The towering wrought iron gates loomed over her, seemingly more intimidating than the last time she saw them, years ago. Lucy Heartfilia swallowed past the lump in her throat, her knuckles turning stark white against the dark leather of her bag in her hand.

She swore she would never return to this wretched place, but now here she was, breaking her vow. She stepped up to the screen off to the side of the gates, attached to the brick walls, and pressed the "call" button. A light turned green, then the screen lit up, revealing the familiar face of the Chief of Staff at the manor, Miss Spetto.

The stout, dark haired woman had aged severely, her hair streaked with gray and wrinkles creasing her once smooth skin. The woman's eyes widened when she saw Lucy through the camera, and before she had a chance to say anything Lucy announced, "I am Lucy Heartfilia, and I have come to see my father."

-ooooo-

"Papa, where's mama going?" The little girl asked, watching as the men carried the coffin containing her mother's body into the dark mausoleum. Her father glared down at her and sneered, ignoring her question. Instead, he walked into the mausoleum and disappeared into the shadows.

The girl wanted to follow her father, but the stone building was dark and scary, and strange sounds echoed from within the stony depths. Miss Spetto, the household maid, placed her hands on the girl's shoulders and guided her away and into the town car loitering at the gates of the cemetery.

"Miss Spetto, why is mama in that box?" The girl asked. She was too young to notice the way the maid wiped away a stray tear and hid her sorrow behind a wavering smile, too weak to fool anyone but a small child.

"Mrs. Heartfilia is in the heavens now, dancing among the stars," The woman answered. The girl tilted her head up towards the blushing sky, filled with the reds and oranges of the setting sun.

"I want to dance in the stars with mama. I can't hear my friends anymore," The girl murmured. Before she could ask about why her friends in the sky had left her, the girl's face went blank. She blinked, then looked back up at the maid and said, "Are we having chicken noodle soup for dinner?"

Spetto frowned and gently stroked the girl's hair, unable to catch the tears that fell from her eyes.

"Miss Spetto! Why are you crying?" The girl asked, tugging at the woman's coat in concern. Spetto just wiped away the tears and pushed the girl into the back of the car.

"I'm so sorry for what he did to you, Lucy," She said quietly before shutting the car door, leaving the girl alone in the dark.

-ooooo-

Lucy was greeted by the staff in the parlor, each of her old friends exchanging heartfelt greetings. She tried to return their enthusiasm for her return, but could only muster a tense smile. She was then told to go to her room to change into more appropriate clothing and to await her father's summons.

The familiar surroundings brought only pain. Now that she remembered her true past, Lucy kept seeing glimpses of her mother from her memories as she walked through the massive house. When she entered her old room, the memories of her father's torment returned with full force, sending her crumpling to her knees.

The canopy bed was in the same spot against the wall, and the great windows overlooking the gardens were crowded with stacks of books and stuffed animals. Shivering, Lucy pounded her fists against the tiled floor in the hopes that the pain would return her to the present and help keep the panic attacks at bay.

Shuddering, she rose to her feet and stumbled on shaky legs to her closet. When she opened the double doors leading into the room, her breath left with a silent gasp. Instead of the old clothes she'd abandoned when she ran away, the closet was filled to the brim with modern designer clothes that looked to be her current size.

A hot tear rolled down her cheek. She was a fool to think she could ever be truly free from Jude's influence. He must have had eyes on her from the beginning, how else would he have known that she'd joined Fairy Tail, or known what size clothes to buy.

-ooooo-

"Oi, Luce, are ya sure you don't want Happy and me to stay with ya?" Natsu asked, running a hand through his pink locks. Lucy smiled at him, grateful for his concern.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," She said, wishing her voice didn't shake when she spoke. Natsu just raised a disbelieving brow, accusing her with his eyes.

"Okay so yes, I'm a little nervous since the last time I was here I was kidnapped, but that's in the past now and I have to get over it. This is my home. Fairy Tail is my home," She said, glancing around the familiar layout of her apartment and consciously deciding to push past her fears.

"If you say so," He said with a shrug.

"I do say so, now get going. I have some sleeping to do," She said, pushing him towards her front door. Despite her best efforts, and her considerable new strength, Natsu barely budged an inch. Groaning, she doubled her efforts, trying to get the man to leave her apartment to no avail.

She stopped, taking a deep breath when her ribs ached painfully from the exertion. Natsu just stared down at her with an unidentifiable intensity in his gaze. She felt her cheeks flush and she nervously pushed her hair behind her ear, only for a few stray strands to fall back into her face.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" She asked, bringing a hand up to pat at her cheeks. Natsu just tilted his head, then pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. She made a surprised sound in her throat, but relaxed into the embrace. She wrapped her arms around his torso, one hand absentmindedly ruffling the soft hair at the nape of his neck.

"You're gonna be safe now. No more disappearing," He whispered, his breath tickling her ear. Lucy just nuzzled into the crook of his neck, hoping he couldn't feel her guilt. Natsu nosed her hair, then stepped back and said with a bright smile, "I'll see ya tomorrow!"

He bounded through the door, and she was grateful for his speedy retreat. Lucy knew she couldn't muster the strength to try and smile. She lowered her head and rubbed her temple.

"Sorry, Natsu. I'm afraid I'll have to disappear just one more time," She whispered into the empty air.

-ooooo-

Lucy smoothed the silky fabric of her billowing skirt, wrinkling her nose in disdain. None of the skirts in her closet were shorter than knee-length, and all the shirts had high collars. Sighing, she pulled at the tight collar around her neck and waited for one of the servants to escort her to see her father. She made sure to tie her keys to a garter around her thigh, something she had brought with her specifically for that reason. Wringing her hands together, she focused on the task at hand and tried to find the words to say to her father when she finally saw him. She had too many questions that needed answering, like what his magical creature heritage was, and Layla's.

There was a knock at the door, followed by Miss Spetto's voice calling through the wood, announcing that her father would see her now. Lucy took a deep breath to calm her nerves, which did not work that well, and opened the door.

Her father was seated in his oversized office chair, behind a desk full of papers and folders. He continued to write on a stack of forms for a few moments, not even acknowledging her presence. She could feel her body tense and her heart thudding heavily in her chest. Her magic thrummed to the surface of her skin in reaction to her emotional turmoil, and her skin started tingle and glow. Cursing under her breath, Lucy focused on making her skin return to normal, hoping her father hadn't noticed the brief shine.

Luckily for her, he still hadn't glanced up from his paperwork. She narrowed her eyes and tried not to scowl. She was only moderately successful. It appears nothing had changed. He would work diligently and silently in his office, leaving Lucy locked in a huge house with nothing to do and no one to talk to.

"I see you have decided to return from your foolish 'adventure' in the world," Her father finally said, his tone full of contempt. She inhaled sharply, but before she could respond he said, "I have found a suitable match for you that will greatly benefit the company."

He talked of marriage like it was a business contract and he still had not looked up from his desk. Nothing had changed, he was still the cruel man from her childhood.

"Why did you erase my memories?" She asked. Lucy had come to see Jude for answers about her past and her mother, nothing more. If she had to play dress-up just to get an audience with him, so be it. But she would not stand idly by while he tried to sell her like some prized heifer to the highest bidder.

"You were an unruly child, but that doesn't matter now." He finally looked up from his desk, looking her up and down with a stern gaze, his eyes narrowing when he saw her pointed ears and the golden flakes of light in her eyes.

"The Heartfilia family has fae ancestry, but that world is not for you or me anymore. The human world is much more suited to my family. Our blood is thinned and tainted," He sneered, his glare intense enough to make Lucy feel like it burned her skin.

"What do you mean tainted?" She asked quietly, clenching her fists at her side, not noticing the heat emanating from her body.

"None of that matters now. All you need to know is that you are to marry the eldest son of the Straight family next week," He said brusquely.

"Next week? You expect me to marry someone I don't even know?" She exclaimed in disbelief, her fists starting to glow with a golden light. Her father just glowered at her, his gaze flitting to her flickering hands.

"If you keep trying to rebel like an immature child, I can always make sure that silly guild you joined is destroyed for good this time." He threatened. Lucy's vision went white. Memories of Levy's broken body and Erza standing before the great Jupiter canon filled her head, and her wounds from Gajeel's abuse started to ache.

A blast of heat and light exploded from her chest, sending the papers on the desk flying and bursting into flames from the heat. She radiated pure light and bursts of pure magical energy flared from her skin, burning everything they touched.

"You will never hurt my family ever again!" She screamed at her father, who was frozen in his chair with a horrified expression. Lucy clenched her teeth and reeled her magic back in, smiling when the ropes of energy responded and dissolved away. She really was getting better at controlling her magical outbursts, and a flash of pride filled her.

"Listen to me very closely. You are the one who misunderstands. I am not here to 'return to the family,' I want nothing to do with you ever again. I am here because I was lied to and abused for my entire life and I want answers. If you won't tell me what happened to mom, or what I am, I'll just have to find out on my own," she took a few steps forward, her eyes smoldering with blazing glory.

"You stole my memories, stole my heritage, and nearly beat me to death! You kept me locked away in the cursed house and never once treated me like a human being. You hunted me down like a dog and tried to kidnap me all for a business deal! You tried to have my new family killed, and I was nearly killed by that bastard you hired to do the job, but I don't think that matters to you, I was never anything but a tool for you to use whenever you wanted." She spat, an aura of light hovering above her skin. She grimaced and shook her head.

"I'll ask you once: what happened to my mother and what am I?" She asked, glaring down at the man she used to call father. Jude sneered and slowly rose from his seat.

"You are nothing but a mistake that killed your mother. Because she gave birth to you, she died. You are a monster, something not meant to exist in this world. You may have my blood but you will never be a true Heartfilia as long as that cursed starlight is flowing through your veins," He hissed. Lucy took a step back in shock. She had never seen anyone look at her with such hatred before. Tears filled her eyes and she bit her lip.

"You were never a father to me, you aren't even capable of loving anyone anymore. I'm leaving, and if you ever so much as think about coming after me or my family again, I will kill you," She swore. She placed her hand on the garter around her thigh beneath her skirt and mentally called for Leo.

There was a shine of golden light and the clamoring of bells, then Leo appeared at her side, his arms crossed and a deep growl rumbling from his chest. He snarled and glared at the man standing behind the desk.

"Hello again, Jude," He growled with a glare. Jude blinked and stumbled a step backwards in shock.

"I have a family now, and they will protect me just as fiercely as I will protect them. I never want to see you ever again, you aren't a father to me," She said, turning with a flourish of her billowing skirt and stalking out of the room, slamming the door hard enough for the wood to splinter and the walls to shake. Leo followed her down the hall back to her old room, choosing to remain silent while she fumed.

The moment her bedroom door closed behind her, the tears that had been building started to fall and she clutched her face as her cries shook her body. Leo came up behind her and pulled her in for a warm hug, murmuring comforts in her ear and rubbing her back until she calmed down.

"Let's find those keys and get the hell out of here," She sniffled. Leo placed his chin on the top of her head and hummed in agreement. Lucy quickly gathered the few things she'd brought with her, changed back into her normal clothes, and snagged a few childhood mementos from her dresser. She grabbed a photo of her mother that she'd left the first time she fled from the manor and gently placed it in her bag.

"Let's find those keys," She stated, strutting from her old room with her friend at her side.

The first place they went was her mother's old studio. The room hadn't been disturbed in years, not even Jude returning after Layla's death. Lucy ran her finger across the old paintings and supplies scattered through the room, the dust tickling her nose. Leo strode over to where a large canvas was propped up against the wall with a tarp covering it.

"This was the last thing your mother ever painted," He whispered, gently pulling at the tarp to reveal the painting. Lucy walked up to the canvas, her mouth dropping open in awe. It was an image of her, as a young woman, surrounded by shimmering aura of light and floating in space.

"How did she know what I would look like?" Lucy asked. Leo smiled sadly and said, "Because of your mother's connection to the stars above, she would sometimes be gifted with visions."

Lucy stroked the painting, marveling at the vivid colors and thick brushstrokes. She looked like a star up in the sky, shining bright and bringing light to those on earth. Her father's words combined with the reading she and Levy had done into her magic started gears of thought to turn in her head.

"…cursed starlight" …. heavenly magic…

"Leo," she started, tugging firmly at his sleeve while she stared at the painting and pausing for a moment before asking, "am I a literal star?"

Leo smiled and nodded, his shoulders sagging in relief. He looked like a burden had just been lifted off his shoulders.

"You are indeed a child of the stars. I would have told you earlier but your mother ordered all of us to stay silent until you figured it out for yourself," he explained. She gaped in shock and asked, "How is that even possible? Stars are balls of burning gas in the sky."

"Well, stars have souls, and when a star falls to earth, it becomes something called a Starchild. Your grandmother, Anna, was a pure fallen star, and her starlight has been passed down to you. It is because you were born from a star that you can summon the Celestial spirits. I guess you could say we're your distant cousins," Leo laughed.

"So, I'm like, part of a star?" She asked incredulously, running a hand through her hair.

"Yes and no, it's complicated. When a Starchild gives birth to a daughter, she gives her daughter all her starlight," Leo answered. He paused, biting his lip nervously.

"It means that if a Starchild has a daughter, the mother is drained of energy as her child grows, eventually dying. Starlight is what keeps a star alive on Earth, and it can be stolen," he explained. Lucy tensed.

"You mean, my mother died because of me?" She stuttered. Leo grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look deep into his eyes.

"Listen to me, Lucy. Your mother loved you so much. She wanted you so badly that she didn't care if she would die for you, she saw it as an honorable sacrifice to be able to have you," Leo said, his eyes darkening. "If she wasn't wounded from before, she would have lived another decade, until you reached magical maturity."

Lucy's brow furrowed in confusion.

"It's a long story, that I'll explain once we're back at Fairy Tail, but the short version is that your mother had some of her starlight stolen before you were born, and now that you've matured, the starlight has returned to you and that man will be searching for you to steal it back." Leo said darkly. Lucy bit her lip, but nodded slowly. She trusted Leo to explain, and it seemed like something to share with her friends at Fairy Tail.

"Fine, I'll wait. Let's hurry back," She said. Leo smiled, his shoulders sagging in relief. He nodded over to the table with her mother's tools. Lucy walked over to the table, and as she approached she could feel a familiar string pulling at her heart and connecting to a silver box sitting next to a paint palette. Entranced, she reached over and touched the box, which clicked open when her skin met the cool metal just like when she found Leo's key.

She pulled the box closer and smiled down at the two shimmering golden keys gently placed inside. She heard the whispering of voices in her head chime happily when she picked up the keys and attached them to her keyring.

"Sagittarius and Cancer," She murmured, the keys warming in her palm when she spoke their names. Her lips parted in a brilliant smile and she almost forgot about where she was.

"Let's hurry, before my father decides to do something stupid," She said, pulling Leo out of the studio with a last glance over at the paintings scattered through the studio. When Lucy closed the door, she said goodbye to her mother and the memories of the house from her childhood.

"I think I know where the other keys are," Lucy said as they walked out of the front door of the manor, after saying a quick goodbye to the staff. She could feel another string of magic pulling her away from the house, and immediately knew where the other keys were hidden.

When they finally reached the Heartfilia graveyard located at the edge of the grounds, the sun had sunk low in the sky. Lucy could feel the drain of having Leo present for so long, but it wasn't as bad as it used to be. She could probably keep him summoned for a few more hours at this rate.

"Hey mama," Lucy said, her voice catching in her throat. She knelt in the soft grass in front of her mother's gravestone, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears. She reached out and placed a hand against the cool stone, her fingers tracing the letters engraved in the tombstone:

Layla Heartfilia,

beloved mother and wife.

From the stars she fell, and to the stars she will return.

Her mother's grave was elegant and simple. Smooth black stone sloped gently upwards and curved at the top from a thick base with silver constellations adorning the rounded top of the gravestone.

"I'm sorry I haven't visited in a while, I had to leave him. But I'm back now, and I brought Leo. I'm finally learning about our magic and I've made some great new friends," her voice cracked and she quickly wiped away a stray tear.

"You'd love them. I really wish you were here with me, mama," She cried, her fingers curling against the stone. A flare of magic crackled through the stone and shot up her arm. Lucy jerked back in shock, and watched in awe as the largest star at the center of the gravestone began to glow.

The star slowly inched out away from the gravestone and revealed a small hidden compartment in the stone. Lucy reached past the stone star, which was still glowing, and pulled out a linen parcel. The star dimmed and returned to its spot in the stone.

Lucy slowly unwrapped the fabric and revealed two more golden keys, Virgo and Aquarius. One warmed gently when she picked it up and she could feel a gentle presence in her mind. The other, pulsed with a burning heat when Lucy tried to pick it up, scorching her skin. Lucy yelped and dropped the key, wincing at the angry buzzing that filled her head.

"Aquarius has never been the nicest," Leo chuckled. She just rolled her eyes and grabbed the key again, refusing to let it go even as it burned her flesh.

"I remember you," She said softly, smiling down at the key. The angry presence calmed and the key cooled down to a low simmer. Lucy happily placed the two new keys on her keyring and said, "I'll summon all of you when I get back home."

Home. The word never held so much meaning before. Her "home" had always been wherever she was at the time, never a fixed place with people who loved her. Smiling, she linked her arm with Leo's and together they walked out of the private cemetery.

Right as she walked through the wrought iron gates of the manor, a blur of blue fur flew straight into her chest and knocked her to the ground.

"Luuuuuuushhhhiiiiii!" Happy cried, nuzzling into her chest. She gasped in surprise, wondering how he managed to find her.

"Happy? What are you doing here?" She asked, clutching him in one arm and holding the other out for Leo to grab so he could help her back to her feet.

"Levy found out where you lived and Erza brought us here!" He exclaimed.

"Us?" Lucy asked, looking up to see some of her friends running up the long driveway. The light from the sun glinted against Erza's armor, and she could see Natsu's pink hair bouncing as he ran towards her. She spotted a shirtless Gray jogging behind the other two.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked as they grew closer. Erza slowed and stopped in front of Lucy, pulling the blonde in for a painful embrace against her armored chest.

"We were worried about you when you disappeared," the Valkyrie said. Lucy pulled away from Erza's tight grip and let Happy fly out of her arms, the poor Exceed was almost crushed to death between her and Erza.

"You guys didn't have to come after me, I was gonna come back," She said with a smile. Natsu hovered off to the side, his arms crossed and brow drawn down over his eyes. Gulping, Lucy instead chose to greet Gray as he reached the group.

"We're your family now, and family doesn't run off to the man that tried to kidnap you all on your own," Gray grumbled, slinging an arm around her shoulders and rubbing his free hand through her hair, creating a bird's nest at the top of her head. She swatted away his hands and tried to tame her tangled locks.

"I had to do this on my own," She said. Gray nodded, and Lucy knew that he understood why she'd left on her own, unlike the others.

"Still, we should've come with you. You're still injured, and this man hired Phantom Lord to kidnap you," Erza stated firmly. Lucy resisted the urge to cower like a frightened school girl being scolded by her teacher.

"I'm sorry for making you all worry, but I'm fine," She said, glancing over at Natsu, who hadn't said anything or moved. The drakon glared at her, smoke curling from his nostrils. Lucy bit her lip and cautiously approached him, an apology in her eyes.

"Natsu, I'm sorry for leaving you," she said softly. She really did feel guilty for not telling Natsu about her plans, but she knew if she told him what she was going to do, he would come with her hand try to beat up Jude.

Natsu just simmered, huffing a puff of smoke and sparks. Lucy stepped closer to the drakon, until they were practically nose-to-nose. She peered up at him, and reached up to swipe his bangs out of his eyes without even realizing the intimacy of the action.

"Do you think you can forgive me?" She asked quietly. Natsu stared down at her for a moment, his gaze softening, a gentle smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, and pulled her in to a warm hug. Lucy wound her arms around his waist and giggled when he blew hot air in her face.

"'Course I forgive you, weirdo," He said into her hair. Lucy stepped back, looking at her friends with a bright smile.

"Honestly, I'm glad you guys showed up," she said, "It wasn't easy telling him off."

Natsu nodded, staying near her side. Lucy unconsciously leaned into his warmth, relishing in the comfort his aura brought.

"I have so much to tell you all," She said, meeting Leo's gaze. He nodded and announced, "We have a lot to talk about."

"Well, then let's go home," Natsu said with a shrug. Grinning, Lucy linked her right arm with Natsu and her left with Leo.

"Yea, let's go home. To Fairy Tail," She said gleefully.

-ooooo-

I hope you guys liked this dramatic and angsty chapter, and as always I'd love to hear from you all so don't be afraid to leave a review! They really make my day tbh.

Stay tuned for more answers about what it means to be a Starchild and for the next arc!

***quick update, I forgot to put Virgo instead of Cancer for the grave keys, so she should have Virgo, Aquarius, Cancer, and Sagittarius now! Thanks to the reviewer who caught my mistake!