Erza bounded across the rooftops of Hargeon, making sure to keep her presence glamour with a special type of armor from her collection. She picked up the trail of the demons that had attacked the blonde girl and was now following it back to their dark guild. She stopped on the edge of a roof, pausing as she gazed down at a shabby bar hidden on the outskirts of the town. She peered past the glamour covering the bar and smiled when she saw demons and black mages mingling inside the building. A glow encompassed her body as she reequipped into a powerful battle armor and summoned a large sword into her right hand. Her smile widened when the attention of the dark guild turned to her and she leapt off the roof and into battle with a wild cry.

Lucy stood frozen before her door. She knew her behavior was ridiculous, it was just a door. Despite this fact, her heart mourned what the apartment used to represent, when she was human. She scoffed at the thought, she had never been human and that was the saddest thing of all. Her entire life had been a lie.

"Is this it?" Natsu asked, leaning over her shoulder to peer into the peep-hole as though he could see into the apartment. Lucy cleared her throat and nodded, pushing aside her depressing thoughts and unlocking the door. She stepped into the entryway, her gaze scanning over the familiar furniture. To her left was a small table where she usually put her keys, and on her right, was the tiny kitchen she considered herself lucky to have. There was a couch sitting across from a small flat-screen past the kitchen, and a hallway that led to her bathroom and bedroom. She knew the scenery and she had been standing in this very spot only one day ago, but it felt like she'd been gone for weeks or months, not mere hours.

"Ooh! D'ya got any good stuff in here?" Natsu asked with child-like excitement as he rushed over to her fridge and started to dig around for food. Lucy felt a small smile cross her lips, and she rolled her eyes. She ignored the man in her kitchen and instead went to gather some clothes and her toiletries in a suitcase to take back to the guild. She changed out of Mirajane's clothes, making sure to transfer the magical key to her new pants pocket before tossing the borrowed pair into her bag to return.

Lucy stared blankly at the empty drawers and hangers. She couldn't help but wonder how her life had come to this, abandoning the life she earned all on her own. A life that had been a lie. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror hanging on her closet door, and her breath escaped her.

The visage she saw in the glass was not one she recognized as her own. She could not see her soul in the ethereal body she now possessed, her humanity was lost to her. Lucy shook her head to clear away her thoughts and packed her phone charger before grabbing the duffel and leaving. The click of her bedroom door shutting was eerily binding, and Lucy felt an irrevocable premonition that this would be the last time she saw the familiar walls of her bedroom.

When she returned to the kitchen, both Gray and Natsu were sitting on her modest dining table with bored expressions. Lucy adjusted the strap on her shoulder.

"Um, I'm done now so we can leave," She said. Natsu gave her a small smile and Gray just huffed. "Why don't ya have any good food, Lucy?"

"Some of us have to pay for school," She retorted. Her eyes widened and a curse fell from her lips. Work. School. She had responsibilities to attend to. Today was her only day off for the week, but she'd have to call in. She did not think it was a wise idea to go to work, or school, where some people knew her. They'd see the difference in her appearance immediately. Her despair returned with a vengeance, and Lucy tried to keep the two mages standing in her apartment from seeing her deteriorating emotional state.

"I don't know what I'll do about work and school now," She muttered to herself.

"Don't worry, just come work at Fairy Tail. You'd be fine," Natsu said nonchalantly. Gray shot the drakon a glare, but kept quiet. Lucy bit her lip. She would ask Makarov about it when they got back, she supposed. She was about to tell the two to get off her table when she realized they were missing a scarlet-haired woman. "Where's Erza?"

"Oh, she went after the dark guild that attacked you. They shouldn't even be this far into town anyway," Gray explained.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Lucy asked, worried about the woman. Gray and Natsu scoffed, and Gray answered, "She's one of the strongest S-Class mages in Fairy Tail, a little dark guild is nothing to her."

Lucy told herself to thank Erza when she saw her next before shepherding the two men out of her apartment. She took a moment to ingrain her home into her memory, taking note of the tears on the sofa to the peeling wallpaper. It had been her first real home, despite its many flaws.

"Oi, what's takin' so long?" Natsu complained. Lucy rolled her eyes, but turned away from her home and joined Natsu and Gray on the path to Fairy Tail.

Lucy was still panting and groaning on her spot at the bar of Fairy Tail for a few minutes after passing through the portal. Her bag was lying at her feet, and Mirajane was kind enough to bring her a glass of water and some crackers.

"Do you guys always use that thing to get around?" She asked the barmaid. Mirajane smiled and said, "Oh no, it is usually used for long distance travel, or for Natsu since he can't handle public transportation."

"Then where is this place?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, the physical building is in Magnolia, but it is heavily guarded and glamoured by powerful magic. No human or unwanted person could easily find this place." Mira answered. Lucy's eyes brightened.

"I've always wanted to visit Magnolia, but I had school in Hargeon, and it's too expensive to live on your own and be a student in such a big city as Magnolia," Lucy chirped. She'd ask if she could go sightseeing soon, that way she at least had something to do with her newfound free time. Her phone lit up on the counter and captured the blonde's attention. She eagerly picked up the charging device, happy it finally decided to turn back on. Her smile dampened when she saw no new messages or calls. Nobody had missed her. She'd been attacked and had disappeared but no one noticed. She excused herself to her room, grabbing her bag and phone cord.

Mira gazed up at the distraught blonde with concern in her eyes and turned to face the Master. He was speaking with Erza, who had come through the portal minutes after Lucy, and from what she could tell Erza had taken down a dark guild involved in Lucy's attack. The barmaid busied herself with prepping for the lunch rush to distract from her concern for Lucy.

Lucy stared out at the boisterous guild with a smile. She'd come down for dinner after moping in her room for a few hours until her stomach begged her to go eat. So, Lucy showered and got dressed, determined to make the most of her situation. The time for mourning her human life had passed, and she had to get to work learning about Fairy Tail and her new powers. Mira was kind enough to offer her a plate when she took a seat at one of the barstools, declaring it officially on her tab. When Lucy had trouble contacting her manager or her professors, Mira explained that the magic wards around the guild interfered with technology, and she'd have to leave in order to make any calls.

"Lucy, do you mind if I join you?" Levy asked, taking a seat next to the blonde, her arms full of ancient looking books. Lucy rushed to help her with the towering stack, "Go right ahead, and if you don't mind me asking, what's with the books?"

"Oh, well I finally found some references to magical keys and some ancient dialects of Fiorean gave me some clues to what kind of magic you have," Levy explained. She set out the books into different stacks and Lucy reached out to start reading the one closest to her when Levy smacked her hand away.

"Sorry! These books are pretty old and fragile, plus it's easier if I just try to translate everything for you," Levy said with an apologetic smile. Lucy nodded, understanding the fae woman's motives.

"Ah, Levy, I see you managed to find something after all, wonderful!" Makarov exclaimed, appearing seemingly out of nowhere and startling Lucy, who let out a panicked squeal at his appearance.

"Yes, Master. I believe I figured out the mystery of our newcomer's magic," Levy said, hiding her smile behind her hand. Lucy felt her cheeks flush. Makarov only grinned down at her before staring at Levy expectantly.

"I found many references to magical keys, so I tried to use Lucy's aura qualities as a filter, and found in this book," She moved one of the thicker tomes towards Lucy, "that referenced something called Celestial magic. From what I could understand, there used to be mages that could channel the power of the heavens through these keys and summon the spirits of the stars. That's when I remembered reading an old Pergrande Magic Council manuscript that mentioned this type of magic."

Lucy reached into her pocket and pulled out the key, her curiosity growing. Levy picked up another, slightly smaller, leather-bound notebook and handed it to Lucy. "This one you can look through. It references a special bloodline that was capable of summoning the spirits and mentioned other spells and magics, but they stopped their research after that."

Lucy brushed her fingers through the thick pages of the manuscript, telling herself to read it later tonight away from the prying eyes of the guild. She could feel their gazes already, and suspected some were listening in on their conversation.

"Interesting, thank you Levy. Lucy, do you think you can figure out if this key is one that can summon this spirit?" Makarov asked, twirling his mustache between his fingers. Lucy shrugged, holding the key out in front of her as if something magic would just happen if she willed it.

"I mean, I feel it pulling at my magic, I think, and I think it wants me to call it. The thing is, I don't really know exactly what to do or how to do it," She stammered. Makarov started speaking again, asking Levy if in her research, she found any references to how to summon these spirits, but Lucy stopped listening. The sounds of the guild faded in the background, as though she was underwater and everyone else was outside calling to her. The key whispered in her mind, and Lucy tried to reach down for her magic again.

The golden threads within her started to sing, and for once Lucy could understand their song:

…Leo…open the gate…

Lucy stood, drawing the attention of Levy and Makarov, and held the key out in front of her. She pulled at the strings of her magic, coaxing the light and pushing them into the key and chanted, "Open! Gate of the Lion, Leo!"

A blinding light filled the hall, and Lucy felt her magic bottom out as the key opened a gate. The light faded, and she gaped at the man standing before her outstretched hand. He was wearing a formal black suit, and had tinted sunglasses that hid his piercing green eyes. His ginger hair stuck out stylishly and she swore it appeared to form ears at the top of his head. The man smirked, and bowed.

"It's about goddamn time you figured it out," He said. Levy, and everyone else in the guild, gaped at Lucy and the stranger that had somehow appeared in the middle of their guild past the wards and spells. Makarov prepared his magic for battle, but stopped when the man leapt forwards to grab Lucy in a fierce embrace.

"Oh, how I've missed you, Princess," He crooned, nuzzling his head in her hair. Lucy stood frozen. In the back of her mind, she vaguely remembered seeing this man before, but it was stuck behind some invisible barrier just out of her reach.

"Um, do I know you?" She asked, hesitantly reaching up to return his hug. She patted him on the back, then pulled away.

"Why of course you do! I'm Leo, I've known you since you were this big," He lowered his hand to below his knee, "We all have been waiting a very long time for you to find us."

Lucy wavered on her feet as a sudden wave of exhaustion swept through her. She stumbled onto a barstool and was promptly joined by Leo, who looked at her with worry.

"Maybe we should talk another time, you've never summoned a spirit before, let alone a Zodiac," He said gently, grasping her palm within his and stroking the back of her hand affectionately.

"Excuse me, but I am the master of this guild and I believe we are due an explanation," Makarov interrupted. Behind him, Natsu and Erza stood in fighting stances, ready to defend their family. The master waved them off, but it was of no use. This man had slipped through the carefully crafted and near impervious wards around the guild and they would take no chances.

"Allow me to explain," Leo said, straightening his tie, "I am Leo, leader of the Twelve Zodiacs and the Celestial Spirits. Lucy is a Celestial Spirit mage, and she has the power to summon us from our realm to aid her in whatever way she wishes. We require only a contract in exchange for our power."

Lucy furrowed her brow, and was about to launch into a barrage of questions when Leo continued, "She's been cursed and her memories of us are blocked, but once we get that removed she should know more about what she is capable of."

"My memories?" She asked, summoning her strength and pushing away from the barstool to stand beside Leo. The lion spirit smiled at her, "Your mother wanted you to know from the beginning, but after her death we couldn't stop your father from taking us away from you and placing you under that curse that hid your true identity. I have much to explain, and I'm sure you have many questions, but summoning me so soon is too much for you now. You should close my gate and summon me in the morning so I can answer your questions." He said before leaning down to kiss her palm and disappearing in another flash of light. The tense atmosphere in the guild lessened when the man disappeared. Erza approached the master, who was staring at the place Leo had been standing pensively. Lucy took a few deep breaths, ignoring the stares from those around her. Even Levy's gaze had a tinge of fear residing within it.

"Woah, I think I need to sit down," Lucy stuttered as she stumbled back. The moment Leo disappeared, the drain on her energy stopped but it had been too late. Her energy was nearly depleted after her outburst that morning plus the drain from summoning Leo, which she was still a bit confused about. There was a cold emptiness in her heart, where the golden light of her magic had been and Lucy felt goosebumps dot her flesh and shivers wrack her body. Black spots dotted her vision and Lucy tried to call out for help but could not find the energy. Her body gave out and collapsed in a heap on the floor, drawing the attention of the guild master and those standing closest to him.

There was a flash of pink, then Natsu appeared at her side along with Levy. "Hey Luigi, don't go passing out on me again," He teased. She felt a hot hand on her shoulder, and the air around them warmed until Lucy felt like she was wrapped in a comfortable cocoon of warmth. The shivers coursing through her subsided, and the cold absence of her magic dissolved when a trickle of heat filled the empty space inside her heart. She blinked away the black spots in her vision and slowly tried to sit up.

"Lucy, you should rest-" Levy began, only to have the blonde wave away her concerns. There was a commotion, then a timid voice called through the crowd of people gathered around Lucy until a small girl with vibrant sapphire colored hair pushed past a worried Mira and the giant man from before, who was praising Lucy for her "manliness."

"Um, excuse me, I'm Wendy. Wendy Marvell," The girl stuttered, kneeling beside Natsu at Lucy's shoulder.

"I'm Lucy Hea- just Lucy." She said, cursing the slip of her tongue. She felt so safe at Fairy Tail she almost forgot to use the fake surname she'd had for the past year. She felt Natsu's hot gaze on her, and he undoubtedly noticed her mistake. She glanced over at Makarov, who was giving her an expectant look as he dispersed the crowd.

"Let me take a look at you," Wendy mumbled as she held her hands out above Lucy's chest. Lucy gasped when the girl's hands started to glow with a soft blue light and a breath of fresh air blew through her body. "Don't worry, I'm a Sky Drakon and I can use healing magic," Wendy explained. She seemed more confident now that she was using her magic and healing Lucy's exhaustion.

"You'll be alright, just used up your magic stores too fast." Wendy announced after a few moments. Lucy wrinkled her brow and asked, "Magic depletion?"

"Oh, I forgot you're new to this kind of thing," Wendy said sheepishly, "it just means your magic was used up too fast, and now you are kind of like a dead battery. You just need to rest and recharge."

Lucy nodded in understanding. She pushed off the floor, stumbling over to a stool when a wave of dizziness hit her. Levy appeared at her elbow, prepared to catch her should she faint again, and Erza ordered the eavesdropping mages to go back to minding their own business.

"I'm fine," Lucy muttered, drawing a huff from Natsu who was still standing nearby. Wendy gave her a curious look before hopping onto the seat on Lucy's right. "That's the weird thing. From what I could see and given what magic you used up today, you should have been knocked out cold but I could sense a droplet of someone else's magic energy helping to replenish your stores," she trailed off, staring over at the fidgety pink-haired drakon standing off to the side.

"Lucy, are you sure you're okay?" Ley asked, resting a comforting hand on her arm.

"I'm fine, just tired," She answered. Lucy didn't mention the pounding in her head, or the lingering warmth dancing in her heart. She stole a glance at Natsu, who was rubbing the back of his head nervously as Makarov glared at him. The old man huffed, then walked over to Lucy.

"My dear, you should get some rest and we can talk more when you've recovered," Makarov said. His stare pierced through her façade and Lucy sensed his suggestion was not a mere request.

When Lucy returned downstairs that evening, after a long and much needed nap, the guild was back with its boisterous atmosphere from the night she first arrived. More people and creatures mingled amongst the tavern, and Lucy felt a trickle of trepidation as she walked back over to the barstool she decided to claim as her own, given the fact it was the same one she'd been perched on since she arrived. She heard Cana bellowing out a challenge of a drinking contest to anyone nearby and saw Mira standing with another, younger, white-haired woman who had the same blue eyes as the barmaid.

Natsu suddenly hopped onto the seat beside the blonde with a bright greeting. He called for Mira to get him some food, then turned his attention back to Lucy, "Hey, how ya feelin?"

"Better now that I got some sleep," She answered.

"Oh, Lucy! Glad to see you back down here," Mira chirped, placing a mountain of food in front of an eager Natsu. Lucy watched in mildly disgusted awe as he began stuffing his maw with food.

"Thanks, Mirajane. I'm still pretty confused," She admitted. She shrieked when a splatter of half-chewed food smacked her cheek.

"Natsu! Watch it!" she snapped. Natsu ignored her complaints and continued eating. Mira giggled, "Don't worry about Natsu, he's a little dense. Master asked me to show you to his office whenever you woke, so if you don't mind, could you follow me?"

Mira led Lucy to a door near the staircase, giving her an encouraging smile before returning to her post at the bar. Lucy swallowed nervously and hesitantly knocked on the door. She quietly entered when she heard Makarov's voice call her in. The office was small, but filled to the brim with folders and papers.

"I'm glad you see you're up," Makarov stated, gesturing for her to sit at one of the two chairs in front of his oversized desk. "I wanted to ask if you had any interest in joining our guild," When Lucy looked confused, Makarov continued, "Centuries ago, when humans knew of magic, the Magic Council was created to deal with the wars and genocides creatures like us faced at the hands of humanity. When they decided to separate the magical world from humanity's knowledge, organizations known as guilds were formed to protect creatures and mages and grant them a home and family. We provide work and protection for creatures like you and me."

Lucy bit her lip. Her mind flashed back to Leo's words, and Lucy's gaze hardened as she made her decision. "I'll join Fairy Tail. You all have been so kind to me, and I can't go back to my old life as I am now." Makarov smiled at her response, and brought out a stack of papers for them to go through.

"Now, I don't know why you left your home in Crocus, or why you will not say your true name, but here at Fairy Tail things like that do not matter. You are family now," He said when she handed back the forms.

"I'd appreciate it if you called me Lucy Ashley for now. I don't want to go back," She said quietly. Her true identity, Lucy Heartfilia, had to stay in the past. If the wrong people found out…well Lucy did not want to think about what could happen. Thankfully, Makarov agreed with her request, understanding in his dark eyes.

It was almost midnight when Lucy finally exited the guild master's office. She walked over to Mira, taking a seat on the same stool, and asked about getting her guild stamp and possibly something to eat.

"Wonderful! I was hoping Master would ask you to join, I think we could become great friends," Levy exclaimed, having overheard Lucy's conversation with Mira.

"Alright Lucy, what color and where do you want it?" Mira asked when she emerged with a plate of food and a large stamp. Lucy hummed in thought. She glanced over at Natsu, who was causing a ruckus with a shirtless man across the dining hall. She saw the stamp on his shoulder, and on the man's chest. She turned back to Mira, held out her right hand, and told her what color. The stamp was cold against her hand, but she felt no pain as the guild mark appeared on her hand. Lucy silently wondered what kind of magic allowed the mark to stay like a tattoo but have no pain.

"Hey Natsu," Lucy called, drawing the attention of the drakon. She held out her hand, proudly displaying the pink mark and said, "I'm a part of Fairy Tail now, isn't that cool!"

Natsu scoffed and rolled his eyes before returning to his fight with the other man. Lucy pouted and angrily bit into the sandwich Mira had brought.

"I think it's cool," Levy laughed. Lucy shot her a thankful smile, and quickly munched down the food Mira made. She stayed downstairs and talked more with Levy about the guild and magic, and learned that the demi-fae specialized in Script magic. Levy even offered to lend Lucy a book on the different classes of creatures and magic before the tired blonde returned up to her room.

She collapsed on her bed, not bothering to change or put away her belongings before giving in to sleep again. She knew she'd have a busy and frustrating day tomorrow. Lucy would have to leave the wards to call the café she worked at and tell them she was quitting, and go to the school to take a leave of absence for a few semesters, if not permanently. Not only did she have to abandon her life, for the second time in her life so far, but she'd have to try and find somewhere to live in Magnolia. Lucy couldn't live in the guild forever, and she figured it would be a good idea to get her own place outside the magic barrier of the guild. And she had this new spirit, Leo, to worry about.

But Lucy pushed all her stress to the side and focused on sleeping, leaving her problems to tomorrow.

So sorry! I know I'm a day or two late, but life gets in the way sometimes! I know this chapter is a little boring, but gotta get through that exposition! I promise it'll start picking up now. I've decided to have my update days be either Fridays or Saturdays, depending on what life threw at me that week. SO keep an eye out on those two days for an update!

Loke and Wendy have been introduced! Yay! Let's see what happens next, shall we...

I want to sincerely thank all of those who have reviewed, it really is a great motivator! I hope y'all like it, and let's see if I can get 10 more reviews before next week, we can do it!