When Lucy Heartfilia was born, the name Erza Belserion was written prettily on her skin. Her mother cooed over it and swatted away her father. Her father had desperately looked up the family's name, incredibly curious. The only thing he could find from all his searching was from 400 years ago so he eventually settled down and accepted waiting.
Lucy was 5 and a half years old when the name shuddered and shimmered. She watched, mesmerized, as her mark changed. It now read Erza Scarlet. Lucy hopped up from where she had been playing with her dolls and ran to her mother. She showed her mother her arm, a pleased smile playing on her lips. Layla frowned in return, tracing the new words.
"What does it mean, Mama?" She had asked.
Layla had hummed in response.
"I think your soulmate has been adopted."
Lucy's mom had then tickled her skin, ignoring her giggles, and pressed a kiss to the name.
"You'll love her no matter what her name is so you should make sure to let her know. She might be very scared. New things can be fun but also scary, huh Lucy?"
Lucy had nodded her agreement before pressing her own kiss against the skin.
Over the next few years, she had taken to the request with determination, hugging her name to her chest when she slept, and placing little kisses on the name itself. Lucy wouldn't let her soulmate down. She knew her soulmate might be scared but hopefully, Erza would feel better when Lucy kissed her soulmark.
Occasionally, the name on her arm would feel warm. Lucy took it as a silent response to her affection. She'd smile and squeeze her arm against her chest.
Lucy was 8 when the name on her skin burned a bright red. She was in the middle of dinner when her skin turned scarlet. Lucy dropped her fork and gasped, cradling the arm. Her mother and father had rushed from their seats and tried to help but Lucy could only cry. She had continued crying, intermittently, for 8 hours, as her skin burned. It eventually cooled and Lucy's father, who had been by her side, moved to look at her mark.
It was still there but the edges of the beautiful handwriting had scarred.
Later when she asked, Lucy's mom told her that her soulmate had been in so much pain that it affected her soul and Lucy's skin. Her father had looked at her tattoo weirdly before telling her her soulmate had hurt her. Lucy's mom and father had gotten into arguments after that before going silent about the topic.
Her mom died two years later and Lucy was forbidden from bringing up soulmates indefinitely. She still held her mark to her chest but no longer gave it the kisses she once had. It seemed wrong now, to do so when her mom was gone. It didn't help that she was often stared at coldly, if at all, by her father. Soulmates seemed like something very far away in the Heartfilia Estate.
Jude gave her long white gloves when she was 13. She wore them.
Lucy wondered sometimes if her soul had enough pain to scar her soulmate's skin. It made her sad to think about it. So Lucy stopped thinking about things. It was better for her just to follow anyway. Her objections were never met with anything other than anger anyway.
Lucy was 16 when she had kept so much to herself that she finally burst. She had argued fiercely with her father before heading to her room and escaping. The only thing she had brought with her being her keys and some jewel. Lucy bought the most outrageous of outfits the first chance she could. She still wore long gloves, even with her midriff and cleavage exposed. It felt too strange, leaving her mark open to the air.
She was 17 when she met Natsu. Lucy had known very little about him and he of her, but happily led her to her dream guild, Fairy Tail. After destroying about half of a harbor and a slave ship. Lucy had a feeling the destruction wasn't a one-time thing but she continued on. She would make her own destiny now, separate from her father's.
Lucy had raised eyebrows when she was first brought to the guild. It wasn't often that soulmarks were covered nowadays. She had shied away from the looks and shook Mirajane's hand. Lucy tried not to gawk when Mira was subsequently knocked out by the flying body of her younger brother. By the end of the day, Lucy was left grinning, feeling very at home.
Lucy heard her soulmate's name for the first time, separate from her family and her mind, when she was returning from a job with Natsu. She tried not to feel disheartened by her soulmate's descriptions.
"Surely, she's not that bad?" Lucy had asked, looking distrustfully at Natsu's cackling form. "I mean, I don't think I could see Erza Scarlet as a monster."
Natsu gave her a confused look before turning away and continuing his unsettling laughter.
"Don't blame me when she kicks your butt!"
Lucy tried not to shiver.
She was still 17, the day she met Erza for the first time. Her soulmate was beautiful, beyond compare, but also very terrifying. She didn't introduce herself. Lucy somehow ended up on a job with her anyway.
The job went fine, all things considered. No one died but there was a lot of destruction. Lucy's earlier feeling was right. They had then traveled back home, guild master in tow. Lucy tried not to think about how her soulmate was so close to her in the following days. She failed.
She didn't end up telling Erza her full name until she was forced to. Lucy admitted she was Lucy Heartfilia in the middle of the destroyed guildhall, right after her kidnapping. The destruction all around her was her fault. She looked to the ground so she wouldn't have to see eyes widen, first in surprise and then in betrayal.
Lucy cupped a hand over her mouth and stopped a sob. The boys in the guild hall proceeded to freak out and try and comfort her but Lucy just curled into herself. There was a flash of light behind her before a hand rested itself on her shoulder.
"Lucy…"
Her soulmate gathered her in her arms before resting her chin on Lucy's head. The guild quieted. She cried in her soulmate's unarmored chest.
They didn't end up talking about it because, by the time Lucy had felt strong enough, Phantom Lord had attacked. Lucy had been sent to a safe house and then kidnapped again. Erza had been injured, protecting the guild from a Jupiter blast. By the time the fight was over, both girls were exhausted again and needed treatment. The rune knights had also questioned them extensively for a week. They still didn't talk. Not to each other.
Lucy headed home as soon as the treatment and questioning were over. She left a note on her desk, stating where she was going, in case Natsu broke in. She took a train. Lucy walked up to the large mansion that was once her home. She dealt with the fussing of the Heartfilia servants and put on a fancy heiress dress, one last time. Lucy refused to wear the long white gloves. She entered her father's office.
"Lucy." He greeted, not bothering to look up from his paperwork. "I've been expecting you. It's good to see that you've finally realized the errors of your ways. You have bothered that silly guild enough."
She did not reply.
He sighed before looking up at her. Jude froze for a millisecond before looking at her disapprovingly.
"Lucy, Duke Jurnelle would not be pleased to see you without your gloves. Please exit the room and receive them from a servant. I will not-"
"I'm sorry. But that's not going to happen." Lucy interrupted softly. "I'm not here to make amends. I'm here to say goodbye."
Her father widened his eyes.
"I'm only here to tell you not to come after me again." She ignored his mouth opening in order to speak. "I'm a part of that silly guild now. It's called Fairy Tail. That same guild beat Phantom Lord mercilessly because they went after me. That same guild will not tolerate any more attempts. That same guild… holds my soulmate."
Lucy gulped, ignoring Jude's shock.
"I am a Fairy Tail mage. And Fairy Tail looks after their own. You have no hold over me."
"Lucy, you are a Heartfilia! What would your mother say?" Jude rose into a standing position.
"My mother would want me to be happy with the soulmate you want me to reject!" Lucy narrowed her eyes at him before tearing apart her dress. "Father, all the money in the world can not buy you happiness. It cannot buy me happiness. I figured that out when I was a child! And you know what? I'm finally truly happy, or at least on my way there. So you better not mess with Fairy Tail ever again!"
Jude stared at her, mouth open.
"It doesn't matter that you're my father. If you threaten us, you will be crushed just like any other enemy! I won't… I won't marry Jurnelle. And I won't reject my soulmate any longer either."
Lucy turned, turning her back on her father.
"My mother would tell me to follow my dreams and be happy." She sighed. "And I think you know that too. I am sorry for leaving without saying goodbye. But I am not sorry for leaving."
She turned to look at him, a sorrowful expression on her face.
"Goodbye, father."
Lucy exited the room without a response. She changed back into her clothes and said goodbye to the servants that she had held dear. Lucy opened the door to the house and waved to them. She closed the door and her father watched her leave from his window.
Lucy straightened herself and made her way to her mother's grave.
"Goodbye to you too, Mom." She traced her mother's name with a soft smile. "I think you'd like her, you know."
"Lucy!"
She jumped in surprise before being almost bowled over by the 'her' in question.
"Erza?! What are you doing here?"
Erza released her before staring her down.
"Lucy, you can't leave Fairy Tail. I know we haven't had the chance to talk yet but-"
Lucy laughed, cutting the girl off.
"I'm not leaving Fairy Tail Erza." She grinned.
"You're not?!" Natsu yelled from behind the redhead. Lucy looked around her soulmate and saw the rest of Team Natsu.
"No." Lucy chuckled. "I just came here to say goodbye."
Erza picked her up in glee and twirled around with Lucy in her arms. The rest of Team Natsu laughed at the display.
"Gee, Erza, you really like Lucy, huh?" Happy commented. "I mean I'm glad Lucy isn't leaving too but I think you were the most upset."
"Well of course." Erza set her down. "Lucy is my soulmate."
"EHHHH?!"
Lucy laughed before leaning into the requip mage.
"So wait, that's why you were crying?" Gray said, shocked. "I mean I understood why the flame brain was crying because they spent a lot of time together but I thought it was a little weird that you were so upset."
"Gray!" Erza blushed heavily at the revelation.
Natsu tackled Gray from behind.
"I wasn't crying, stripper!" Natsu shouted from atop of Gray's back.
"Get off me!"
"No!"
"Go Natsu! Kick his butt!" Happy cheered.
Lucy giggled at the arguing boys. She looked up at Erza. Her Erza Scarlet.
"I'm not going anywhere Erza." She smiled softly, reassuring her blushing soulmate. "Not anymore. Not without you."
"That's good." Erza breathed. "I don't think I could stand it if you did."
Erza pressed a heartfelt kiss against her mouth. They both ignored the rest of Team Natsu squawking in the background and smiled into the kiss.