she feels two warm arms catch her.


"Whoa, I gotcha!" As soon as the girl drops towards the floor, Natsu dashes forward and catches her. Erza grabs her a few seconds later and they look to their guild master with confusion.

"Is she okay?!" Lisanna exclaims as she runs over, Elfman not too far behind her.

Natsu looks over at her, shrugging, "She just passed out after giving Gramps the letter."

"She must've come a long way then, she's probably exhausted. We should bring her to the infirmary for now until she wakes up." Erza suggests before looking to Makarov.

He nods his approval before looking down at the envelope in his hands. "Erza, Lisanna, I'll trust the two of you to look after her for now." He says, and the two girls nod in response.

"Aw, but I wanna look after her too!" Natsu pouts.

"No way! You'd probably just scare her again!" Lisanna replies as Erza gently takes the girl from Natsu.

"Would not!" The boy exclaims in response as the three girls head to the guild's infirmary upstairs.

Chuckling at his childrens antics, Makarov heads to his office to read the mysterious girl's letter. He closes the door behind him as he enters and sits in his chair. He then opens the envelope and begins to read.

'Master,

It has been quite some time, Master Makarov, I hope you are well. I hope you'll forgive me for my sudden request. A few months ago I met a little girl named Lucy. She had been wandering the forest all alone, searching for her dragon mother, Stella. My husband and I took her in, hoping we could provide a good home for her. However, it seems that I made a mistake, one that's going to cost me dearly. For Lucy's safety, I sent her to you. Please welcome her to your guild, Master. She's been dreaming of joining Fairy Tail since I told her about the guild, and I know she'll find a wonderful family there. Please protect my daughter.'

Reading a bit further into the letter, Makarov closes his eyes and sighs quietly. His children never stop running into trouble, do they?


When Lucy wakes up, she finds herself in a mysterious place. Confused, she looks around and sees she's laying in a bed. She feels a bit of deja vu as she remembers something extremely familiar happening the day she met Layla. Glancing around, she finds some sort of sheet hanging around her, cutting off her view of wherever she is. She looks down at the white sheets covering her and finds that her pouch and necklace is still on her. She sighs quietly in relief.

Faintly, Lucy wonders where she is. She didn't just randomly pass out somewhere, did she? Oh she really hopes not! That'd be so embarrassing.

And then— everything hits her at once and she remembers. Her mother, the envelope, making it to Fairy Tail. Her eyes water.

Before Lucy can do anything else, she hears the door open, accompanied by the sounds of footsteps. She tenses immediately at the sound and without warning, the sheet is pulled back, allowing Lucy to see where she is. She sees a few other beds in the room and a table against the white walls with papers and packets on it. She blinks in surprise as she sees two girls in front of her.

She recognizes one of the girls as Erza from before, but she doesn't know the shorter white haired girl. Erza's eyes land on her first, "Oh good, you're awake."

Not knowing what to say, Lucy nods in response.

The white haired girl leans in close, "How are you feeling? You gave everyone quite a scare!" She says.

"O-Oh, I'm okay…" Lucy answers, and the girl smiles.

"Good, I'm going to go let Master know you're awake." Erza informs with a kind smile, "If you need anything please do not hesitate to ask." She says, and there's a certain air around her that makes her seem incredibly mature. Her long braid sways as she turns around and walks to the door. Lucy can't help but stare in awe.

"Erza's as diligent as ever." The other girl giggles, causing Lucy to focus on her. She then turns to face Lucy, choppy white hair bouncing slightly with the action. "I'm Lisanna by the way, it's nice to meet you, Lucy!" She exclaims, looking at Lucy with cheerful blue eyes.

"It's… nice to meet you too." Lucy replies, giving Lisanna a shy smile. She then looks down at her lap, feeling a bit awkward.

Lisanna happily pulls a chair over and sits down. Placing her palms on the seat, she leans forward, "Do you want anything? I can get you some water if you'd like!" She offers, but Lucy shakes her head in response. "Ah, okay!" Lisanna replies, and Lucy worries that she might have just made things awkward between her and the other girl. But then Lisanna eyes her curiously and asks, "What's that around your neck? They look like keys!"

Instinctively, Lucy's hand reaches for the two golden keys from her mother and she finds comfort from the cool metal beneath her palm. "They're Gate Keys, for two of the twelve Zodiac Keys." She explains.

"Really?" Lisanna gasps with awe, "Is that your magic then? What keys do you have?" She inquires, her eyes suddenly shining with curiosity.

A small smile forms on Lucy's face, "The Water Bearer, Aquarius, and The Great Crab, Cancer. They're my—" She cuts herself off as she realizes what she's about to say and without her permission, tears spring to her eyes. The smile fades from her face as she murmurs, "They were my mother's Celestial Spirits…"

Lisanna's eyes widen as she sees the tears pooling in Lucy's eyes and she rushes to comfort the girl, "Oh, Lucy, I'm sorry!" She exclaims as she rises from her seat and wraps her arms around the blonde.

Surprised by Lisanna's action, Lucy finds herself leaning into her arms, sniffling softly. "I-It's okay…" She mumbles quietly.

Lisanna pulls away and sits back down, a small frown on her face. Lucy can't help but feel a little bad for suddenly crying like that. But before she can apologize, the door opens and Erza returns, this time with Makarov trailing behind her. The old man walks up to her bed with a gentle smile, "I'm glad to see that you're awake, Lucy. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay…" Lucy replies, and his smile widens at her response.

"Good." He hums before turning to both Lisanna and Erza, "I'd like to speak with Lucy in private, girls. Mind waiting outside?" He asks.

"Not at all," Erza immediately replies as Lisanna stands up.

She turns to Lucy with a small smile, "I'll see you later, Lucy!" Lucy nods in response as she and Erza leave the room.

Makarov focuses his attention on the girl before him, remembering the letter he had read hours ago. The letter from his old friend, along with the story of Lucy tugs at his heartstrings. Children like Lucy are exactly why Fairy Tail exists, and as soon as he read that letter his mind was made up. He can only hope that Lucy will accept his proposition. He looks at the child before him and speaks, "I understand that your mother sent you to us for your protection."

At the mention of her mother, Lucy looks up at Makarov, surprised. "She… sent me here for protection..?" She asks. It makes sense, after all. Her mother was adamant about getting Lucy out of the house and somewhere safe. She hadn't answered a single one of Lucy's questions because there hadn't been enough time to explain. But if Makarov knows why her mother sent her to Fairy Tail, then maybe he knows what happened. She voices these thoughts aloud.

Makarov's answering frown is enough. "I'm sorry, but she didn't tell me anything. All she asked is that we welcome you into our guild and give you a chance at the wizarding life." He explains, and the hope that had slowly been building in Lucy's chest bursts.

"Oh, I see…" She mumbles dejectedly. Her budding hope is suddenly replaced with dread, because why would her mother send her away for her protection? Something or someone must have been after her.

"I know that isn't what you want to hear, Lucy, and I'm sorry that I can't provide you with something more comforting. But what I can offer you, child, is a home. You are fully welcome to join our guild and become a member of the Fairy Tail family." Makarov offers with a smile. "We're quite the rowdy bunch though, as I'm sure you saw earlier." He jokes, and it makes Lucy giggle quietly.

She's incredibly worried about her mother, but what can she do? She's only ten years old, and her magic isn't strong enough to be useful to anyone. Her mother sent her here for her safety and benefit. She should honor her mother's wishes, whether they be her last ones or not.

And maybe… just maybe, when she's old enough, she can look for Layla, along with Stella.

A sudden thought strikes her. What if she loses this family too? She lost Stella and the Heartfilias after all. What's to stop her from losing Fairy Tail as well? A newfound anxiety grips at her, but Lucy can't let that stop her. After all, joining Fairy Tail has always been a dream since Layla told her about the rambunctious magical guild. She's here now, finally able to join a lot sooner than she thought. So maybe she should join, like her mother wanted. And she'll just… keep her distance.

With both a newfound determination and resolve, Lucy nods, "I'll join."


Lucy doesn't open up to anyone in Fairy Tail for a few days. She simply sits at a table away from the other kids by herself and stares down at the dark wood. A few of the other kids approach her and try to talk, like Lisanna and Eflman. She politely says a few words to them whenever they approach, but she doesn't say much.

Lisanna's older sister, Mirajane, tries to goad her into interacting with her and the other kids, but Erza steps in. It causes one of their typical fights and Mira's goal of getting Lucy to talk is forgotten.

She doesn't mind being a loner though, it gives her time to observe her guild mates. Like Makarov had told her, the guild is quite rowdy. Most of the kids around her age are pretty civil, with the exception of a few. Erza and Mira get into numerous fights throughout the day. They aren't the only ones who fight often though.

Erza is constantly breaking up fights between Natsu, the boy who had been thrown into the door when Lucy arrived, and Gray, who has a rather unconventional habit of stripping.

The guild hall is always loud, but Lucy enjoys the noise. It's easy for her to get lost in a routine, and without her noticing, the days slip by.

And it isn't until four days after Lucy joined the guild that something big happens.

It's a regular day for Lucy. She's at the guild nice and early, when things are still quiet. She finds her table and sits down and stares off. Hours tick by and the guild starts to become full with people.

She allows herself to enjoy the presence of people around her as she sits by herself. Letting herself get lost in thought, Lucy's eyes trail down to her right hand where her guild mark resides. She absentmindedly traces the pink mark with a gentle finger.

It's as she's staring down at her guild mark that someone approaches her.

Hearing someone sit down across from her, Lucy looks up from her hand. She blinks in confusion as she stares into the gaze of Natsu Dragneel. He's staring at her with furrowed brows, with a gaze that Lucy can only guess is a scrutinizing one. "Um… can I… help you with something?" Lucy asks.

Natsu crosses his arms and leans forward, not once letting up on his stare.

And then— "You smell."

As soon as the words leave his mouth, the guild hall, which had previously been quiet upon noticing Natsu approaching their newest member, erupts into various noises.

Lucy's sensitive ears pick up on Mira's wild cackles while Lisanna sighs and face palms. Erza huffs with disapproval and Gray laughs. Though his laughter doesn't last long as Cana makes a comment about his lack of shirt.

"Natsu, you can't just say that to a girl!" Macao scolds from his seat next to Wakaba.

Natsu looks over at him, a frown on his face, "Why not?! I'm just telling her the truth!" He exclaims. "She reeks!"

Lucy, meanwhile, is staring at the boy in front of her with shock. She feels her eyebrow twitching in annoyance as her hands ball into fists in her lap. "You…"

Nats glances back at her, "Yeah?"

"You smell!" Lucy suddenly screeches, very annoyed. Who does he think he is, telling her she smells?!

Everyone watches with bated breath for Natsu's response. Lucy pouts at Natsu as he raises a brow and tilts his head. "Well of course I do! I was raised by a dragon after all!" He exclaims, and the adults who are sitting on chairs nearly fall out of their seats.

It takes a few seconds for Lucy to process what Natsu just said, and what he meant. When he said she smelled… he meant she smelled like a dragon. At least, she hopes that's what he meant. As soon as it clicks for her, she gasps and slams her hands on the table as she stands. "You were raised by a dragon too?!" She asks.

"No way! You're telling me that little girl is a dragon slayer?!" Voices cry out upon Lucy's exclamation.

Suddenly feeling everyone's eyes on her, Lucy sits back down, embarrassed. Natsu, however, remains unbothered by the attention of the guild, and grins at her, "Yeah! I was raised by Igneel, the Fire Dragon!" He replies. "What about you?"

"Stella, the Star Dragon." Lucy answers, feeling an excitement starting to bubble in her chest. She can't help but look at Natsu with awe. "I never knew there was someone else raised by a dragon like I was!"

"Me either!" Natsu happily says. His expression falls for a second before asking, "So… where's Stella now? Do you know?"

Lucy's eyes drop to her lap as she frowns, "No… she disappeared one day without saying a word. I woke up and she was… gone."

"She didn't happen to disappear on July 7th, X777, did she?" Natsu asks and Lucy nods in response.

"Did…" Lucy frowns at her question, but she has a sneaking suspicion that needs to be confirmed. "Did Igneel disappear the same day?"

Natsu frowns and nods, "Yeah… woke up and he was gone…"

She sits back and crosses her arms as she processes what she's been told. There's definitely some sort of connection here. Truthfully, Lucy still can't believe that she wasn't the only one trained by a dragon. And if Natsu's dragon disappeared on the same day, the same month, the same year, then could there be something bigger going on?

"Aw man, this is awesome!" Natsu suddenly exclaims, startling Lucy from her thoughts. She looks at him with confusion and as he meets her gaze he grins. "We can look for Igneel and Stella together!"

She stares at Natsu, completely dumbfounded by what he said. Despite wanting to avoid it, Lucy feels some sort of connection to him, a camaraderie.

And she can't help but smile, all wide and bright. "Yeah!"