Hey all! I just want to say sorry for taking so long! I've been really busy as of late and put writing to the side while I take care of other things in my life. That doesn't mean I wasn't thinking at all about how I wanted to finish up this installation of this story. As I may have mentioned before, I am planning on making this story the first of a few parts of an overall series. This means I probably will have two more stories to finish up the entirety of the plot at least since there is soooo much I've wanted to write in! As you all can tell, I am nowhere near the professional level of writing as popular authors both online and those who have books in the market. Saying this, I do appreciate you taking interest in my stories enough to read them! I say this all the time, so I know it might be annoying but every comment helps! I want to improve on my writing skills to make my stories more enjoyable so please Please PLEEEEEAAASE let me know your thoughts on my works!
With that out of the way, the next and final chapter of this installment can finally begin! Although this is the last chapter, it is somewhat of a Christmas special that I had meant to release during the Christmas 2020 so apologies again for the wait! But I had to go over the little details of Lucy's little surprise since I didn't want there to be anything that I could get in trouble for of course. I had intended there to be some intimacy between characters in this story(overall) but I will not be doing a lot currently. The next installment might contain more than this of course, but I want to at least make Lucy's gift to Natsu a little special since I brought it up a few times. With that out of the way, thank you so much for reading so far and enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL OR ANY REAL WORLD REFERENCES IN THIS STORY!
Key for story(More will be added IF needed):
BOLD - anger, attacks, surprise
Italic - thoughts, flashbacks, dreams, stressing a word, sass, other end(s) of a phone call, singing and song titles, and The Prophecy
Only the Beginning
It was a cold morning and snowflakes drifted slowly to the ground. With a light breeze blowing through, they seemed to dance in the air. Lucy peered out her window as she put on a cute sweater. She went into the bathroom to finish touching up her makeup before heading out. She and Natsu had planned on meeting the others in the city for a festival. The city apparently held a special festival every Christmas Eve, and she was curious as to what it would be like. In the old town her family had lived in, they didn't have something like this. After finishing up, she checked the time, which read about 9:28 am. They had set a meet up time at 10:00 am at the Strauss' bar. She then proceeded to head downstairs where Natsu and Wendy were messing around with the two resident felines.
The pink-haired boy looked up and smiled at her. "Hey Luce." he said cheerfully. "You look great." She felt her face flush a little as a smile spread across her lips.
"Thanks, Natsu." She said as he stood up. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans, with a black leather jacket and a grey shirt underneath. Wendy was wearing a short white dress with a blue jacket on. "Come on, Wendy," he said as he rubbed Happy's head. The girl nodded as she and Natsu both picked up their respective felines and they headed for the door. Lucy grabbed her coat from the closet and headed outside with Ryan and Claire were in the van waiting for them.
"Got everything?" Ryan asked them as they hopped in. As they all nodded, Ryan began backing out of the driveway. The ride was short, as they drove through the streets, seeing the festival being put together for the evening. From what Natsu had told her, there would be all types of booths set up around the main square and streets surrounding it, as well as live music. He seemed really happy describing all of the neat things that they would get to see that night. And he seemed especially excited for whatever involved food and music. She giggled at his antics. She was truly delighted to see him like this.
They pulled up next to the Stauss' bar, where the others were waiting. Upon walking inside, they saw Elfman and Gajeel arm wrestling, while Jellal and Erza were talking with Juvia, Levy, Gray, and Loke. Cana was at the bar, chatting with Mira while the silvery-haired girl was washing out glasses for later tonight. Laxus also sat at the bar, looking rather stoic as usual. She felt bad for him considering his grandfather, Makarov, was stuck in the hospital. The circumstances of the man's injuries when he was found were quite astounding. According to the medical staff that had analyzed the extent of the damage, he had suffered more internal damage rather than external. His insides seemed to be deteriorating, with traces of a strange magic that they weren't able to identify. They estimated that he'd be released sooner rather than later. From what Laxus told them, an old acquaintance of his grandfather's was looking after him.
Recalling the results of Zeref's attack on the magic council, it was a miracle none of the members were killed, although quite a few of the soldiers who dared engaged in combat with him fell. And he went alone for one, taking down some of the strongest in the world. That was enough to make anyone nervous. She recalled that one of his goals was to obtain the strongest magic in the world. Considering he never had magic in the first place, this was quite alarming. It was safe to assume that he had not achieved his goal yet, otherwise he might have wiped them off the face of the Earth.
She felt a hand gently touch her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts.. Turning to see who it was, she found none other than Natsu looking at her with a worried look on his face. Meeting his eyes, she could practically hear them begging her to tell her what was wrong. She just gently placed her hand on his, giving him a smile, shaking those thoughts away. Now wasn't the time to be moping around. It was Christmas Eve after all. Standing up, she heard some music begin to play over the bar's speakers. Natsu grabbed her hand and pulled her to where the others were dancing.
After a while, those thoughts faded completely into the depths of her mind. After having a little bit of fun, they helped set up the bar for that evening before getting some food. The festivities and stalls started opening up at 2:00 pm. There were plenty of games and food stalls to choose from as they walked around. The cold wind blowing around their group. They tried out a few stalls, some even lucky enough to win prizes. Natsu and Gray seemed to not put their competitive natures away even for Christmas. This being shown as they kept trying to outdo the other in each stall they visited. Lucy found it funny how the two could still act so childish.
"Well, it's only eight to nine!" Natsu growled at the black-haired boy. "I'll get you at the next one!"
"In your dreams, ash-for-brains!" Gray shot back as the two bolted off to another stall.
The blonde felt a nudge on her arm, turning to notice Levy. "You know, I could get Juvia to distract Gray for a while if you want some alone time with Natsu." the little bluenette smirked. The other bluenette who had been ahead of them immediately turned around and joined their conversation.
"You want Juvia to do what?" she asked excitedly, a blush on her face. "If it involves spending time with my dear Gray, then Juvia would be happy to help!"
Lucy blushed at Levy's suggestion. "Levy, remember what we discussed?" The two girls blinked, both silent and lost for a minute. Lucy sighed as she saw the light bulbs finally light over the girls' heads.
"Ohh right!" Levy said, smirking. "You have your own special surprise for Natsu!"
Juvia nodded in agreement. "Juvia can't believe you would be that bold, Lucy."
"Jeez, you two!" Lucy groaned. "Stop making it seem so weird!"
"Well, it's not something you see everyday." Cana said, as she put her arms around the girls. "You go girl!" The brunette wasn't wearing many layers as usual, and in her right hand, she held a small silver container.
"Really, Cana?" Levy sighed. "It's not even sundown!"
The brunette giggled as she took a quick swig. "Aww don't you worry your pretty little head about it, Levy! Now, run along to chase Gajeel's ankles!" She teased as the brunette's face lit bright red.
"Cana!" she squealed and proceeded to chase her drunken friend.
"She's never going to drop that, is she?" sighed Lucy with a smile. This earned a nod from the rest of the girls. Lucy felt a tap on her shoulder, turning to find Mira. She suggested that the girls and guys split up for a little while and meet at the park in the middle of Magnolia. There, the festival would be in full swing and they could continue the evening. Agreeing with the idea, Jellal, Gajeel, Laxus, Elfman, and Loke headed off after they're knuckleheaded friends. The girls went around the stalls, playing games and winning prizes.
Smiles all around, Lucy's only thoughts now were that she wished things could be like this forever. She felt so lucky to have made new friends, or rather to have found another family to call her own. She recalled a conversation with Mr. Dreyer that they'd had when everyone else had left his hospital room. He had stopped her from leaving with everyone else for a reason that shocked her.
"Lucy, I need to tell you something." the elderly man said, a serious expression on his face.
The blonde looked at him, worried about what he was about to say. He began going on about what Natsu had said, and what it meant. "You see, I find the fact that he said you all were called 'Fairy Tail," for a few reasons." He said.
"W-Why is that, Mr. Dreyer?" she asked, the curiosity within her swelling with every passing second. Along with her worry.
"You see," he said as he tapped his chest. In the center of his patient gown, a small light began to glow. The glow seemed to form a weird shape. "This is the symbol of all wizards who are a part of the Fairy Tail guild. Like Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus, Fairy Tail is a magical guild of wizards who have come together. It hasn't existed very long, yet it has drawn people of all types to it." he said. "Currently, I am the master of this guild."
Lucy's eyes widened in surprise. "If that's true… "
Makarov smiled at her before turning his head away from her slightly. "From the founding of the guild, the first master always taught the members of Fairy Tail to treasure our comrades as family. This belief was passed down from her to the second master, and then subsequently to me. For forty-eight years I have watched over this city from the shadows as our guild members traveled the globe keeping the world peaceful and safe, risking their lives in the process." his face seemed to change to one of distress. "Although I know it comes with the job of being a wizard, protecting the innocents of this world, I worry for the safety of each and every one of them. I've had one child myself, I think of them as my children. And no parent wants their child to be put in harm's way." He turned back to her. "I also see every one of you kids as my own and I only want what's best.
"Mr. Dreyer…" Lucy murmured.
"The fact that you've all been tainted by that monster, Zeref, and put up against wizards with enough power to kill you has truly filled me with grief. I would have gladly put myself out there if I had been allowed." he said. "But nevermind that. The important thing is that you have been recognized by her."
"Do you mean the voice that Natsu heard?" she asked. "Who is she?"
"My dear, she in fact is one of the founding members of Fairy Tail. The first master of the guild: Mavis Vermillion." He replied. Hearing him say that sent a shiver down her spine. "She has already passed on, and yet she continues to watch over her guild all this time. This is the first time she's ever spoken to someone since her passing."
Lucy felt her body go numb. How was this possible? If she had passed on already…
"Although she has passed on, I am not surprised she has found a way to watch over us all." He looked up to the ceiling with a small smile. "My master always talked of her and her fondness for those around her, as well as her brilliance in magic and strategy." A lone tear trailed down his cheek. Lucy sat in silence as she saw the tear, understanding she must have meant a lot to him. She looked down at her lap, gipping the fabric of her pants. She felt a rush of emotions well up from insider her, none of which she could identify as how she should be feeling,
"You see, child. She has recognized a greatness within you all." He said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "She can see even now and believes you are destined for great and wonderful things. I know what Loke told you." he said, causing her head to snap up. "Child you are special, and I sense the latent power within you. It is all up to you to unlock it and learn to control it. After all, as a newly made member of Fairy Tail, it is only right that you explore your power and nurture it. When I get out of this place, I want you to know that all of you will be properly welcomed into the guild as all should be."
She continued feeling that mixture of emotions. Although now one stood out among them. She felt a warmth within her as a smile came to her face.
Recalling the conversation made her smile to herself. She looked up to the sky as snow fell on everything around it. It was truly a magical sight. Thinking back to meeting her friends and what they had gone through in so little time, to see them now having fun and enjoying each other's company truly made her feel as though for once her life was the best it had ever been.
A brief image of Natsu's smiling face popped in her head. She felt her face flush a little as she remembered her plans for later on tonight. Why did she feel this way? She had a clue on what it was, although she wasn't sure. All she knew was that it felt right. He was a strange boy that had gone through a lot himself, what with losing Igneel, as well as the Oracion Seis incident. She was happy for him to be reunited with his former foster father, and noticed he had seemed a lot more upbeat and energetic.
Ever since meeting the boy she had learned much about him, and much from him whether he knew it or not. And she wanted to know more. Every time she was around him, she felt that warm sensation return to her chest and her cheeks. She wanted to be closer to him. With these thoughts in her head, she wondered. Could this feeling be…
"Lucy! Wake up!"
She snapped out of her thoughts to see none other than the pink-haired boy she was thinking about. Her cheeks felt hot as she saw his face show one of confusion.
"Something wrong?" he asked. "Your cheeks seem red."
The blonde wasn't sure if her cheeks could get any more red than they already were, but it certainly felt like it. "I-I um… yeah!" she responded. "I'm fine!"
The boy shrugged before a smile had spread over his lips. "Come on! There's a lot more we need to check out!" She felt his hand grab hers and begin pulling her in his direction. They eventually caught up with everyone else in time for the concert to start. The snow seemed to dance along with the music, and the lights were dazzling like stars as the night crept in. They eventually found themselves continuing the fun at the Strauss' bar, with Natsu and the others on the stage singing away. Overall, Lucy found that tonight had definitely been the best Christmas she had ever experienced in a long while.
They had partied and enjoyed themselves all night long, which finally started to settle down as people went home for the evening. Eventually, Lucy found herself home with her family, as well as Igneel and Natsu. As the three adults sat down for a few drinks, Lucy, Natsu, and Wendy were upstairs playing some games. Though it didn't take long for Wendy to retire for the night, leaving the blonde alone with Natsu.
She was nervous. Sure she'd been alone with him before on multiple occasions. But not like this. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, she noticed he seemed a little different than his normal self. Though she had seen this look on him before: when they were alone in the woods. After her kiss with Gray. It wasn't a look of sadness on his face, but the look of relief. Though it was different this time. Could he actually be nervous too? She wondered. Lucy proceeded to take a deep breath before making her move.
"H-Hey, Natsu?" she asked, getting his attention. She stood up suddenly. "I'll be right back so wait here until I call you, o-okay?" She said as she abruptly left the room, leaving the boy sitting alone in confusion. It didn't take long for her to prepare her little surprise. She just hoped he liked it. She took another deep breath and called him to her room.
Here we go. She thought.
Natsu had had the best Christmas of his life. Not only that, but he had never been closer with those around him. And who did he have to thank for that? Lucy of course. Without her coming into his life, he had no clue how he would have made it to this point. It just seemed that she had brought them all closer and he was ultimately thankful to her for even talking to him to begin with. At the start of the year, he was nowhere near as close with those around him now, including Gray.
The two had been at each other's throats for a while ever since Lisanna died. And whether Gray knew it or not, he blamed himself. He blamed himself not only for her death, but for letting their relationship get this bad. They had always fought, since they just naturally seemed to mess with each other, but not out of hate. They had fun screwing with each other until that day. After that, everything was filled with hatred. And all that did was tear them apart, seeming that they could never reconcile.
Natsu knew that he was childish, stubborn and hot headed. The instant something provoked him, he had a hard time controlling his anger. That included the time when he saw Gray kissing Lucy. He felt so angry. But the strange thing was, that wasn't the feeling that he felt the most. His heart ached terribly, to the point where it drowned his anger. He never even knew what hit him. But after hearing the story from Lucy herself, he felt… satisfied? He had never been good with words, but all he knew was that he was glad that Lucy hadn't initiated the kiss.
Now, he was sitting in the upstairs family room, alone since Lucy had just ran off. He had no clue why, though he was worried that something was wrong. She had told him to wait until she called for him, so he assumed that everything was fine.
"Natsu!" He heard her call. "Y-You can come to my room now."
On cue, he got up and slowly crept to her room. Nervous, he peaked in. The lights were off, the moonlight coming through the window was the only thing allowing him to see around him. His eyes adjusted to the room. He looked around, seeing not a sign of Lucy. He heard the door close behind him, as well as her voice. This time, soft and quiet like a whisper.
"Don't turn around until I tell you." she said. He could tell there was something off about her voice. It seemed shaky for some reason.
"O-Okay." he responded. He didn't know what was going on, he felt his heart beating faster. He felt a chill go down his spine when she told him to turn around and face her.
His eyes widened upon seeing her. She wore a short, red Santa dress with white, fluffy trim around the bottom. The cloth hugged her body, and was quite revealing around her chest. Up the center of the dress were three fuzzy balls, and a black leather belt around her waist. She wore a matching red hat and black thigh high leggings. She looked rather nervous herself, as she was playing with the edge of her dress, her knees pressed together. Her brown eyes gazing directly into his. He felt his cheeks flush as he stared at her.
"W-Well, what do you think?" she asked.
Although he had processed the words out of her mouth, he couldn't form the words. He found himself speechless as his heart began to beat faster.
"L-Lucy, you-" He could see that she was waiting for an answer from him. He found himself moving closer to her. He was right in front of her when he gently took hold of her hands. "You look amazing." He finally managed to say. The blonde looked quite happy with his response, and then he noticed something. A smell he hadn't recognized immediately, coming from above. He looked up and to his surprise there was a branch hanging from the ceiling.
"Is that… mistletoe?" He asked, looking back down at her. She quickly looked away.
"W-Well, you see…" She started. At that point, he gently caressed the side of her face. Their eyes met once more.
"Lucy," he said softly. She looked longingly at him and nodded, giving the green light. He felt himself leaning closer to her, closing the gap between them. Seeing as she was doing the same, they both closed their eyes as their lips came together. This new feeling. It was wonderful. He didn't know how else to describe it. The soft feeling of her lips. His hands traveled to her waist as her arms wrapped around his neck, deepening the kiss. They both felt a rush as time seemed to stop around them.
Eventually they parted, looking back into each other's eyes. Without either of them saying a word, they both went back for more. More sensual and more electrifying than before. At that moment, Natsu wanted nothing more than for this moment to never end. As they continued embracing each other, they found themselves falling onto Lucy's bed, though neither really bothered to do anything about it.
Makarov stared out the window of his hospital room. Thanks to a visit from a longtime friend of his, the doctors had cleared him to go. He looked out at the people of Magnolia, who were all having fun and embracing the Christmas spirit. He had caught a glimpse of Lucy, Natsu, and the rest earlier that night. He couldn't help but laugh as he watched the teenagers enjoy themselves. He was glad that despite the whole ordeal with the Oracion Seis, they could just enjoy themselves like normal.
"But they aren't normal anymore, Makarov." Said a female's voice from behind. He hadn't heard her voice before, but he knew who it was.
"This is true," he said, slowly turning to face his visitor. "But that shouldn't hinder them from enjoying the lives they deserve, Master Mavis."
The short blonde was sitting on the edge of his hospital bed. Her frilly, pink layered robe fluttered at the edge as she hopped off. She straightened the red ribbon tied in a bow around her neck. "But the fact remains that Zeref has changed them forever, like yourself, as well as Igneel… and I."
"Yes." he murmured. "And with his attack on the council, I believe he is preparing for the next stage of his plans."
The woman nodded. "Indeed. But he has made one mistake." She said, her bare feet lightly tapping the floor as she walked to the window. "He did not account for the fact that his tests would be permanent. The children will continue to grow more powerful, and hopefully put an end to all this."
Makarov sighed. "My father always used to say you were an optimist, among other things."
She giggled. "I'm sure he did." She put a hand on his shoulder. "You must guide them, teach them to mature that which resides in them."
"But, First Master-"
"Do not worry, Makarov." She said, "As your name suggests, you are the most fit to teach them. I know because I have watched you all these years. This is only the beginning for them, after all."
And with that she disappeared, leaving Makarov alone in an empty room, with many questions.
"I hope you're right, Master Mavis." he said as he gathered his coat and left. A year coming to an end. Friendships he had seen reformed, and new problems surfacing for the younger generation. The mantle had been passed to him. He took a deep breath and looked up to the stars.
"She's right." He said. "It is only the beginning for them, and I can only prepare them for what's to come."
That's a wrap! Hope you guys enjoyed it! I didn't quite have an exact idea on how Lucy was going to surprise Natsu sooooo I kinda just went with whatever popped in my head. By all means I'll take any ideas on how I can improve it so please don't be shy!
The next instillation might not appear for a while but look out for it! Please let me know what you all thought of this chapter, and the overall story in the comments! Thank you so much for reading, and until next time!
WritingHobbyist2020
Song(s) in this chapter:
- None this chapter :P
New character's and their ages in this chapter:
- Mavis Vermillion: ?
AS ALWAYS, FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A REVIEW OR A QUESTION IN EITHER THE REVIEW SECTION OR IN A PM, AND THANKS FOR READING! :D
