the misadventures of lucy heartfilia pt. i

summary — when lucy suddenly is turned into a seven year old, the guild has a bit of fun watching over her. well, maybe, too much fun.

pairings — lucy/guild friendship, team natsu friendship

tags — fluff, family/friendship, humor, hurt/comfort

setting — after eclipse

note — shall i add the other girls as well and have them make a kingdom of five year old fairies? i thought that i would go done a more humorous road for this one, but it ended up being heavier than i expected. anyways, enjoy!

[ FAIRY TAIL ]

Though rare and quite short-lived, today was a day of peace and relaxation for the many members of the notorious guild, Fairy Tail.

Some people, namely Cana, Wakaba, and Makao, gathered in one table, a mug of beer in one hand, as they shared a few amusing tales of their newest missions. Elfman and Lisanna helped out in the kitchen to ease the burdens of their oldest sister, Mirajane. Kinana strolled around the hall, serving each and every one of the ordered meals with a serene smile on her face. Reedus took advantage of the moment and sketched the scene laid out before him before it all turned to chaos.

Erza, Gray, Natsu and Happy, also known as Team Natsu, sat docilely in their usual table with only just the sound of their spoons and forks clanking against the plates to fill the silence. They engaged in small talk once in a while, just to pass the time as they waited for the last member of the team to arrive.

"Lucy is taking too long," Natsu complained after chugging down a glass of water. Now that he had been filled to the max with delicious food, he was all fired up and ready to go on a mission that had a ton of monster hunting.

"I agree. She is taking longer than usual," Erza said, nodding sternly. She finished her meal a few minutes ago and now was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed around her Heart Kreuz armor. Now that she said it out loud, she began to think that something happened to the blonde mage. Erza just prayed that her intuitions were wrong.

"Yeesh. I bet she's just having a hard time picking out her clothes. Do all girls take this long to get ready in the morning?" Gray took a bite of his large hamburger. He paid no attention as to why his body felt lighter since he was completely immersed in the breakfast presented before him.

Natsu snorted. He grinned at the sight of discarded clothes laying on the floor and then turned his attention back to the noirette. "At least she would have clothes on, you perverted stripper."

Gray looked down and saw that he was indeed stripped down to nothing but his boxers. He scampered out of his chair and quickly grabbed the scattered pieces of clothing. "I didn't even — how does this happen without me noticing it?"

No one had the chance to reply to his question, unfortunately for Natsu who had a ton of answers to that, since the doors of the guild hall creaked open. The sound of the wood slowly scratching the steel floor pierced Natsu's ear so painfully that he flinched. Who the hell was dragging the doors? Surely it wasn't that hard to open doors.

The double doors opened to reveal a little girl. With her tiny, delicate arms, it explained why she had difficulty pushing the doors open. The small female had shoulder-length, blonde hair that had a familiar golden sheen to the locks. She wore a pink shirt that gobbled up her puny frame. Her bare feet padded across the floor as she made her way to the bar.

"Uhm, excuse me," Her high-pitched voice rang across the entire room that fell silent upon her arrival. The newcomer, who was around six years old, struggled to get on a barstool but eventually managed to sit up. "Is this Fairy Tail?"

Mirajane hastily set aside the glass she'd been wiping. She gave the little stranger all of her attention. "Yes, it is. Are you lost, hun? What's your name?"

"My name is Lucy Heartfilia!" The girl squealed in delight. She sent the white-haired lady in front of her a toothy smile, drawn to the kindness of her blue eyes. "What's yours, miss?"

Mirajane gasped. Once she registered the words, her head felt a little woozy. She grabbed on the edge of the counter since her legs wobbled like jelly. And she knew that she wasn't the only one surprised, everyone else started at the two of them with wide eyes and mouth agape, especially three certain people and one blue cat.

"My name is — it's Mira," She said, stuttering from the way her heart pounded against her chest so erratically. "Lucy-chan, I know it's a weird and sudden question, but do you remember anything from yesterday?"

Little Lucy folded her arms and pursed her lips, thin blonde eyebrows furrowing as she tried to unlock her memories the day before, but only to end up with a headache. She shook her head solemnly. "I'm sorry, Mira-san. I can't remember anything."

Mira nodded. She internally squealed at how adorable Lucy was. She decided against hugging the life out of her, seeing as it that it probably wasn't the right time to be fawning over such cuteness. "Do you at least remember how you arrived at the guild?"

Suddenly, Lucy's chocolate eyes brightened up like stars. "I know! A pretty fairy led me here! She had hair like mine, and she wore a pretty dress too!"

An image of the First Master, Mavis Vermillion, flashed in Mirajane's mind. Although it was only an inkling, there was only one pretty fairy that had blonde hair with a pretty dress. Mirajane's heart softened. "Did she say anything to you?"

Erza, who finally snapped out of her shock, got up to her feet. She noticed something taped to the back of Lucy's shirt and hastily grabbed it, hungry for information as to what happened to her comrade. "It's a note," Erza said softly, eyes scanning through the messy scribbles.

Without waiting for anyone's permission, Erza began to read the contents of the note out loud.

Lucy drank a potion sent to her apartment by mistake. This is why she'll never get a boyfriend, the damned girl is too naive for her own good! The spell turned her into a seven year old, memories and all. She'll be back to normal in 7 days.

Take care of the brat! If she gets hurt, I will not hesitate to drown you all to the deepest parts of the ocean where you'll never be able to see the sunlight ever again. And tell her not to summon me for a few months, I'm going on vacation.

— Aquarius

Erza never really got formally acquainted with this particular Spirit of Lucy's. But for some reason, a terrifying chill slithered up her spine. She wondered how scary Aquarius could be personally if this was the reaction she could evoke from Erza with just a single note. And apparently, she wasn't the only one affected, some members were completely drained of color, a few others were violently shivering, and there were those who clung onto someone else for emotional support.

"Seven days really isn't that bad," Lisanna said. She somehow managed to appear in front of Lucy, already purring contently as she snuggled the toddler. "I mean, she is just too cute!"

"Lu-chan really is adorable!" Levy squeaked. She clasped her hands together and began to mutter to herself about shopping trips for doll shoes and poofy dresses.

"Wait a minute, Lucy. Do you remember anything about Aquarius?" Happy cautiously flew over to the shrunken blonde. For some reason, just mentioning the spirit's name brought terror to his heart.

Lucy instantly rose in her seat. "I do! I remember a pretty, mean mermaid! She gave me a bath, dressed me, and then kicked me out to the street and told me to find Fairy Tail. Then the kind fairy found me! I feel like a princess now!"

Erza felt like her armor began to melt from the sweetness that seeped out of Lucy's radiant aura. Erzs softly patted her head full of yellow tresses, a smile growing on her face. "Indeed, Lucy. You are a one of a kind princess."

With eyes gleaming and mouth gaping, Lucy stared up at Erza as if she were the most beautiful person to ever exist. "A pretty knight!" She pointed, unable to stop squealing in delight.

Erza turned away for a moment. She brought her hands up to her cheeks, feeling the heat that scorched her face. It was silly, but everyone always knew that Erza was beautiful, beautifully scary at least, and to have such an innocent youth not staring at her with total horror, it was surprising, but totally welcome. Erza wasn't used to hearing pretty and knight in the same sentence, and she couldn't but help feel like it was meant to be together. It was strange how Lucy could affect her with words — as she always did with everyone else.

"Alright, you've been hogging her too much!"

Natsu stalked over to Lucy in long strides, appearing by her side in a flash — he always seemed to be in a rush when it came to her. His hands gently but hastily grabbed Lucy's tiny waist and brought her to his chest, almost cuddling Lucy under his chin. "I'm babysitting her, she's my partner after all. So stop putting all of your dirty hands on her."

Lisanna pouted, but gestured for him to take the girl anyways. She had a brain after all, and who in their right mind would ever deny a dragon it's greatest treasure?

"She's more vulnerable in this state you know," The youngest Strauss said with concern, knowing just how energetic Natsu was in his prime — which was everyday of the week. "She's small, and therefore prone to all kinds of danger."

At this point, Lucy somehow managed to climb on his shoulders and was now pulling at his hair. Natsu seemed like he didn't mind the harsh tugs. But he did frown at Lisanna's words.

"I'm going to take care of her, like I always do," Natsu answered. Without a doubt, he was going to protect her the best he can while she was in such a fragile predicament. And by now, caring for her became like second nature, so it didn't really bother him. Plus, more time with Lucy, right?

"Alright!" Mira approached the request board. She had a devious grin on her angelic face as she pinned a paper in the free space in the board. "Anyone who wants to babysit little Lucy will write their names here! That way we'll be able to go in order without too much trouble."

Mirajane had already put her name at the very top, of course.

And before Natsu could even breathe, a stampede formed at the request board. Many people had begun to rush to get their names in. There was Erza, Gray and Juvia, Levy, Lisanna, and even Bisca joined the fray!

It was at that moment that Natsu realized that he would be dead last.

"Oi! What the hell?!"

[ AND SO! ]

Mirajane knew of Lucy's childhood. And ever since the incident with Phantom Lord, Mira wanted to give a lot of things to Lucy that she couldn't enjoy in her kid days. And although Mira's own parents were dead, she could easily remember the warmth of her mother, the protection of her father, and the immense love coming from both of her parents.

And now, she wanted to give Lucy that.

Today was as normal as a day in Fairy Tail could get. Luckily, things at the bar were moving incredibly slow, so Mirajane had enough time to spoil Lucy without having to abandon her job.

Lucy was currently perched on the bar counter itself, the surface easily supported her weight. She was immersed in a concentrated silence as she gave color to the drawing Reedus made earlier, careful not to color out of the lines and only coloring in circular strokes as her mother had taught her before.

"Mira-san?" Lucy softly called out, pausing from her artsy activities.

"Yes, sweetie?" Mirajane cooed, treading her slender fingers through the blonde locks that shimmered as brightly as the sun. She lifted a spoonful of strawberry ice cream and presented it to her, which Lucy gladly accepted. "Is everything alright?"

Lucy nodded meekly. She pointed to the doors of the guild where members came pouring in and rushing out. "When will Mama and Papa come and get me? I want to go home already."

Mirajane stiffened. This was one of her greatest worries. She could never bring herself to tell Lucy the truth, not when she was like this. How could Mirajane do that? How could she bring tears to Lucy's eyes that were shining proudly like stars in the night? How could she taint the Lucy's smile that had filled the guild with so much wonder and joy?

This Demon was scared of Lucy's tears.

And now, Mirajane finally understood why Natsu despised the sight of Lucy crying. It was heartbreaking.

"Lucy," Mira began, words clogged up in her throat. She had seen Lucy after the news of her father's passing and Mira knew that she would never be able to handle seeing Lucy break down as a little girl. She stared at Lucy's adventurous brown eyes, feeling her heart being torn apart like paper. "They. . . took a trip somewhere."

"Oh," Lucy said. "Where are they going? When will they be back?"

"They went to the stars, Lu—"

"The stars?!" Lucy gasped, her lips tugging upwards into a blinding smile. "Are they with Aquarius? Aquarius said her home was with with stars. Are they playing together now?"

Mirajane nodded. She was thankful that the girl had a extensive imagination and a love for looking on the positive side. "Yes. Capricorn and Cancer, too." She remembered that those two spirits belonged to Lucy's mother first.

Lucy's mouth hung open. "Wow! So cool! And Virgo, and Aries, and Sagittarius, and Scorpio, and Gemini, too?"

Mirajane chuckled, her mood instantly lifted when Lucy's did, funny how much Lucy could affect her. "And Taurus, and Leo as well, Lucy-chan!"

And then Mirajane moved closer to Lucy until she was near enough to give Lucy's nose a playful boop. "And you know what, Lucy?"

"What?" Lucy leaned closer as well, unable to restrain her excessive giggling. "Tell me!"

Mirajane suddenly picked Lucy up, relishing the surprised squeals coming from the small girl, and rested the blonde on her hip similarly to how a mother would cradle their child. "They're all watching over you from the stars. And they would never let you get hurt. They will always wipe away your tears. You don't have to worry anymore, Lucy, your Mama and Papa love you very much."

"Really?" Lucy stared at the woman whom she'd come to recognize as an angel who fell down from the heavens.

Mirajane smiled. "They will come home to you, Lucy. Family will always find each other, won't they?"

Lucy was quick to nod. "Hai!"

[ AND THEN! ]

From the very beginning, Erza Scarlet knew that Lucy had the potential to become one of the most powerful wizards out there. Along with Natsu and Gray.

She had never been wrong with her intuitions. Take this morning for example. Erza immediately knew that trouble was brewing. So she wasn't at all surprised to see Lucy walking in as a toddler. She was thankful that the spell only lasted for seven days.

And during those seven days, Erza vowed to be Lucy's protector —unbeknownst to her that many members of the guild actually would fight tooth and nail for that spot — and make sure that Lucy would never come to know pain ever again, even once the spell subsided.

Erza was no fool. She saw the way Lucy began to doubt herself after the two victories that were stolen from her under the most vicious of circumstances during the Grand Magic Games. From the span of time that Erza got to know Lucy, one of the things that was most prominent about their resident Celestial Mage, was that she tended to keep her emotions guarded at times, especially when it came to her own failures. Erza was reminded of the instance with the Phoenix Priestess.

And although Erza didn't have enhanced hearing, she perfectly heard the whispers whenever Team Natsu — honestly, did they even agree to that name? — came home from a mission. The words that were dripping with venom. People could be cruel when they wanted to, that's for sure. For some reason, those certain people found enjoyment in degrading Lucy, in making sure that Lucy knew she was the target of all those harsh words. Weak, pathetic, whiny, and useless.

Weak, her ass.

Lucy with a plan was dangerous. Lucy with a whip was lethal. Lucy fighting alongside her spirits would ensure total defeat to her enemy. And a single Lucy-Kick could wipe out planets upon planets. That was the scale of Lucy's strength, simply immeasurable.

"Erza-san, look!"

The red-headed, and apparently pretty, knight smirked, proud of what the small Lucy had done. Erza would take advantage of this time, hoping that the strength that she taught Lucy now, would carry on into her older years. Erza had a feeling that whatever happened now, would change the current Lucy, even if it was just a little bit. And just like her other premonitions, Erza knew she was going to be right.

Erza watched as Lucy released a flurry of punches and kicks to the practice dummy that was laying about in Erza's room. Her form was playful but somehow still determined, actions worthy of an actual seven year old. But still, Erza was impressed.

"Slower, Lucy, take the time to know your enemy. His weak spots, the way he moves, and if you can, use it all against him," Erza commented. She positioned Lucy in a better stance, her legs apart and fists in front.

Lucy frowned, throwing another punch to the dummy. "Well, this guy just bounces back and forth. His stomach is pretty soft and tender, so that's why I keep hitting it. Are my observations correct, Erza-san?"

Erza nodded. "Very good, Lucy. But there's the most important rule in fighting that you must never forget."

Lucy clocked her head to the side. "What is it?"

Smiling softly, Erza bent down and tucked a wild lock of gold behind Lucy's ear. "You must always believe in yourself. Remember that you will always be protected by your friends and family. If you can remember that, you'll be able to take on enemies stronger than you and undoubtedly win."

"My. . . friends?" Lucy tested the word, sounding almost unfamiliar with the term. "But there are no children that come and play with me. I don't have friends."

Erza chuckled. "What about me? Am I not considered your friend?"

Eyes widening, Lucy leaped out and threw her arms around Erza. "You are my friend, Erza-san! You're kind, pretty, and super strong!"

Without any hesitation, Erza wrapped her arms around Lucy's thin waist. "Well, I'm lucky to be a friend of a princess like you, Lucy."

"The princess and the pretty knight are best friends, huh," Lucy voiced out, grinning.

"Like a fairy tale!" Lucy proclaimed in glee.

Erza couldn't stop her own smile from breaking out. "I suppose so."

"I promise to protect you, Erza-san! A princess will never let her friends get hurt! I'll get stronger!" Lucy turned her attention to the practice dummy, hurling another tornado of calculated attacks excitedly.

"I have no doubt that you will," Erza said, fondly watching over the girl that she had come to love as a sister.

[ NEXT! ]

Many moments in his life, Gray Fullbuster often found himself wondering if Lucy was not a Celestial Wizard, and instead had the power to forgive so easily. And Mavis knows, just how long it took for Gray to forgive himself for sending Ur to her death — woops, too dark. Lucy would have probably kicked him all the way to the Celestial Realm if she heard his thoughts.

He chuckled. Here he was, wallowing in self-pity, and the moment he thought about Lucy, it felt like his mind became clear again.

Funny how that whiny blonde worked.

Especially now, Gray guessed. He was beginning to think that Juvia only volunteered to watch Lucy with him just to spend more time with him — which, now that he thought about it, wasn't that far from the truth. But it was quite hilarious to watch.

Whilst walking around the town of Magnolia to make Lucy less scared of her surroundings, Juvia managed to trip over Lucy a total of thirteen times, and five times Juvia forgot that there was a child with him and managed to lose her, and there was that one time Juvia gave Lucy's lunch to another kid. And it only took one guess as to why Juvia's attention span when it came to Lucy was so short.

Nevertheless, it surprised Gray every single time when Lucy only smiled and uttered a simple three words that crushed his insides. "I forgive you," was what she said every time she got a large bump on her head, or every time she was found in the middle of the street looking like a little puppy, or that one time that kid ran away with her lunch.

How could she forgive Juvia so easily?

Even when Juvia was part of the Element Four and kidnapped Lucy, the Heartfilia heiress forgave her then and accepted her into Fairy Tail as a treasured friend. Despite Gajeel beating her up, bruising her dainty fair skin and rearranging her insides, Lucy never brought the past up and instead treated him like an old friend as she laughed at his brooding antics and teased him for liking a certain bookworm.

When Flare Corona used dirty tactics to win during the battle part and managed to humiliate Lucy in front of thousands of people, giving those people an easy way to shame her over and over again (and I'm not just talking about those in Crocus, if you know what I mean), Lucy forgave her within a snap of a finger. She even tried to persuade the guild that the creepy redhead was a good person. Who the hell did that?

And Gray would bet a zillion of Jewels that Lucy had already forgiven Minerva for that cruel beating during the Naval Battle. He bet that Lucy held no vendetta against Aquarius for leaving her like that so suddenly.

And don't even let him get started on the whole incident with the Celestial Spirits a little while back.

Simply put, Gray thought Lucy Heartfilia was crazy.

"Gray-sama!"

The sound of Juvia's frantic, and somewhat panicked, calling of his name brought Gray out of his reverie.

"What's wrong?" Gray asked. His eyes wandered to the empty space beside the bluenette wher kinanae a certain little girl was supposed to be. His fists were clenched, heart pounding sickeningly against his chest, as he waited for confirmation.

Juvia took a step back upon seeing his seething state. She gulped, eyes wide. "Ju–Juvia lost Lucy-san. Juvia promises to find Lucy-san quickly. Juvia will not disappoint Gray-sama."

The recollection of Lucy being so kind to her made Gray calm down a bit. There was a reason she was one of his closest friends. He took a deep breath, waiting for the rage to pass. He didn't even want to think that Lucy was all alone and scared to the bone.

"Where did you see her last?" The words came out cohesive despite Gray grinding his teeth in desperation.

"Juvia does not reme — oh! Lucy-san asked to stop by at a bookstore a few minutes ago. She might be still there."

The two didn't waste another second. They ran, passing by vendors, bakeries, bistros, and apartments on the way, until their legs hurt. Gray didn't care that his lungs were burning or that his muscles demanded a break and rest. A few minutes later, he and Juvia finally reached the street where the bookstore should be.

And then, after another eternity of walking, they reached the bookstore. When Juvia went inside and speedily scanned the building and came outside, shaking her head, Gray fought the urge to go freeze the whole town — damn it, he was becoming too much like Natsu — and he didn't care for the consequences, he needed to find his friend. Otherwise there would be people who would torture him.

In that exact moment, a cry rang into the quiet atmosphere. He turned to the right and saw an alleyway. More importantly, his eyes zoned on the little girl who was clutching a thin book to her chest, tears falling repeatedly from eyes that were supposed to be so vibrant and lively. And then Gray saw the three men crowding her, with a hungry look in their eyes that represented bloodlust.

Just as he was about to show them what the repercussions of scaring Lucy entailed, someone beat him to it.

"Water Slicer!"

Gray watched as Juvia's attacks sent the three men to the ground, all the while never ceasing her spells. She was merciless. He'd never known a side of this to her. She acted like she'd been consumed by a dark being, lusting only for the screams of her prey. Water, to Gray, had never been so seductively dangerous before.

Juvia stalked over to the men who were clearly larger than her, but that didn't hinder her relentless steps. She towered over their bruised, shivering figure.

"If you stay here any longer, Juvia will not be held responsible for her actions."

Her low, murderous words were enough to send the bulky men running with tears in their eyes and a stain in their pants.

However, once Juvia turned to Lucy, she returned to being the emotional wizard she was. The perfect and best version of Juvia. Juvia wailed and sobbed as she threw her coat over Lucy's trembling statute.

"Juvia is sorry, Lucy-san! Very sorry! If Juvia had known—"

Lucy cut her off with a lighthearted giggle. Her small hand came up to caress Juvia's cheek as the other wiped away the tears that stained Juvia's pale skin.

"Juvia, stop crying," Lucy said, smiling brightly. "Stop crying, please. I don't like seeing you cry. It makes me sad, too. Pretty sirens like you are supposed to be happy and always singing happy songs."

The Water Wizard shook her head. "Juvia is terribly sorry. Juvia will understand if Lucy-san no longer wants to spend time—"

"Stop right there!" Lucy squeaked. Her hands moved at a quick pace to brush the droplets of tears running down Juvia's face away. "I had a great time today, I promise."

"But Juvia kept losing you and—"

"Shh," Like a child who was about to do some grand gesture, a spark ignited in Lucy's earthy eyes. "I already told you that I'm not mad. You wanna know why?"

Juvia kept silent.

"Whenever you bumped into me because you were staring at Gray-san, and I got a scratch or a small wound, you would always put a Band-Aid where it hurts and kissed it so it wouldn't be painful anymore, kind of like a big sister." Lucy's eyes were glimmering like the sun that shone over them, the dark hues turning into shades of the earth itself, becoming the very epitome of life.

True enough, her knees, forehead, arms were decorated with a bunch of Band-Aids that had different neon colors.

Lucy chuckled. "If I got lost, I knew you would always find me so that's why I wasn't worried. And when you accidentally gave the little boy my lunch, you bought me so much food afterwards that I couldn't feel my stomach!"

And then the sun's rays fell upon Lucy, making the girl glow oh-so beautifully. "But I was a little scared when you took longer than usual a while ago. Erza-san told me to remember that I would always be protected by my friends, Mira-san said that family would always find family so I didn't doubt you."

Juvia let out a surprised squeal when Lucy latched her arms around her. Juvia couldn't stop smiling, eventually bring Lucy closer to snuggle.

"I told myself to be stronger, because I knew you would come for me," Lucy murmured against Juvia's neck.

"You're my friend, Juvia. And thank you for not letting me get hurt."

If Gray could freeze time in that moment, he was so sure that he just saw a fairy hugging Juvia.

[ AND SO! ]

Levy McGarden prided herself for being a rather good storyteller. In that sense, she was excited to read one of her favorite stories to her best friend that turned into a little kid. Levy never experienced being the big sister — or the big anything — and no one really had an interest in books the way she and Lucy did, suffice to say, she was really looking forward to spending quality time with Lucy.

Levy spared a glance at the little girl who was sitting on the bean bag in front of her, eyes wide and filled with wonder, before returning to the first page of the book. "Alright," She breathed deeply. "You ready, Lu-chan?"

"Hai!" Lucy clapped her hands as she bounced in her seat with excitement.

"Tch. Just get on with the damn story already." Gajeel grumbled from beside her, an arm nonchalantly resting on the arm of the couch, directly behind Levy'd back. "No point in delaying it, Shrimp."

Levy sighed. It was a good thing Lucy was here otherwise she would have released all of her closet violence onto the big lug beside her. What was he even doing in a library of all places?

"Once upon a time," Levy began. In her peripheral vision, she saw Lucy already out of her seat and was on the floor cross-legged, silently begging for Levy to continue. And so she did. "In a faraway land, lived a princess. She—"

"Was she pretty?" Lucy asked sharply.

Levy grinned. "She can be as pretty as you want her to be."

"Not that it matters though," Gajeel immediately interjected. "Looks aren't the most important thing in life."

Levy gaped at him. She decided not to push his sudden wisdom and began to tell the story again. "She was locked away in a tower. This tower was so high that it reached the stars! Knights and princes did their very best to climb the tower and save the princess but there was one thing lurking inside the tower. Something big. Something dangerous."

Lucy gasped. "What was it? Was it a smelly ogre?"

"It was a dragon!" Levy exclaimed with a knowing grin. "The dragon's big feet shook the earth whenever it walked. It's enormous wings let it soar through the air whenever it wanted to. No one could get past the ferocious dragon, it was just too strong for all of the knights!"

A blanket of mettlesome celestial bodies covered Lucy's hickory eyes. She leaned closer, panting for more words. "But knights are supposed to be super strong! Like Erza-san!"

"Hate to break it to ya, kid, but not everyone can be as strong as her." Gajeel suddenly bent down, smirking manically. "Besides dragons are completely better company."

Levy snorted, but didn't make an effort to say otherwise. "But one day—"

"Why do you like stories so much, Levy-san?"

Although Levy was caught a bit off guard, she didn't hesitate to answer. Talking about books was nearly good as reading them. And who was she to deny such a curious mind?

"Well, Lu-chan," The petite bluenette began with a warm smile, completely aware of the intense crimson eyes that focused solely on her. "I love reading fairy tales because they give me a new kind of power. The power to travel through different worlds, to meet all kinds of people, fall in love, and go on many adventures."

"What kind of power is it?" Lucy titled her head to the side, curiousity illuminating her chestnut eyes.

"Imagination."

"Well, that's pathetic," Gajeel commented dryly with a scoff, large, muscular arms now crossed against his bulky chest.

From beside him, Pantherlily smacked his tiny paw at the grumpy man's stomach. "Don't mind him. He's just cross that Mirajane found out he's been eating the porcelain silverware, her favorite to be exact. But please, continue to enlighten us, Levy."

Upon seeing the furrowed eyebrows of a little yellow-haired girl and the encouraging words of the polite Exceed, Levy took it upon herself to expound on her so-called secondary power. Now that she realized it, being brought up in a mansion with many expensive tutors must have shaped Lucy into the intelligent woman she was now. That, and her natural knack of strategy making and ratiocination.

Levy grinned, heart pumping in anticipation for all of the things she could share with the group around her. "The way I see it, the kinds of books you read will have an effect on your outlook on life."

"If you read happy and lighthearted books, you'll go through life with a positive attitude. It's why I tend to go for those kinds of books. Reading adventure books makes you kind of itch for some spice in your life, therefore sparking something inside of you to go and see the wonders of the world," Levy explained, hoping it wasn't too abstruse for Lucy to understand.

But Levy was far too deep in it to stop now. And so, she continued. "Sometimes, when I read cynical books, it puts a dampen on my day but gives me a sense of realism of life. Romance books are my favorites too, it makes me feel all giddy whenever I see Ga — erm, a certain someone. And I like learning new information from the ancient books at the library."

Knowing that she wasn't really telling the deep and dark truth of it all, she took a deep breath. "But the real reason I love books so much is because they were there during a time when I felt so lonely."

Levy swiped the tear away that slid down to her cheek, flashes of her being all alone in the orphanage when her parents died. "Whenever I read books, I felt like the heroine who had many friends. Books taught me not to lose hope in such a dire time. And hey what do you know, I ended up in a wizard guild where I found a family that welcomed me with loving arms."

The Solid Script Mage set aside the book for now. She laid her knees on the carpeted floor and grabbed Lucy for a hug. "No matter what happens to you, Lu-chan, please remember to never lose faith in yourself. Even if it gets too hard, remember that your family, Fairy Tail, will always be there. Even if we aren't there physically."

Lucy nodded, burrowing her face deeper into the blue-haired princess's neck. "I will, I promise. Because you'll always be watching me from the stars, right? Family will always find family even if we're far apart."

A lighthearted laugh escaped past Levy's lips. "That's right. What a smart girl you are."

Lily suddenly coughed. He got the girls' attention within a millisecond. His whiskered face held no emotion as he munched on the fifth kiwi fruit of the day.

"You might wanna have mercy on Gajeel. He's tearing up like an infant."

[ THEN! ]

Lisanna Strauss knew that Lucy had a huge heart that held love for many people.

After all, Lucy was the one who secretly added three more strawberries to Erza's cake every time the red-headed demanded for it. Lucy sometimes snuck new, undoubtedly expensive, books into Levy's bag whenever the bluenette wasn't looking. On most days, when Cana was distracted by teasing some of the younger members of the guild, Lucy would pour lychee-flavored water in her alcohol so the brunette wouldn't have that much severe kidney poisoning, sometimes even Macao and Wakaba were victims of this selfless act!

Lucy came to the guild seven out of ten times with a few dresses tailored especially for Wendy and a matching onesie for Carla as well. Whenever he wasn't looking, Lucy swept in like a ninja and poured a ton of rare items made out of the finest metal into Gajeel's lunch. The resident Celestial Wizard followed after Gray whenever he lost an article of clothing and folded it somewhere beside him, slyly adding a bunch of new shirts. During Fridays, Lucy always gave Mirajane a package full of ointment to ease her discomfort from working too hard on the weekdays.

And after coming back from a solo mission — much to Team Natsu's dismay since they despised the term 'solo' — Lucy headed straight to Happy and gave him a basket full of expensive fish, just enough for him and Carla to share. As always, she never forgot her own partner, Natsu, she made it her second nature to indulge him with wild stories from her missions and then spending the rest of the day together, eating in a diner of Natsu's choice, with her paying the bill.

Upon observing the blonde for the past months and having a solid friendship with the aforementioned wizard, Lisanna came across two definite conclusions.

Number one: The reason why Lucy was so broke all of the time, was because of all the gifts she gave everyone else, always making sure that they were of the best quality.

Number two: Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail had so much time to spread an act of kindness to everyone else, that she left absolutely nothing for herself.

And that was why Lisanna had a mission. A top secret job to shower Lucy with affection, kindness, love, and so much pride that she wasn't able to feel during her childhood — not that she received so much from the guild already but you get her point.

Lisanna scoffed, thinking of all the rumors that some others had started before. She could never hate Lucy, and vice versa too. Her and Natsu's friendship was something that she'd treasure forever, so no, she wasn't going to ruin it and become a psychopath who was hellbent on erasing Lucy from the earth. People say things in the past that could end up changing in the future. And that was that.

She didn't need Bickslow's amorous affections to be happy, despite what some may say — his friendship was enough as well. Lisanna considered herself to be a strong, beautiful woman who was on the prowl for adventure!

A wishful sigh snapped Lisanna out of her deep thinking. Her head twisted to face the little girl beside her, wisps of golden strands falling as her head hung low.

"Lucy?" Lisanna furrowed her eyebrows. She laid a hand on the girl's back, hoping to offer some kind of comfort. "What's wrong?"

After a few saddened sniffles, Lucy raised her head, subtly wiping the wetness in her eyes, and leaned back further into the bench. She stared out into the park, watching all of the happy parents play with their children. A single tear slid down on her cheek, and she did nothing to stop it.

"I miss Mama and Papa so much." Lucy whimpered, clutching her hands close to her chest. She tried to curl her tiny frame into a ball. "I thought I could be strong. I really could! And I know it's not good for a lady to be jealous. But I am! I want to play with Mama and Papa like the other kids do! I want to feel their hugs one more time! I want to let them tuck me into bed while the read me a bedtime story! I wish and I wish on all the stars but—"

Lucy stopped to take a breath. Her chest was heaving as a new batch of tears stained her face. "I wish and I wish so many times," She muttered so softly. "But why do my wishes never come true? I don't want this! I just want Papa to smile again and for Mama to come back. It's so lonely at the mansion and I — I really want my family back. Mira-san told me they would be back soon, but I want them now!"

She turned to Lisanna, lips trembling and nose reddening. "I couldn't be strong after all. I couldn't keep my promise to everyone. Why is that, Lisanna-san? Is something wrong with me? Am I bad person for being jealous of the other kids? Why me?"

Lisanna had asked that question to herself many times when her parents died. She knew exactly the pain that tormented Lucy at this exact moment, and she hated it that a small child was going through so much pain. Because right about now, Lisanna saw a glimpse of herself in Lucy.

The Take-Over Wizard couldn't bring herself to speak. And so she brought Lucy into her arms, cradling her like an older sister would. She rocked them back and forth to a silent lullaby, combing through the yellow tresses to calm down the sobbing girl.

"Lucy," Lisanna whispered again. She tried to soothe her friend through wiping away her tears. Tilting the little girl's head upwards to face the sky, Lisanna smiled. "Do you know what your parents would have said if they were here now?"

"No," Lucy replied after a few moments of regaining her voice, shaking her head.

Lisanna turned her gaze to the cerulean sky as well. "Well, I think the first thing they'd do is tell you that they love you. And that they miss you too very much, and that they can't wait to be with you also, that they hear your wishes from the skies. But they also say that you have to stop crying."

Lucy wiped her tears. "Huh?"

"If you ask me, I think you're much more prettier with a smile on." Lisanna grinned, poking Lucy in the cheek. She hugged the young girl closer to her. "But I know that it gets hard to stay strong all the time. And that's perfectly okay because we're all humans. Do you wanna know what's that called?"

"No." Lucy shook her head. "What's it called?"

"Vulnerability," Lisanna answered. "When people are feeling sad or lonely, they're being vulnerable. Sometimes they'll go find comfort through their friends or they might just stay alone with their thoughts. Even the strongest of fighters can become vulnerable."

"Even a pretty knight like Erza-san?" Lucy asked curiously.

Lisanna booped Lucy's nose. "Even a pretty knight like her. Gray, Juvia, Mira-nee, myself and everyone too. Vulnerability is what makes someone human. No one expects you to be strong all the time, because that's impossible. Vulnerability isn't something to be afraid of. You might resent it at first because you don't understand it, but soon you'll realize that it's a part of life. Some days you'll take on dragons, and some days you'll take on yourself."

The white-haired woman took a deep breath before continuing, "The second most important thing your parents want you to know is that they'll always be here," Lisanna pointed to Lucy's heart. "And here," She pointed to Lucy's head.

"So whenever you feel lonely, just remember that your parents are here with you always—"

"Even if they aren't there physically," Lucy finished for her, a calm smile on her face.

"Exactly," Lisanna agreed. She was proud of her intelligent guildmate. "That's why whenever you feel down, you have to get back up on your feet and continue on with your adventure!"

"Aye, sir!" Lucy cheered, holding onto Lisanna even tightly.

"Oh, and Lucy?" Lisanna faced the shrunken blonde with a serious expression.

"Hm?" Lucy clocked her head to the side, awaiting for her older sister's next words.

"Whenever you feel vulnerable, never forget to be kind to yourself."

[ THEN! ]

Bisca Connell could recognize the look longing in a heartbeat.

After all, she had mastered it during a few years back when she and Alzack were a blubbering mess of fools when it came to dating. And once Gildarts revealed his relationship with Cana, Bisca finally knew why Cana was staring at the guy with such longing.

Needless to say, she knew exactly why Lucy was longingly staring at Cana and Gildarts most of the time. The Heartfilia heiress missed her own father. That, or she had a weird crush on the strongest wizard of the guild. But that was highly unlikely since Lucy had an obvious thing with Natsu.

Many members of the guild were orphans when they first joined, it's one of the many reasons why everyone was so protective of each other. And so when there's an opportunity to ease the pain of one wizard, it's no wonder why everyone practically took advantage of this moment. If this was going to give their Lucy a peace of mind from her childhood, then the wizards of Fairy Tail would do everything in their power to do so.

Bisca watched attentively at the scene that laid out before her. She felt a smile creep up to her face, her heart pumping ever-so quickly against her chest. She felt like her head was floating with the clouds.

In the middle of the park were two little girls, one with dark green hair and the other with golden yellow. They were being chased by Alzack, whose chest heaved up and down, worn out by the energy of the two girls. Bisca prayed that this would soothe the loneliness that Lucy felt at this age.

After a few hours or so, once the sun began to take it's rest and left a dark sky in it's absence, Bisca approached the group. She didn't miss the way Asuka and Lucy barely managed to keep their eyes open, they kept staggering beside each other. With unspoken words, Alzack swiftly scooped up his tiny daughter in his hold, leaving Bisca to carry the other girl.

"Did you have fun today?" Bisca cooed as she held Lucy near her chest. The green-haired gunner pushed a few strands of yellow away from the child's forehead, smiling calmly as she did so.

Lucy nodded sleepily. "I did. Thank you, Bisca-san. It felt like I was part of your family. I don't feel so lonely anymore."

Bisca let the girl's head fall to her shoulder. She hummed the tune of a lullaby, relishing in the peacefulness of it all she followed Alzack back to the guild. Once a few minutes passed, she decided to reply to Lucy, not really knowing if she was listening at all.

"Don't feel lonely anymore, Lucy," Bisca whispered, feeling her heart being squeezed by death itself. "We may have our shortcomings but we're your family too, Lucy. Fairy Tail will always be your family."

Bisca stared at the blonde, longing to erase every single pain that she ever felt in her life. "So please," She begged, "Don't feel lonely anymore. We're all here for you."

[ LASTLY! ]

Natsu Dragneel wanted to spend the whole day with Lucy, but seeing as it that the people who babysat her were complete demons, he had no choice in the matter.

And although he wanted to scold them all for letting he stay out so late, he just couldn't get the words out. He stared at the little Lucy as she chattered the night away, hands intertwined with Happy's paw as they all walked together to Natsu's home. After her short nap with Asuka, Lucy woke up as perky as ever.

"It seems like you had a blast today, Luce," Natsu chuckled, seeing that his partner's smile rivaled the sparkle of those stars in the sky.

Lucy nodded. She squealed, jumping up and down excitedly. "I did! I did! Mira-san let me color! Erza-san let me punch her practice dummy! Juvia-san and Gray-san let me go wherever I wanted even though they kept losing me—"

"What?!" Natsu made a mental note to punch the Ice Princess in the face first thing in the morning.

"Oh, don't worry," Lucy interjected, not the least intimidated by the fact that Natsu was about to burst in flames. "They gave me so much candy afterwards! Oh, and then Lisanna-san bought me many dresses and ribbons! Bisca-san and Alzack-san let me play with Asuka and they made me dinner at their home!"

Lucy collapsed to the paved ground, a content smile on her delicate face. "I had a great day today." She put her hand over her heart. "I'll never forget this day."

Natsu smiled. He sure hoped that she didn't forget this day. He also prayed that he would get the most time with her for the rest of the week. Once his humble abode was in sight, he held out his hand to Lucy.

"Come on," He said, wriggling his fingers in invitation. "My home is right there. It's time for you to sleep."

Lucy didn't hesitate to take his hand, she noticed it felt right. Happy was now trailing behind them with his wings in the air, steadily flowing with the wind. Lucy noted that their house was surrounded by the forest. And if her imagination was right, there was a ton of monsters lurking around in forests. The thought made her stop in her tracks.

"I don't wanna go anymore!" Lucy stomped her foot down, crossing her arms. She masked her fear by being one demanding brat. It worked, most of the time.

Natsu crouched. He squeezed his best friend's cheeks quite tightly. "And why is that?"

The mini blonde pouted. "In the stories I read, they said that Vulcans roam around forests. I don't wanna die."

"You ain't gonna die," Natsu replied, frowning at her lack of trust in him. He practically fought the entire guild whilst she was gone to proclaim the title as her protector. "I'm not going to let you get hurt, okay?"

"Promise?" Lucy shyly tore her gaze from his pitch black eyes and turned it to the ground. For some reason, she was drawn to him, and that she could trust his words, that she'd always be safe with him.

"I promise. You don't have to be afraid. Not when I'm here," Natsu said earnestly. When all of this blew over, he needed to remind her that he'd rather die than let her get hurt at all. "Now, lets go home now, mkay?"

He smiled when the little girl took his hand once more. The trio walked up the hill in silence. That is, until Natsu heard someone snickering beside him. The pinkette turned to the flying cat who was smirking devilishly. Happy pointed to Natsu and Lucy before breaking into laughter.

"Wait til' Lucy turns to normal. You liiiike her!"

[ END ]

note1 — i'm not sorry for giving the others a longer feature than natsu. i mean, there are still way more chapters for nalu fluff, i wanted to express lucy's friendship with the others first. my favorite to write was erza, juvia gray, levy, lisanna — gah! i loved writing this all. which one was your favorite?

note2 — all those words they said to lucy, yeah, those are meant for all of you reading as well. you can interpet it however you want to. but i just wanna say, you are never alone, there's always hope for whatever you're going through, you're going to be alright. you deserve the whole world and more.

note3 — to everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed this little fic of mine, i sincerely thank you. just the fact you decided to check this out is enough support for me. thank you all so much! even if you're a silent reader, thank you so much. i hope you enjoyed this one.

have a wonderful day!

ps. how'd i do? was this emotional enough?? halp me.