It was the next day that Lucy had just finished her mediation and grabbing a snack when her Lacrima com started going crazy. Answering she was met by the zoomed in face of Happy.
"Lushieeeee where are you!? We brought you some delicious fish to cook for us! We stopped by your house but the mean old lady said you didn't live there anymore!"
Happy's facw disappears and Natsus comes into focus.
"Yeah Lucy! We were only gonna a couple of weeks, did you really leave us?" He asks with a somewhat sad expression.
The irony in the whole situation takes Lucy aback, they left her all alone for no reason. Now to question her all of a sudden? Lucy was hurt, and angry.
"Well, I have moved out of that apartment yes. I now own my own place, no you may not have the address and no do not come looking for me. I will stop by the guild later today to talk to you and everyone else. It's an exciting thing. So don't be mean and ruin it for me." Lucy says with a glare.
"Okay geeze Lucy, for now we will leave it alone but one of these days you gotta tell us! We're a team after all!" Natsu exclaims with a smile before the Lacrima turns dark.
Sighing Lucy sits and analyses the conversation they just had. It was just another thing that made her realize how much they have changed as people. Natsu didn't call her Luce, didn't pressure her into giving him her location, and didn't give into Happy whining in the background that he wanted to come see me. He didn't pout or whine, didn't act sneaky at all. Just accepted it for it it was. It was strange to Lucy. She felt like she didn't even really know him anymore.
Taking a quick shower and changing into some regular clothes Lucy grabs her stuff heading out the door. At the edge of the property right before the street Lucy opens her mailbox, excited to see an envelope. No return address listed but her name scrawled on the front. Carefully tearing it open there are some dark guilds listed, and a note on the bottom reading 'Rumors are circling these dark guilds about celestial keys. -CS'.
Stuffing the letter into her pocket Lucy hurries her way to the guild.
There Lucy opens the door with her usual greeting and immediately spots Natsu at the bar bugging Lisanna, and Happy at a table with the other exceeds and Wendy. Quietly rushing the table Lucy motions for them to stay quiet before going behind Happy and quickly snatching the cat up in a big hug. At first he seems to get scared and squirm before recognizing the embrace and turning around to snuggle in.
"Lushieee, we missed you! Why can't we come to your house? Did you not miss us!?" He asks.
"Of course I missed you Happy! That why I came to the guild as fast as I could you silly cat!" Lucy reassures with a bright smile and a squeeze.
Happy nods and cuddles into her as she takes her seat at the table. Quickly giving Lily a kiss on the head as well as Wendy. Wendy just smiles and accepts it while Carla hurumps.
"You need to stop treating her like a child Lucy, she is beginning to become a young lady and ladies to do receive forehead kisses."
Lucy leans over and kisses Carla quickly before leaning back into her seat so Carla can't swipe at her.
"As long as she continues to accept them I will continue to kiss her forehead. You are right she is a young lady, but she also deserves love and affection. And no matter what happens or how big she does grow Wendy will be like my little sister and as such I will drowned her in affection so she will never have to question if anyone loves her. Just because you watch over her does not mean you can dictate what she does and does not get. She can make her own choices Carla, she deserves affection as do you." Lucy responds with a intense stare but warm smile.
Wendy openly smiles and blushed over the praise. While Carla crosses her arms and turns her head, but even she has a soft pink decorating her cheeks.
"Would you guys like to spend some time with Plue today? I know we've been out of the guild recently but it has felt like forever." She asks.
With nodding heads Lucy calls Plue to their table. Right away he and the exceeds get chatting. Hearing the commotion Natsu wanders on over closely followed by Gray and Juvia. Lucy warmly smiles at them.
"Glad to see you and Juvia made it back home safe Gray." She comments.
"Yes Love-Rival Juvia and Gray has a very touching and emotional trip up north to spend some time together." Juvia sniffs.
"Glad to hear it you two. Natsu how was your camping, obviously you brought home some fish?" She inquires.
"Well we did.." He says scratching the back of his head. "But we already had Lis cook it up for us and had it for lunch."
"Oh good, glad it didn't go to waste." Lucy comments.
"Does anyone know if Ezra is back yet?"
Ask and you shall receive. The guild doors burst open and in walks the Titana.
Spotting the group at the table she hurries over.
"Team, good to see you all together." She immediately says.
"Glad to see you back Ezra, got that armor finished then?" Everyone at the table but Wendy groans at the question.
"Oh yes!" She exclaims sitting down to go into full details of it.
Lucy listens with a smile and her friend expresses her happiness.
After the chatter dies down to simple talk Lucy excused herself and makes her way up stairs. Swinging by the Thunder Legion table she is greeted by Bixlow saying.
"Yo Cosplay Queen!" -Queen, queen- his babies chirp.
"Hello Bixlow, Babies, Evergreen and Freed. How'd your afternoon going?"
Bixlow picks his jaw off the ground as babies exclaim -Lazy, do nothing- twirling around and laughing. Making Lucy herself giggle back. Claiming the seat next to Freed she smiles.
"How's the research going?" She asks.
"Good, Lucy-San I was never aware how complex and versatile your magic is. Color me impressed." He responds book marking his place and closing it.
"That's not even the half of it Freed! I even just learned something new that isn't mentioned in those books recently. I'll have to show in person because it's really quite amazing." She day excitedly.
As her and Freed fall into chatter about her magic, Ever and Bixlow are silently listening in however pretending not to, and Master comes out of his office.
Seeing the mages he needs to talk to all together he approaches his old table.
The chatter quiets down as he take a seat at the end.
"Hey Sparks! Leaving the dungeon early today huh?" Lucy teases.
"Oh hush Blondie, I was actually looking for you. You know how you asked me to reach out? Well I got a couple of responses, one even from Master Mavis because she couldn't go to your property herself."
"Oh okay what have you heard?" She asks.
Laxus looks around the group and raises and eyebrow.
"Oh they're fine Sparks, Freed is even helping me with my planning."
"Okay well a group of people I asked said they would leave something for you..." He trails off.
With her nod he knows she got it.
"Okay and Master Mavis said there was no celestial spirit energy anywhere on the island. Chief Moka said the just recently found a key in their temple and we're going to reach out to you butforgot for a while. They didn't give me any details on it though so you'll have to venture there yourself." He finsihes.
Leaning back Lucy puts her hand to her chin thinking.
"Okay well, the letter I received has a list of dark guilds they heard rumors around having celestial keys. So I will have to find a way to get into those places, and I guess a trip to Galuna Island is in order. With all of that to do I think I'm leaving in two weeks." She states.
"Alright Blondie, would you like to tell the truth to your guild mates? Or would you like me to make something up?"
" I'll just tell them, I'm prettty sure the dragon slayers at least heard since you just said it." She responds with a sigh.
Quickly standing up Lucy marched over to the railing that hangs a little out over the downstairs Taking off her whip Lucy snaps it out into the air to gain the crowds attention. With all eyes on her Lucy clears her throat.
"Hi." She says with a wave.
"I would like you all to know, in two weeks I will be going off on my own adventure. I'm going to travel across Earthland searching for some rare celestial keys."
At this lots of uproars of disagreement and some cheers raise up in the guild.
"AHEM!" She says.
She begins again once it quested down.
"Thank you, this is a solo adventure with an unknown time frame. I would hope all of you will support me during this time, for I will be spending it working hard on myself and my bonds with my spirits hopefully adding a few new ones to the family. I will have my communications Lacrima on me at all times, and regularly check in with the guild but this is something I want and have to do. Let's spend lots of time together in these next few weeks okay?" Lucy says with the brightest smile she could muster.
The guild cheers loudly! Encouraging her as the booze is passed around Master Laxus hollers out.
"Let's party!"
That night even with the sad news of loosing the light of their guild for an unknown time the guild parties like there was no tomorrow.
Ahhh okay. Tried to make this chapter informational and touching there at the end. Idk tho writing during work is never done the best. Also readers I don't have anyone reading these prior to posting them so sorry for the small spelling and grammatical errors. My thumbs hurt from typing so I'm not sure if I'll get out another chapter tonight but I'll try! Because this is literally still the beining of Lucy's adventure and we're like 10k in.Once again let me know what you think or feel. Write on!