"Natsu! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lucy screamed, her throat scratchy and hoarse from the screams that already crawled out. The drakon was laughing maniacally, his hands encased in hot red flames as he leapt from building to building chasing after a dark figure weaving through the crowded streets ahead.

Lucy bit back a frustrated scream and stomped her foot. She steeled her nerves and coaxed the threads of her magic up from their slumber deep inside her chest and pushed the fibers of power out and into her skin. She relied on the instincts burning inside her and listened to their whispers, the whispers of the stars and the heavens telling her how to draw on her strength. She closed her eyes, imagining a net of power draping over her skin, enhancing her physical abilities. When she opened them, her skin was crisscrossed with golden veins of power and she squatted as she summoned her strength into her legs. She pushed off the cement sidewalk, wincing when she saw the cracks left in the concrete, and leapt up onto the nearest rooftop to chase after the wild drakon. She followed the trail of smoldering ashes, swearing to any higher power that the moment she returned to the guild he would be dead meat.

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The duo had arrived at the address listed on the job flier easily enough, and the instructions from the mustached man that greeted them were simple: take this case, which contained a priceless vase that happened to be haunted by a spirit from the Victorian age, and deliver it to his colleague in Hargeon, who would exorcise the spirit. He told them to never open the case, lest the wards and spells working against the spirit's deadly intent be nullified.

Since Hargeon was only a couple of hours away by train, Lucy decided it would be the easiest option. The job was quick and easy, and she couldn't see how it could possibly go wrong. She'd know better in the future to never even think such a phrase if Natsu was around.

When she learned of his motion sickness, she had to bite back a snicker. Of course, such a powerful mage would have motion sickness. He told her it was a part of his draconic heritage, and that every drakon- even Wendy- had trouble with transportation. While a tiny dark part of her relished in Natsu's discomfort on the train for all the annoyances he'd forced upon her since her arrival at Fairy Tail, she mostly felt sorry for him as he slumped over in his seat, blubbering and gagging the whole way to Hargeon. He'd moved so fast once the train finally stopped moving as they arrived in Hargeon that Lucy almost lost him in the crowd, were it not for the fact that he was kneeling in the middle of the station kissing the ground.

"Natsu, come on. It wasn't that bad. We're almost done," She said, poking his shoulder with the corner of the case, "I'll even buy you a reasonable amount of food once we're finished."

His head shot up at her offer, a wide and bright smile on his face. Her gaze dropped to the predatory canines poking his lips. She hadn't noticed how long and sharp his canines were before, and she wondered if he ever cut his lip on the serrated teeth. She'd learned- the hard way- that part of being a drakon was having enhanced senses, even by Fae standards. She shook her head of the embarrassing memories of conversations overheard and rolled her eyes when the pink-haired drakon pulled her out of the train station and into the familiar streets of Hargeon.

Lucy hadn't pictured being back in the small port city so soon, but the universe worked in mysterious ways. Everything was going perfectly fine until someone ran into Lucy's shoulder, causing her grip on the case to loosen the tiniest amount, opening a small opportunity for the stranger to quickly snatch the handle away from her and run off into the streets.

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Lucy snarled at the drakon when she finally caught up to him, ready to scold him for using his very noticeable magic out in the open. Erza and Mira had quickly lectured Lucy on the importance of keeping her powers and identity hidden from the human world, and Lucy had never been the type of student to forget or disregard her teacher's instructions.

"Relax, I put an illusion spell up before I left," Natsu said, giving Lucy a quick glance. She puffed out a frustrated sigh but the muscles knotted in her back relaxed when she focused on their auras to see the wisps of his illusion spell encasing the two of them and hiding their presence from the humans below.

"That still doesn't make running off all on your own okay." She huffed. Her magic thrummed in time with her heartbeat, the threads of light pulsing on her skin as they ran. She could see the dark figure that had run into her earlier just a few blocks ahead and she felt a well of hot anger boil within her. Natsu gave her a concerned glance, feeling the fury writhing inside her through her aura.

"Take a deep breath," He muttered, channeling the rare feeling of peace he achieved during battle from his aura to hers. He relaxed when he felt her anger simmer down and her magic return to her body. "Man, you really gotta learn how to keep those emotions in check."

"I'm trying my best," She snapped back. She felt a twinge of regret when she saw how Natsu's gaze hardened and his jaw clench. A part of her knew that he was only speaking from experience. She'd seen enough of his friendly brawls in the guild to know that Natsu's magic was heavily influenced by his emotions, just like hers. She could only imagine the destructive power he could wield if his temper got out of control. Lucy could almost see the inferno in her mind's eye.

Natsu's power was not something to be trifled with.

"Alright, you can just stay back and I'll get the case," Natsu ordered. His gaze was locked on the man running from them, and she swore she saw a predatory light in those dark eyes of his, and a curl at the edge of his lip. He was enjoying this, she realized. The hunt, the chase. Lucy bit back a smile, his excitement contagious.

"Sounds good to me," She replied smoothly. Lucy had no desire to try and fight the man, despite what the primal instincts inside her said otherwise. Natsu's lips parted in a devious smile and soon Lucy's face mirrored his own.

The wind running through her hair, the sounds of the humans below fading into the background, and the feeling of empty air under her feet as she leapt from building to building was addicting. An ancient part of her hummed in pleasure, relishing in the chase. Lucy made a mental note to ask Levy about the history of the Fae, and if they happened to be a hunting race.

She tossed aside her wandering thoughts the moment Natsu leaped from the edge of the roof and out onto the empty street. The thief had mistakenly strayed from the crowd, believing he could outrun the two chasing him if he could get to a more open area.

Lucy followed her partner, but kept to the shadows. Her eyes tracked every movement the thief made, from the way his knuckles tightened on the handle of the case, to the muscles that tensed in preparation for a fight.

Natsu stalked towards the thief with a snarl. Flames licked up his arms and his eyes narrowed. He stopped a few feet from the thief and waited. He was too still, Lucy thought. Natsu was uncharacteristically silent and his body was eerily still. The only movement came from the fire caressing his skin. Lucy watched, enraptured, as the thief made his second, and possibly last, mistake.

The thief ran towards the drakon with his free hand outstretched. A purple energy pulsed around the hand, and Lucy stepped forwards. Natsu only laughed, and sidestepped the thief's wide swing. The thief was relentless, and kept jabbing and slashing that magical energy blade, but Natsu easily dodged and evaded every attack. It was almost as if he could foresee the thief's attacks. Natsu's smile soon faded, and a bored expression took its place. He sighed, and thrust a flaming right uppercut into the thief's jaw, sending the man sprawling across the street. Natsu cracked his knuckles, and slowly walked towards the collapsed figure. Lucy let loose a breath she hadn't known she was holding as the drakon kicked the thief and grabbed the case from where it had landed a few feet away.

"Aww, I thought that when he stole this I'd get a good fight," Natsu whined, walking to where Lucy stood. He kicked the thief again as he strolled past, ignoring the grunt of pain from the unconscious man. He tossed the case towards her, and Lucy caught it with ease. Before, she would have never been able to catch a toss like that, but she wasn't a feeble human anymore.

The coils of magic rolling under her skin faded away and she stepped out into the street to meet Natsu halfway. "Aren't we going to arrest him or something?"

"I'll notify the council and they'll come take care of him." Natsu pushed back the stray hairs that had dropped into his face and pulled out his phone. Lucy shot a nervous glance at the crumpled form of the thief. She squeaked in surprise when one of Natsu's warm arms landed on her shoulders. She jabbed her elbow into the drakon's stomach- which he ignored as he spoke into the phone. Despite her surprise at Natsu's easily shared affection, Lucy was grateful for his nearness. The adrenaline of the chase was fading, and with it came the familiar aches of magical depletion.

"Man, that was boring, let's go and drop off this stupid case so we can get something to eat," Natsu drawled after hanging up on whoever he'd been talking to. Lucy let out a breathy laugh at his behavior.

"Sure, let's go," She said, unconsciously wrapping her free arm around Natsu's waist. She felt him tense when her hand touched his side, but soon he relaxed with another one of his dark chuckles. His grip around her shoulders tightened, almost too small for Lucy to notice. While the drakon was a pain in the ass, Lucy felt her friendship with him developing rapidly. Something about him called to her, as if he was meant to be by her side.

Ah, there you are. I've missed you, her mind seemed to whisper.

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"I've found it!" Lucy exclaimed, throwing the doors of the guild open with reckless abandon. The wood creaked in protest to her unrestrained glee and the strength that came with it. At the sound of Lucy's giddy laughs, most of the guild turned to face the demi-fae with wry smiles. Natsu turned from his moping at the bar and shot the blonde a weary smile.

"I found an apartment!" Lucy said with a laugh. She hopped onto her stool next to Natsu, ignoring his sour mood, and chatted with Mira about her new home. With the award money from the job she and Natsu finished a few days ago, Lucy could afford a small, but lavish, apartment on Strawberry Street. It was a bit farther from the guild than she would have liked, but the place was too perfect to pass on for just being a few blocks farther away. She squealed about the bathtub and overall cleanliness. Mira was happy to ooh and ahh at Lucy's gleeful description of the amenities.

"Lucy, that sounds great!" Levy said, popping up at her elbow. Lucy, not bothered by the demi-fae's sudden appearance smiled over at her friend and gushed about the window nook, which was perfect for reading. Her attention was drawn away, however, when she heard a dejected sigh from her left. She looked over at the depressed drakon, and playfully poked his shoulder.

"Maybe you could help me move in, since you're always bragging about those muscles of yours," Lucy teased. The drakon barely even lifted his head in response to her teasing jabs, and only sunk deeper into his chair with another depressed sigh.

"Ignore him, he's just moping because Happy and Charle were supposed to be back yesterday," Mira said, flicking her long white hair over her shoulder. Lucy bit her lip. From what she heard of the Exceed from Natsu, the two seemed to basically be family. Natsu talked about his friend like he was a brother, and Lucy sympathized with him. She'd been an only child growing up, but her mother's spirits- Leo and Virgo and the others- had become the closest thing to family she'd ever really known. Her father, Jude, was always a distant man but he became cold and harsh after her mother's death. Lucy knew what it was like to miss the one family member she'd ever had.

"Oh, be nice, Mira. If I had to be parted from you guys here at the guild for as long as Happy and Charle have been away, I'd be just as sad, if not more morose-" her smile widened when she saw Natsu's head perk up, "-besides, I really want to meet Happy. From what you all have told me, he seems like he could be a wonderful friend." Lucy's voice softened on the word friend. She had friends now, real, loving friends. While she'd only been at the guild for barely three weeks, her affection towards the mages of Fairy Tail had grown exponentially. Levy and Mira, and even Erza, were the closest things to sisters Lucy had ever known, and Gray was quickly becoming a dear friend. Even Natsu, with his gross eating habits and annoying tendencies towards violence, had worked his way into her heart.

"Aw, Luce, keep talkin' like that and you'll get cavities from all that sweetness," Natsu said teasingly, poking at her side. Lucy swatted his hand away, but without her usual determination. She felt pride swell in her chest. Natsu was coming out of his quiet depressed mindset and becoming his usual, cheerful self again.

"Lucy, have you made contracts with those new spirits yet?" Levy asked, her brown eyes glittering with curiosity. Lucy smiled even wider, if it was possible.

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After Levy had disappeared for two days on a mysterious job request, she returned with a new silver key in hand. She'd explained to Lucy that she'd taken a job to translate a manuscript from Ancient Fiorean, and the reward was a silver key. Levy said it was Lucy's welcome home present, and the blonde was at a loss for words when she held the silver key in her fingers. It had the imprint of a clock, and the name of the spirit floated in whispers through the air, Horologium.

Lucy had summoned the spirit the moment she got up to her room, and quickly made a contract with the clock-like creature.

In addition to the 10,000 Jewels for her first job with Natsu, they were rewarded a pristine silver key as thanks for their extra trouble with the thief. This key had a cross emblazoned on the edge, and she knew the spirit to be Crux. She'd summoned the older spirit the moment she returned to Fairy Tail and thankfully he too wanted a contract with her. From him, she'd been learning even more about Celestial Spirit magic. Crux could search for information on celestial spirits and celestial magic, and Lucy had plenty of questions for her newest friend.

He'd told her of the mystical Twelve Zodiac, which Leo was the head of, and the power of the Stardress that could harness the Zodiac's power directly into the Celestial Mage's body. Lucy was thrilled, and couldn't wait to find more of the Zodiac keys. Sadly, that meant she would have to return to Heartfilia Manor, where Leo told her three more Zodiac keys were hidden.

Lucy hadn't shared her secret plans to return to Crocus with anyone else in the guild, too afraid they would try to come with her. She knew she had to face her father on her own. He hadn't searched for her in the two years since she ran away, so she hoped the trip wouldn't be as grueling as it could be.

As though sensing the change in Lucy's mood, Natsu's dark eyes turned to her, a question in his gaze. She shrugged away his concern, turning back to Levy to talk about her discoveries with Crux. Natsu was strangely in-tune with her moods and her magic. Most times he would know when she was about to have a glowing meltdown before she did. While Lucy's magical outbursts were now few and far between, decreasing over time, she still had some minor magical explosions when her emotions got carried away. Whenever one of those moods struck, Natsu was already at her side, his very presence calming her down.

Perhaps it was because he was the one to bring her to Fairy Tail, and the one to break her cursed locket- which she was still quietly fuming about- but Natsu and Lucy were becoming closer and closer with each passing day.

Suddenly, the drakon shot up out of his seat, startling the gaggling girls next to him, his nostrils flared and he stared over at the guild doors with such an intense look in his eyes Lucy swore the wood would start smoking at any minute. His nostrils flared, and a bright smile parted his lips. Soft white light shone from under the guild doors, and then they slammed open, the light blinding those inside. Her ears popped and the hairs at the nape of her neck stood on end as the portal opened.

"Happy!" Natsu shouted, tossing aside chairs and tables and running towards the front doors the minute they closed and the light faded. Lucy was still blinking away the spots in her vision, but she could see flashes of blue and white darting in the air above the tables.

"Charle!" Wendy's soft voice called, and the wind drakon shot past the bar and leapt up to catch a floating orb of white fur into a tight embrace.

"Natsu! I'm back!" The blue cat said. The cat spoke. Lucy's brain took a moment to put the voice of the blue, the blue, cat with his body. She quickly shook away her disbelief. She knew Happy and Charle were talking, flying cats, but seeing it in person was a different story.

Happy was nuzzling into Natsu's chest, relaying his adventures with his family, and Wendy questioned her own Exceed about her journey. Lucy noted that the female Exceed was not as elaborate and excited with her responses, but the blonde saw love for the air drakon twinkling in her blue eyes.

"Finally, I thought we'd have to deal with a moody fire drakon forever," Levy muttered. Mira giggled and disappeared into the kitchens to get some fish for the cats. Lucy stared at the tender scene with warmth blooming in her chest. She hadn't seen either of the drakons look so happy before, and she hoped she would see more of their happiness.

The whole guild relaxed after the Exceeds flew through the portal, and Lucy noticed Wakaba staring over at Natsu, his normally tense shoulders relaxed. Puzzled, Lucy turned to Levy and asked, "Why is everyone so scared of Natsu?"

Unbeknownst to the blonde, Natsu stopped listening to Happy when he heard her question and his focus instead turned to Lucy.

"Well, as you know, Natsu has a bad habit of losing his temper and wreaking destruction. He's always had trouble controlling his fire, sometimes he'll accidentally burn someone pretty bad. The last time Happy was gone he almost destroyed the entire guild and no one could get close to him without his fuse going off," The demi-fae whispered. Lucy pursed her lips and glanced back over at the fire drakon, neither noticing how his ears were tuned to their conversation.

"Although, since you've gotten here, he hasn't been as temperamental. I wonder if that's cause he has someone else to tease," Levy trailed off. Lucy huffed. "I don't see what the big deal is. He's perfectly normal to me. Sure, he has a habit of burning things and tends to be more violent, but when I first got here I kept destroying things and accidentally hurting people and Natsu was the only one that didn't give me a pitying look or coddle me."

"Hmm, yea you two do see pretty close," Levy said, the corner of her mouth curling up. Lucy was too busy staring over at Natsu and Happy to notice the gleam in the demi-fae's eyes. He was bouncing with energy as he whispered to his Exceed, then he bounded over to Lucy with Happy floating on magical white wings behind him.

"Luce, I want you to meet Happy!" He said brightly. Lucy rose from her stool and extended a hand towards the floating Exceed, who looked at her warily. "Happy, this is Lucy. She's new, and she's gonna be our partner."

The Exceed relaxed a bit and flew into Lucy's arms and nuzzled into her chest. Lucy giggled at the shock on Natsu's face.

"Hi Lusheee!" Happy said, his voice muffled by her breasts. Lucy felt a blush dust her cheeks and she pushed him away and took a step back. "It's nice to meet you."

"So, you're gonna be a part of our team?" Happy asked, floating between her and Natsu. Natsu's eyes narrowed slightly and his nostrils flared at Happy's question, Levy sucked in a harsh breath, and even Erza appeared to stiffen. Lucy, who didn't know why everyone was looking at her so intensely, automatically replied, "Of course, I'd love to be on a team with you and Natsu."

The drakon stared down at Lucy with wide eyes, his mouth agape. Levy was the first to start laughing. It started as a quiet giggle, then a loud echoing laugh. Soon even Erza was giggling along with the roaring laughter echoing in the guild hall. Lucy's lips parted in shock at the guild's reaction and she turned to Natsu, who was sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck with a light blush flushing his cheeks.

"Why is everyone laughing?" She asked, edging closer to the fire drakon. Even Happy looked amused from his perch above the crowd.

"Well, in guilds makin' a team is super important. Cause your teammates go on jobs with you and you have to trust and rely on each other," Natsu said, continuing with a sad smile. "And I've never had a teammate before cause everyone thinks I'm too destructive and out of control."

"That's terrible! I loved going on a job with you," Lucy whispered, drawing a shrug from the man beside her. "That's how it is. I can't say I blame 'em."

Lucy tittered her disapproval. She nudged Natsu with her elbow and smiled up at him as she said, "I'd honestly love to be on a team with you and Happy. I think it'd be fun. After all, it's always more fun when we're together."

Natsu gazed down into her golden-brown eyes, an untraceable emotion welling in his deep green eyes. Soon a bright grin lit his face and he threw an arm over her shoulder with a laugh that shook his whole body.

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"Oi, aren't we gonna kill some fairies tonight?" A deep voice rumbled in the darkness of the bar. A man glared over at his partner and rolled his eyes.

"'Course we are. Just be patient," He said, taking a long swig from his pint. The man reclined in his seat, tossing his long black hair over his shoulder and away from his eyes. He tightened the bandana around his forehead and glared over at his companion once again.

"I'm just sayin' that the Master personally gave us this job. I've been itchin' to go out and spill some dirty fairy blood." The partner growled. The long-haired man bared his teeth and snarled at his partner and leaned closer to growl, "I know damn well what the Master wants, don't you question me you maggot. The girl will be ours and we'll have our war."

The cloaked partner lowered his hooded head and the long-haired man leaned back once again and said,"Don't ya worry. Tonight's the night. I've got the perfect targets. Small, weak, easy pickin'."

The partner peeled back his black hood, revealing a heavily scarred face that would send any sane man running. The man smiled, but the lack of the right side of his lips made it look like he was scowling. The long-haired man grimaced, then downed the rest of his beer, a trickle of the golden liquid spilling down his chin and dripping his shirt.

"Come on now, we've got some fairies to hunt," He said with a dark smile.

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The long-haired man waited patiently with his companion in the darkened alley way. He looked at the watch on his wrist and smiled.

"Any minute now. The target's three fairies, two males and one female. The chick's got blue hair. We beat em, take em to the square and string em up. Got it?" The man said to the cloaked companion.

"Master said to kill em." He protested. The long-haired man growled and slammed his partner into the hard brick wall.

"I said, we string em up. If they're dead when the fairies finally find them, doesn't make a difference. But if that bastard finds em while they're still breathing? He'll be furious. And that makes for a damn good fight," He said through gritted teeth. The partner nodded, and the leader tossed him to the side.

"Come on, we've got work to do."

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Lucy was sitting peacefully before the broad dark wooden desk, staring so intensely at the shining screen of her laptop she swore her gaze would burn holes through the glass and metal. She'd been sitting in the uncomfortable desk chair for hours now, determined to write more in her novel and so far, she'd only written barely half a page. She'd finished moving into her new home a few days ago, thanks to help from Natsu and Gray, and decided to spend her free time working on a new novel idea. At the time, it seemed like a wonderful idea. Now, she wasn't so sure.

Her phone buzzed loudly from its spot next to her computer, and Lucy welcomed the distraction. She picked it up and saw a text from Natsu asking if she was coming to the guild in the morning so they could pick another job to take now that Happy was back. A small smile crossed her lips at his question. Now that she and Natsu decided to officially become a team, he'd been itching to take another job, not that she was opposed. The downside of her fancy new flat was the steep monthly fare. Lucy quickly typed that yes, she was going to the guild in the morning and yes, they could take another job. She set the phone aside again and turned her attention back to the blank screen in front of her.

Cursing, the blonde violently pushed against the desk, sending the rolling chair- with her still sitting inside of it- hurtling across the smooth hardwood floors of her apartment. A wheel of the chair caught on the foot of her rug causing the chair to tip and sending Lucy toppling across the floor. Another foul string of curses fell from her lips as she pushed up and pulled the desk chair upright. Ignoring the flickering cursor on her laptop, she stomped into her kitchenette and pulled down one of her cream-colored ceramic mugs. Tea. Tea would calm her down. Whenever she felt sad or angry as a child, her mother would take her down to the estate kitchens and make her a pot of soothing chamomile tea with honey herself. Unfortunately, the once happy memory with her mother was now tainted by the truth of her father's cruelty and betrayal.

Lucy slammed the mug down onto the counter, accidentally breaking the stoneware and sending sharp shards flying across the kitchen. Sighing, she swept the sharp pieces aside and pulled down another mug. One thing she'd learned since changing into a demi-fae was to have plenty of backups for everything. She never knew when she'd lose control of her strength and shatter something. Today it happened to be one of the cheap mugs from the dollar store down the street. She put the kettle on the stove to boil and quickly swept up the broken pieces of the mug while she waited.

The sound of her phone ringing interrupted the blonde's cleanup and caused Lucy to put the dustpan to the side and hurry over to her desk, where the device was laying. She darted down the hallway, into her makeshift office and answered it just in the nick of time with a breathy greeting.

"Hey Luce, I'm on my way to your place right now. I need you to stop whatever you're doing and summon Loke." Natsu's voice crackled, his tone strangely serious.

"Natsu? Is something wrong?" She asked, a cold trickle of fear dripping down her spine. She heard him growl angrily on the other side of the phone. "Natsu, tell me what's going on."

"Levy and her team were attacked. By a rival guild. It's bad." He stated, his voice clipped and on edge. Lucy sucked in a breath and stumbled, catching herself on the corner of the desk.

"Is Levy okay? Where are they? Who did this? Should I head over to the guild and-" She started, only to have him interrupt her, "No! Lucy, I need you to stay where you are. You're too far from the guild now, but I'll be there in a few minutes. I need you to wait for me," His voice demanded.

Lucy nodded, mumbling her assent. Natsu was right. She should stay in her apartment and wait for him. After all, the only key she had that could be used to fight was Loke and he drained her magic power too much to be summoned for too long.

"Okay. I'll wait," She said. Natsu's sigh of relief was loud enough for her to hear. He started to speak again when Lucy heard a noise in her kitchen, a high-pitched grinding most likely due to someone stepping on a piece of her broken mug. Her body tensed and she looked out at the dark doorway and towards the kitchen. She shakily walked away from the open door, her breath coming out in panicked pants. She collapsed against her bookshelf and pulled the largest book she had in her collection, an old Classic Literature textbook, and held it up above her head. She tucked the phone in between her cheek and her shoulder and reached into her pocket with her other hand but cursed when her fingers met only dust mites and lint. Her keys were in her damned bedroom halfway down the main hall, lying on her nightstand.

"Lucy? Lucy what's wrong?" Natsu's voice called, snapping her back to reality.

"There's someone in my apartment," She whispered, her voice barely audible even to her own ears. She heard him cursing over the phone and she summoned her courage and slowly crept over to the doorway, her book still held above her, ready to strike at the intruder at any moment. She sucked in a breath and leaned over to peer past the doorway and down the dark hallway. But before she could look, she heard soft footsteps entering the hallway and she quickly slammed the door closed and clicked the lock shut. Natsu's voice yelled at her through her phone, but Lucy dropped the device in favor of having both of her hands free to fight.

She still vaguely heard Natsu's muffled voice calling her name from the other line and it helped calm her racing heart. She took a deep calming breath and reached down for her magic. She summoned the same power she'd used on her first job last week, the golden threads of light wrapping around her body. Her gaze sharpened and she tightened her grip on the book in her hands. Adrenaline mixed with the trickle of magic flowing through her veins, gifting her with even more strength and focus. She saw the shadow of someone's feet stop in front of the door, and Lucy felt a snarl building in her chest. The rumbling growl caught in her throat when she heard three polite knocks on the door.

"Miss Heartfilia? I've been sent to fetch you," A lilting feminine voice called through the door. Lucy bared her teeth, determined not to say anything to the intruder. The voice called her name again, but she remained rooted to the spot. Her magic swirled inside her and bubbled in anger, as if it knew she was in danger. The power seeped through her pores and the soft golden glow she knew to be her magic filled the room, lighting the darkened corners the light from her small desk lamp couldn't reach.

"You give me no choice then," The voice said again. Lucy prepared herself, her eyes locked on the doorknob and the lock. The sound of rushing water filled the air and Lucy's brow wrinkled in confusion. Slowly, water seeped under the door and pooled in the office as if the liquid had a mind of its own.

Where was the water coming from?

She realized it was magic too late. She realized she was trapped too late. She realized she'd never said goodbye to Natsu or her friends at Fairy Tail until it was too late. She realized she should've tried to break her window and escape unscathed too late.

The pool of water swirled up in a vortex and formed into the body of a heavily clothed woman with curling blue hair. She wore a thick blue coat lined with white fur and heavy boots. Lucy decided she would question the woman's odd wardrobe choices later, when she wasn't being attacked or possibly kidnapped. With a wild war cry that even Natsu would be proud of, she threw the book at the woman with all of her newfound strength, pouring her magic into the muscles of her arm.

The paper and leather passed through the woman's body-which turned to water the moment the object came hurtling towards her, and smashed through the closed door behind the intruder. She heard the loud thud as the book few across the hall and smacked uselessly against her front door. Lucy felt the blood drain from her face, but she lowered into a fighting stance anyway. She snarled at the woman, who looked at her with a bored expression.

"Juvia was sent to get two things: the Heartfilia girl and her keys." The woman lifted a gloved hand, and pinched between two fingers was Lucy's keyring. Pure unadulterated hatred swarmed her thoughts, her vision turned red and Lucy screamed at the woman and charged forwards, one hand thrusting out for her keys and the other formed a fist to punch the intruder in the face. She was inches away from grabbing the keyring, her fingertips brushing against the cool metal, before she was slammed back by a wall of cold water.

Sputtering, she readied to charge again when the water pooled around her feet started climbing up her body. Lucy cursed and screamed as more and more water surrounded her. She thrashed and fought against the chilling waves, but it conformed tightly against her body until she could no longer move.

Nevertheless, she persisted.

She thrashed as the water reached her chest, writhed when it reached her neck, and screamed when it tickled her chin. Panicked, she quickly drew in a large breath as the magical water wrapped around her head, trapping her in a floating orb.

Lucy grimaced and tried to swim up towards the edge of the orb, but couldn't breach the surface. She smacked her hands against the invisible barrier blocking her from escape to no avail. Her lungs burned and her muscles shook with effort as she tried to push out of the water. The network of golden threads crisscrossing her skin flickered and faded along with the power dwelling in her veins. With a sob, she sank to the middle of the orb and clutched at her throat.

The hot burning in her lungs was growing too much to bear. She fought against the urge to breathe, but her body ultimately gave in to the temptation. She needed air, she had to breathe. She gasped and opened her mouth, desperate for any air, but all that filled her lungs was that damned water. Gaping, Lucy choked and shuddered as her body began to shut down from the lack of oxygen. Black spots littered her vision and soon her world went to black, the whistle of her kettle starting to boil ringing in her ears.

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I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! As always, please leave a review letting me know how you felt, and favorite! Thanks for reading!

PSA this particular chapter is UNBETA'D so I'd appreciate the forgiveness of any awkward sentences or mistakes!