IMPORTANT: I DO NOT OWN THE COVER PHOTO OR ANY OF THE FAIRY TAIL CHARACTERS/PLOT; ALL CREDIT GOES TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS!
~3rd Person P.O.V~
True to Saiya's word, Lucy slept soundlessly through the night, and the next day; followed by an extra three days without wake. And to say the guild was slightly concerned would be an understatement. Even if the blond was new to the guild, everyone felt as if she was meant to be a member of their large family, that she belonged there. Romeo refused to leave her side at the infirmary, Mirajaine demanded that Lucy was moved into the medical room to be under constant watch, while Macao told old stories of his adventures to the sleeping mage; slipping fragments of the other guild members in as well. "Really though, Lucy, we need you to wake up." The elder fire mage explained as he grabbed handfuls of his pants between his fists. "We all really like you here. And everyone can tell Natsu really cares about you. You have to wake up." Romeo would hold the girls hands in his smaller ones and simply talk to her as if she was awake. Both Conbolt males felt terribly guilty about the blond's condition; feeling as if it were directly their fault that she was so 'injured'.
"Natsu-san!" Romeo gasped as the pink haired slayer burst into the room. "The old man wants Lucy out front so some old lady can check her out." He explained before lifting the girl from the bed. Natsu, personally, couldn't help the frown that pulled at his lips as he looked down at the blond in his arms. Her skin was a shade paler than her normal tan-like skin while small bags slightly drooped under her eyes, her normally golden toned blond hair no longer held its beautiful shimmer and was reduced to a bland sandy yellow. Her lips were no longer a bright, healthy, pink; rather, a pale colorless hue. Lastly, her breathing was so shallow Natsu sometimes struggled to tell if she was even performing the necessary action anymore.
All because of some spell involving one spirit and a key
"How is she?" Mirajaine was the first person to speak and break the deafening silence as Natsu reappeared with Lucy in hand. "She doesn't look too good.." He coughed before gently placing Lucy down on a chair. "She's really cold." Natsu added as he recalled the freezing touch of the girls skin, colder than Gray's himself. A certain female grumbling from outside helped lift the guilds spirits up in hope that Porlyusica would have the power to wake the blond from her, seemingly endless, sleep. "You ignorant fools, calling me all the way out here! This is why I hate humans!" Makarov couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine as the guilds doors were violently thrown open, something that seemed to be happening a lot in the past few days. Porlyusica didn't bother to hold back her wrath and choose to immediately scream; "Well?! Where is the damn broad?! I don't have all day you know!" "She's right here." Mirajaine spoke before Natsu could have an outburst. That would surely cause more trouble than there already was.
The pink haired medic didn't waste any time and got straight to work. She dropped her bag on the wooden table Lucy sat at with an obnoxious 'bang'. The woman swatted her blond hair over her right shoulder and stretched out her ear before leaning in and yelled, at the top of her lungs, "WAKE UP!" Porlusica paused and waited for a reaction, a small sigh escaping her mouth as there was none. Gray and Elfman barely managed to catch Natsu and yank him backward as he lunged to grab the medic when she raised a hand and slapped Lucy clean across her face. "There's nothing I can do. She'll stay asleep forever." Porlyusica stated as she moved to grab her bag. However, she suddenly froze as the air seemed to chill and small cracking sounds began to emit from the blonds body. "Don't touch her!" She quickly snapped as Natsu moved to grab Lucy's hand. Porlyusica began to squint as she studied the girls face for any abnormalities, eyes widening as she spotted the crack like mark on her cheek that was growing in size. Her lips were now a deadly blue and the chair she sat on began to form layers of ice.
The ends of her fine hair also began to freeze while the rest of her body began to turn purple and blue from frost bite. The entirety of Lucy's left arm turned crystallized in a thick layer of clear ice and only served to make the guild more upset and fearful. "Lucy!" Saiya cried as tears began to swell in her blue eyes. "Porlyusica, what's going on?" Makarov demanded as he hopped up from his spot at the bar in concern. "I don't know! This isn't like anything I've ever heard of! Unless.." "Unless?" "Has this girl performed any large spells recently? Particularly dangerous? Something that requires large amounts of magic?" Everyone felt their eyes widen in realization. "Lucy, she bound a spirit to a key mid-battle." Fairy Tail's guild master answered. "That's impossible!" Porlyusica gasped before she was watching Lucy with wide eyes. "P-please! You have to do something!" Saiya sobbed to the woman. "T-there's nothing I can do about this." The pink haired medic shook her head. "You'll freeze if you touch her. Nothing can be done-" "So you'd just give up like that?!" Natsu roared as he gave Porlyusica the deadliest glare she'd ever seen.
"Lucy is all Saiya has! You can't just leave her to die! Besides, she never found Draco!" "What do you expect me to do?! Not everyone can be saved!" Porlyusica fired back. "Lucy is a guild mate! She's family! We would never stop helping her-!" Everyone's eyes widened as Lucy's body suddenly shattered into thousands of pieces, turning to nothing more than a pile of ice. But before anyone could even consider mourning over her 'death', a bright light began to emit from the ceiling. A familiar black and white cloak blended into the guilds sight alongside the jingling of keys as the cloaked figure fell straight into the wooden table where Porlyusica and Natsu stood. "Damn that hurt." Lucy's melodic voice groaned as she rose from the, now broken, table; dusting specks of wood and dirt off as she did so. Time seemed to flow in slow motion as a hand with a pink guild mark reached up to pull the hood of their cloak down, revealing golden blond hair and plump lips pulled back in a small grimace. Brown eyes with golden specks shimmered with their usual fierceness and a sharp tongue fired; "Tch. The bastard just had to drop me from up high!"
"Lucy!" The blond turned around with flushed cheeks, probably from the cold, to face her crying exceed with wide eyes. "Saiya-?" "I was so scared! I thought you were gonna die!" The silver cat sobbed as she buried her face in the girls chest. Now that the guild had a good look at her, goosebumps could be found on her skin and small white snowflakes in her hair; suggesting she'd just returned from somewhere very cold. "Sorry." Lucy murmured as she stroked her exceeds head with one hand and hugged her body with the other. "You stupid brat!" A voice suddenly boomed before Aquarius forced open her gate and materialized next to the blond. She quickly wrapped her arms around her neck and began to strangle her in a headlock as she continued on with her rant. "Did you honestly think you could do that on your own?! You could've died!" Lucy easily broke out of her spirits hold and took a step back to ensure she wouldn't try anything else before responding.
"Well I didn't. What do you care anyways? You don't even like me Aquarius." Her statement only served to rouse the mermaids anger even more. "You're absolutely right I don't like you! You're a stupid little kid who goes around acting like she knows how to do everything! You got a death-wish or something!?" But her spirits response only caused a small, girlish, giggle to escape the girls mouth; something that made all the males blush at its cuteness. "You know, if you're worried about me just say so." Lucy smiled fondly up at her spirit. "Tch. Whatever." Aquarius exclaimed in a haughty tone as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked in the other direction. "I'm going on a date, with my boyfriend. Don't bother me!" The smile fell from the girls face and instead was replaced with an annoyed expression. "If anyone's an idiot its her.." Lucy muttered. "Lu? What happened to you?" Saiya suddenly questioned causing everyone to listen in close for her response.
"Oh. I had to fight that Ice Serpant again because he kept on breaking the key I made." She answered as if it were an everyday thing. "And that whole body of ice was supposed to be a decoy so no one tried to interrupt the battle. He did that all on his own." Lucy shrugged her shoulders before her stomach made a loud belch. "Whoa! Lucy turned into a monster!" Happy gaped as she flew around the girls head. "No, I think Luce is just an animal, Happy." Natsu chimed in. "I'm not an animal!" She protested with a blush. "Yeah, only an idiot like you could think up something like that." Gray smirked as he sided with the blond. Just like that things seemed to click and everything went back to normal. Natsu and Gray's fighting triggered an all out guild brawl and soon everyone was acting like they always did. Mirajaine dragged Lucy off to get some food at the bar while Macao and Romeo followed behind the girl to speak with her.
"Makarov," Porlyusica said as she looked down at the man. "It would be in your best interest to send that girl to come and see me soon. That spell she performed, its not as simple as you'd think. There could be something extremely wrong with her. Keep a close eye on her." She explained in a serious tone. "Of course. I'll be sure to do exactly that." He nodded his head. "Is that all, or was there something else?" Makarov didn't fail to notice how Porlyusica watched the girl from the corner of her eyes as she gathered her things. "Bring her to see me." She repeated to ensure that Makarov understood that it had to be done.
"No Natsu! Go get your own!" Lucy snapped for what felt like the hundredth time as she slapped the boys hand away from the delicious plate of food Mirajaine made for her. "But Luce! I'm starving!" Natsu whined as he tried to steal a piece of her bacon. "And I am too! Go get your own!" The blond huffed before she took another bite of her buttermilk pancakes. "And you get away too!" She slammed her foot onto Gray's face while she pressed her back against the pinkette's chest to keep them from eating her food. "Oh my." Mirajaine giggled as she watched the trio interact. "I bet you Natsu will get her food first." Wakaba wagered causing Cana to smirk. "Nah. My money's on Lucy keeping them away." The card mage laughed. Reedus chuckled and shook his head as he pulled out his art supplies and began to paint the scene before him. "Please Luce!" "Yeah! Share a little, Lucy!" Gray and Natsu pleaded as they struggled to reach her plate.
"I said no!" Next thing the guild knew, both mage's were chasing Lucy around the guild as she struggled to eat her food while running. "Ah, young love." Mira sighed causing Makarov to laugh. "Maybe with one of them." He nodded his head as he watched Gray ruffle the girls hair as if she were a child, happily munching on her food, while Natsu glared at the ice mage in jealousy. "Say, Lucy. Wanna go on a mission with me?" Gray questioned as he slung an arm around her shoulders in a playful manner. "As if she'd want to go on a mission with a stripper like you!" Natsu yelled as he bashed his head against his 'rivals'. "Oh yeah?!" "Yeah!" "Well?! Which is it Lucy?!" Said girl sweatdropped and sighed as the duo both turned and looked at her, expecting the answer(s) they so desired. "I have to go home and take a shower. I'm not going on a mission with anyone-" "Told ya'!" Natsu smirked in victory. "Maybe some other time, Gray. I'll show you not all holder types are as weak as you expected." Lucy's eyes glittered with mischievousness causing Gray's eyes to mirror hers. "Sure." He nodded his head after running a hand through his raven black hair. "Until then." Lucy waved over her shoulder as Saiya flew next to her.
"You can't go on a mission with Luce." Natsu growled as he glared at Gray in pure hatred. "Say's who? I don't see you on a team with her, hot head." These words seemed to strike a thought in Natsu's head before he was at the request board with an excited grin. Who said it was against the rules to use someone else's ideas?
Lucy hummed a small tune as she walked on the edge of the road, balancing on the slightly higher ground next to the clear waters next to her. "Be careful miss! We wouldn't want you to fall in!" Some boaters yelled in concern. "I will, thank you!" She answered with a small smile. "Lu?" "Hm?" Lucy took a deep breath and relished in the clean scenery around her. "Does this mean we'll stay here? Since you already found a place to stay and all?" The silver exceed landed on the girls shoulder and leaned against her head. "I suppose it does." She nodded as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "What about when we find Draco? Then what?" The question only made Lucy's smile fall as she began to contemplate on its answer. "I dunno." The slayer sighed. "Do you ever think about why he left?" "All the time, Saiya. All the time." As they rounded on a medium sized, two story, flat the questions stopped and Lucy felt like all the weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "I need a shower." -That would surely take her mind off of things.
"I'll be in your room~" Saiya sang as she left the blond behind. "Sure, do whatever." Lucy responded even though the exceed didn't hear her. The blond shut the bathroom door behind her before she dropped her cloak to the ground and her faked expressions. Lucy braced the marble counter top of the sink and leaned forward in pain as her three broken ribs sent her nerves haywire each time she breathed. Small and medium sized gashes adorned her skin here and there followed by purple and blackish bruises, not to mention how exhausted she felt from the lack of magic energy inside of her body. Her knuckles turned white from the hold she held on the counter while her breathing came out in small, pained, pants. After discarding the rest of her clothes to the floor Lucy limped over to the bathtub and turned the faucet on high. Grabbing some medical bath salt from the shelf under the sink, Lucy poured it into the water and eased in. A small hiss sounded from her mouth as the steaming liquid met all of her injuries but she soon submerged herself in the tub.
"Leave you? Now why would I ever do that? You are my daughter after all, even if you are an annoying snot nosed brat. Dragons never lie, you know."
Lucy hold her breath as she allowed her upper torso to sink under the water in an attempt to block out the memories of her father. Its not that she didn't enjoy thinking of him, it was quite the opposite. One of Lucy's favorite past times is recalling all the good, and bad, times with her dragon. But it was like a double edged sword. While they made her smile, it also pained her to know that he up and left one day with no real reason or explanation. Draco had always claimed he would be there for the blond, that he would be her family and then some, yet he left. He claimed that he loved Lucy like the daughter he never had, yet he left. Realizing her lungs burned for air, Lucy broke through the surface of the water just enough so she could breathe.
"Your name will be Lucy of the Stars. You don't need a real last name because that's where you belong; with me in the stars!"
She sometimes wondered if that was some sort of clue her father had left behind, a clue to his whereabouts. Was he watching her from the stars? Laughing to himself as he watched her different adventures? Or was he in a different galaxy, exploring on his own as he had promised to do with her so many times. The blond splashed some water on her face before smoothing out her hair, taking a deep breath as she did so as to clear her mind. "Whatever. When I find that old man I'll give him a piece of my mind." She said to herself as she grabbed her shampoo bottle from the shelf. After lathering up her hair Lucy rinsed the strawberry scented shampoo out and replaced it with her conditioner. While she let the substance set the blond washed her body with a bar of soap and simply relaxed for what felt like the first time in ages. Not wanting her skin to prune, Lucy rinsed the conditioner from her hair and pulled up the drain to let the water recede.
After wrapping a fluffy white towel around her body, the blond threw her dirty clothes in a hamper and double-checked that her keys and belt were on the counter. While the bath salt helped heal the majority of her cuts and other small wounds, her ribs still ached every-time she breathed; something that didn't exactly surprise her. As she stepped out of the bathroom Lucy couldn't help but admire her apartment. While it was slightly outdated, mostly in the kitchen, she thought it was a real steal considering the condition it was in. All Lucy really wanted to do was slip into some clothes and fall face first into her comfy mattress, but with the next events that seemed highly unlikely. "Get out." The cold words flew out of her mouth before the blonds brain could even comprehend what she had just said, eyes narrowing in on Natsu and Happy who had utterly trashed her room with clawmarks on the walls and crumbs on the floor. Lucy could only hope neither party had stained her carpet yet..
"That's how you treat your first guests? So mean!" Lucy walked past the pink haired boy without so much as a second glance and headed straight for her dresser. "You have a nice house, Lushy." Happy exclaimed as he dug his claws into the walls, again. "I know. That's why you two need to leave. I don't want any guests." She swiftly responded before heading back to the bathroom. Somehow deep down she knew their leaving was unlikely.
"What exactly are you doing here?" Lucy groaned after preparing some tea for her unwanted guests. "We wanted to come and check out your new pad!" Natsu laughed. "By the way, I found this stack of papers. What is it-?" The poor boy didn't have time to finish before Lucy snatched her writing from his hands and kicked him halfway across the room. "Nothing you idiot! Drink your tea and get the hell out!" The blond screeched as she quickly shoved the story back into her desk. "You'd kick me over nothing?" Natsu pouted as he rubbed the throbbing bruise on his cheek. "Yeah! I would!" Lucy snapped as she grabbed her face in pain. "H-hey! Are you alright?" Natsu asked with wide eyes before he was rushing over to the girl. "I'm fine." She quickly waved him off and made her way back to the kitchen table. "What was that all about, Lu?" Saiya never failed to ask questions at the right, and wrong, times. "I already said I was fine." Lucy sighed before taking a sip of her tea. "Say, Lucy. Why don't you show me and Happy those weird cow men of yours?" Natsu suggested. "They're called Celestial Spirits." The blond rolled her eyes. "Yeah! Those!" He eagerly nodded his head. "I guess I could show you how to form a contract." Lucy hesitantly agreed. "Could you fetch me my keys from the bathroom?" "Sure thing Lu~"
The silver haired exceed returned in seconds with the golden belt, gently placing it in front of the blond before she took her own spot on the table in anticipation. After taking a deep breath Lucy rose once more and walked to the center of the room with a silver key in her left hand. Little did Natsu know the sight would soon take his breath away. She shut her eyes and placed one hand over her heart as she extended her left hand in front of her, and recited; "I call upon thee in the world of the Celestial Spirits, I beckon you to my side at once. Pass through the gate! Open: Gate of the Canis Minor, Nikola!" A small breeze picked up and caused the girls hair to sway slightly as she spoke while the golden specks in her eyes shun under the natural light from outside. "Lucy is so pretty." Saiya said in awe as she summoned the tiny spirit with a certain grace. The blond crouched down in front of the snowman like 'dog' and flipped open to a clean page in her tiny handheld notebook. "Are you free on Mondays?" She asked with a genuine smile. It was a simple process, really. While Natsu could have made a joke on how boring it was to watch or how weird her spirit looked, he instead found himself unable to look at anything other than Lucy.
Her eyes held a rare fondness and her expression seemed carefree. "Now to name you.." She placed her thumb between her lip and slightly bit down on the skin, a habit she picked up on as a child. "Natsu? Did Lucy poison your tea? Your face is red." Happy shamelessly exclaimed as he eyed the pinkette, who's hair matched the shade of his blush. "I got it! Your name will be Plue!" "That's a stupid name." Natsu coughed in an attempt to regain his normal attitude. Lucy scowled at his blunt interruption and sent him a quick glare before engaging the spirit in a tight hug. "I promise to treat you like my family, Plue!" She declared. "As a Celestial Spirit Mage Lucy makes sure that she keeps all of her promises." Saiya explained. "What is he doing?" The pinkette laughed as Plue suddenly began to dance and say something unintelligible. "You're right!" "You can understand him?!" Lucy gaped only to get no answer. "Then its decided." Natsu exclaimed as he too jumped up from his seat. "You'll be the new member to our team!"
"Sorry?" Lucy raised an eye at the offer in surprise. "Will you? Join my team, I mean." He offered her a toothy grin that caused butterflies to swell in her stomach. Lucy had fought on her own for so long it felt odd thinking about having company other than Saiya.
"This is... You can't always be alone, Lucy. No matter how strong you are, fighting with those you love, that is true strength."
Her hand met Natsu's in a signature handshake as she felt excitement swell alongside the butterflies. "Sure!" Brown eyes widened as she felt arms wrap around her waist and a face buried in her hair. "You should get those ribs checked out." Natsu murmured low enough so neither Happy nor Saiya heard him. She wasn't even sure how Natsu even knew about her injuries, but Lucy didn't much care either. His warm embrace, literally, made her skin tingle as she inhaled his addicting scent that made her heart skip a beat. Lucy found herself wrapping her arms around Natsu's back and deepened their hold on one another as she simply relished in the feeling of being embraced by someone. "I picked out our mission already too." Natsu said without letting go of his hold on the girl. "What's it about?" Resisting the urge to snicker, Natsu handed the girl the mission and waited.
"...Looking for blond maids." A deadly calm expression settled on Lucy's face as she slowly curled the mission up in a ball. "Um, Natsu?" Saiya exclaimed as she hid behind a chair. "Yeah?" "Run." "Get your ass back here you idiot!" She was gonna teach him what happens when you trick someone like her.
"Lucy you have to address me as your 'master'!" Happy wailed as he shook the poor blonds shoulders. "I'll barf on you if you don't u-unhand me, damn cat." She hiccuped in response while she mustered up a weak glare. "Natsu! Lucy's being mean again!" The blue exceed whined. "H-Happy? You may want to sit down." Saiya shivered as she recognized the glint in Lucy's eyes. "Huh?" -Natsu had never seen Happy shut up so quickly. A rough jolt from a bump in the road sent Lucy flying straight into Natsu's lap where his firewood scent wrapped around her like a thick blanket. Her nausea quickly died off and fell to the back of her mind, even more so when the pink haired slayer wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body closer to his. Lucy's arms seemed to move on their own for they found themselves wrapped around Natsu's body as well while her face was buried in the crook of his neck. "Why?" The blond suddenly murmured against his skin causing goosebumps to rise. "Why what?" Natsu choked out. "Why'd you ask me to be apart of your team?" Her question forced the boy to draw in a breath as he wasn't absolutely sure himself. "You seem like a nice person and a good addition to the team." He confessed. "Even if you are a weirdo." Natsu added causing the girl to roll her eyes. "You're weirder than me, Natsu." Lucy meekly protested. "Nah. We all know you're the real weirdo here Luce." And his response only served to make the girl smile and her heart swell, rather than make her annoyed and upset.
Maybe she really was weird.
Upon arriving at Shirotsume, Lucy got off of Natsu's lap with much difficulty; seeing as her legs had fallen asleep from the awkward position she had sat in. "See! You really are a weirdo!" Natsu snickered as she struggled to walk, looking as if she had legs of jello. "Shut up!" Lucy scowled as she slowly regained the feeling of her legs. "I'm hungry." "Aren't you always?" Lucy muttered in response to Happy's statement. "Lets eat here! C'mon Luce!" Natsu yelled in excitement as his gaze landed on a nice looking restaurant. "I'm not hungry right now. You guys go on ahead while I look around." The pink haired slayer crossed his arms and frowned as he watched Lucy and her exceed disappear around the corner, disappointment bubbling in his stomach at the thought of not spending time with the blond and her partner. "We should save all the fatty foods for Lucy so she doesn't get hungry later!" Happy suggested between bites of fish. "Good thinking Happy!" "Aye!"
"What's that supposed to mean you mangy feline?" A familiar voice hissed accompanied by the sound of footsteps. "Eh-?" Food dropped out of Natsu's mouth as his eyes landed on the oddly dressed blond. Her hair was parted in pigtails while a few strands staid down to frame her face while the rest of her body was covered in a full maids dress. A perfectly polished pair of black Mary Jane's adorned her feet, followed by a pair of white thigh high stockings. A black skirt covered the lower half of her body where an apron was tied over in front, a black corset hugged her bust in a flattering manner, and had white sleeves that extended out to her shoulders. The collar of her undershirt was folded downward to cover the back of her red ribbon which was tied into a perfect bow on the front. "L-Lucy!" Natsu stuttered as he took in her appearance. She kept her hands linked together behind her back as she stepped forward, gently eased into her seat as to ensure she wouldn't wrinkle the outfit. "I know, it looks stupid." She blushed and adverted her gaze to the left. "No-" "Holy shit! Look at that!" Someone yelled before Lucy was abruptly yanked out from her seat as someone held her wrist in their hands.
"How about you come on home with me, babe? I'll show you what a real 'master' can do." The green haired teen purred as he used his free hand to grope at her hip. "No thank you." Lucy politely declined in hopes he would back off. That was unlikely. "I could show you a real good time." He winked in a suggestive manner causing Lucy to inwardly cringe. "She said," Natsu growled as he ripped his hand away from Lucy's. "No thank you. That means scram." In fear of the slayers smoldering gaze the boy ran off with his 'tail between his legs' leaving Lucy to deal with the upset mage. "Are you alright?" Lucy's eyes widened as he took her wrist in his hands and gently rotated it to see if she was injured or not. "Y-yeah." She responded completely breathless. "Good." Natsu nodded his head as he ran his calloused thumb along her skin. "We're on a team now so that means we look out for each-other. I won't let anyone hurt you Lucy, I promise." He declared. "They liike each-other~" "Shut it!"
"My name is Kaby Melon. Its a pleasure to meet you. I really must thank you for accepting my job." Kaby began while Natsu and Happy fantasized about his name. "You see, Duke Everlue owns a book named 'Daybreak.' It needs to be burned." He explained causing Natsu to smirk. "No problem there-" "We are not burning an entire house down so you can cut it out." Lucy shot his idea down before he even had a chance to propose it. "Is there a specific reason why you want this book destroyed, Mr. Melon?" The blond questioned. "We're getting 20,000 jewel. Who cares why he wants the book gone?" Natsu scowled. "Oh? Were you not informed? The reward has been raised to 2 Million." This new information only served to make Lucy all the more suspicious. "Why has the reward been raised this much?" The girl prodded as she leaned forward. "That book. It must be destroyed at all costs. It is essential to me that Daybreak is burned." "Am I 'fired up' now! Lets do this Luce!" Natsu had dragged the blond out of the mansion before she could finish her questioning, and before they could hear Kaby's last words.
"Daybreak. It cannot exist any further."
"Alright Lucy, don't screw this up. We're depending on you." Natsu and Happy whisper yelled after shoving her out from behind a tree. "You got it Lu! Use your killer beauty!" Saiya cheered as she watched the girl walk toward the giant gates of Duke Everlue's Mansion. "This is so embarrassing." Lucy inwardly groaned as she attempted to fight down her burning blush. "E-excuse me? I'm here for the maids position?" She cupped her hands over her mouth to extend the range of her voice. Lucy barely managed to dodge the giant pink haired maid that burst out from the ground, sharp eyes quickly examining her body for any signs of danger. What stood out the most was the maids scent, something that resembled a spirits; the Zodiac to be exact. "You're a maid?" The woman's voice boomed. Lucy brightened her smile in an attempt to make herself look more flattering before responding, "Y-yes!" "Then I assume you're here because of the add placed in the paper by my master?" She had to dodge for the second time that day as another person burst out from the ground, twirling his mustache between his fingers as he did so.
"Did someone call me?" Duke Everlue snickered. "Master, this girl is here for the maids position." "Is she now?" Lucy suppressed a shiver as Everlue studied her body with greedy eyes as he held his chin. "Sorry but a man with such high tastes like myself could never let such an ugly girl like you work for them. It would dirty his name!" The remaining four maids burst out from the ground behind Everlue as he continued his speech. "That is why I make it a personal standard to only hire the most beautiful maids there are." "Yeah. So get out of here before you infect us, ugly!" All four maids sneered. But instead of being upset over the fact that she had been called ugly so many times, Lucy instead found herself watching the pink haired maid who loomed over her body and met her gaze. The blond bowed her head forward, ever so slightly, in respect before turning over her heel and down the sidewalk of the large mansion. "What was that about, Virgo?" Everlue asked as we noticed his maid watching the girl walk off. "Nothing master, nothing at all." She shook her head.
When Lucy reappeared behind the cover of some trees she was in her normal outfit with her half black shirt. "You had to mess it up, didn't you." Natsu shook his head in disappointment. "There was nothing I could have done about it. If you wanted a better result you should have taken someone who is actually pretty, like Mirajaine." Lucy shrugged her shoulders causing the slayer to frown. "But Lu! You are pretty!" Saiya protested as she flew around the girls head. "Don't listen to that old man Luce. He has bad taste is all." Natsu sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Besides, I think you're prettier than Mirajaine anyways." Lets just say Lucy's face then turned the same shade as Natsu's 'salmon' hair.
"We're not going to storm his house, Natsu."
"Aw! You're no fun Lucy!"
"Man, this is so boring. Why didn't we just kick the front doors open?" Natsu complained as he melted the glass to one of the window panes on the roof. "Because that's how you get arrested. I don't know how you did things on your 'team' in the past, but I'm not going to jail because of you." Lucy shook her head. "Like I said. You're no fun." He grumbled before pushing the, now, unlocked door open. Saiya and Lucy looked around in awe at the various artifacts that littered the large storage room, until Happy jumped out with a skeleton on his face, that is. While Saiya flew right into the wall Lucy stumbled and tripped over a box of treasures, landing flat on her butt with a pale face and pounding heart.
"Are you really gonna make us open every door to this place? Why can't we just force someone to tell us where the book is?" Natsu suggested. "The point is not to be found. You have to be stealthy and quiet. Like a ninja." Why was she not surprised the word ninja roused something in the two 'idiots'? "Intruder Alert!" Before the four maids could do anything serious, Happy screamed again from under his skeleton mask and scared them away. What surprised her the most, though, was the fact that Virgo didn't crush anyone other than Natsu. She completely avoided Lucy, and the exceeds around her. The pink haired slayer threw her body away with ease and sent her flying into a wall where she was knocked unconscious.
"C'mon Lucy! Lets find the book while we can!" As Natsu dragged the blond away to the library her eyes were pinned on a certain spirit like maid on the first floor. 'How odd.' Lucy said to herself. Upon entering the large room filled with books Lucy placed Saiya on her head, much to Natsu and Happy's confusion. "What are you doing?" "Finding the book." The blond stated as if it were obvious. Saiya's blue eyes began to glow before she was looking around the room at rapid speeds. Within minutes she had found the 'sparkly', as Natsu would put it, book. But before Natsu could spark the book up in flames, Lucy snatched it away with wide eyes. "Wait a second! I didn't know this book was written by Kemu Zaleon!" She gasped. "Kemu a who?" The name felt foreign on Natsu's tongue. "You know what? It doesn't really matter. Gimme the book so I can burn it and finish the job." The slayer held out his hands in an expectant manner, as if Lucy would hand over the book so easily. Gears began to turn in Lucy's head as she narrowed her eyes at the book, piecing together the bits and pieces of information she already knew about the great author. "Kaby Melon." Lucy murmured as she traced the authors name.
"It must be destroyed at all costs."
Eyes went wide in realization as Lucy quickly understood that the book was not what it seemed. "No." Lucy surprising denied as she hugged the book to her chest. "You can't burn it. Not yet at least." "Stop playing around Lucy! This is our job!" Natsu scolded as he grabbed for the book. "Natsu. This book isn't ours to burn. There's some sort of secret written in here. Let me read it and then we can burn it-!" "Oh? A secret? Do tell." A nasty voice sneered before Everlue popped out of the ground on the other side of the room. "Just give me the book Lucy! We can end this now!" Natsu repeated as he sent his fist up in flames. "What kind of teammate wouldn't trust their friend when they say something is wrong?" Lucy suddenly exclaimed causing the boys eyes to widen. "Fine then. If you doubt me so much then you can have all the reward after I'm done reading it. I'd never stay on a team with someone who couldn't believe in their comrades!"
"Give me my book back! Take your filthy hands off of it!" Duke Everlue yelled as he pointed a finger at the blond. "Go to hell!" Everlue practically choked to death as she shot to the left and rushed out of the room, leaving a frozen dragon slayer and his partner behind. "Come, Vanish Brothers! Catch that vile wench!" The Duke cried before a hidden door in the wall opened. "Happy, go with Lucy. I don't think she has enough magic in her to fully protect herself." "But I thought you wanted to burn the book? Why aren't you going to come with me?" Happy asked in confusion. "If Lucy says that there's something we're missing about that book, then I trust her. Besides, she's right. Real teammates believe and trust in one another." "Aye sir!" "Meanwhile, I'll stay here and deal with these punks." Natsu could only hope that Lucy was right about her hunch.
As Lucy ran down the long corridors of Duke Everlue's mansion she read through the pages of Daybreak with record speed. She knew there was something she was missing. Some piece to the puzzle that could finish it all. Kaby was hiding something, this she knew. And then there was the factor of how his name rung a bell in her head. Kaby Melon : Kemu Zaleon : Zekua Melon. It was all connected somehow.
"You're a smart girl Lucy. Trust your gut, you've always had a strong six sense. The stars will help lead the way. Just listen."
"Please," Lucy murmured as she brushed her free hand over her keys. "Help me." Her blood seemed to warm and pump at a faster rate as her skin began to tingle. The blonds feet began to move on their own accord as she drank in the vast sea of information in her hands. She found herself flying down sets of stairs until she was far under the mansion and instead in the nasty sewers. Lucy eased onto the floor and yanked on her Wind Reader Glasses which gave her the ability to read at a faster pace than she already was. "I was right! This book did hold a secret!" She declared. "Lucy! Look out!" Saiya gasped as she detected an approaching magic body. The blond had barely managed to roll forward and dodge Everlue's crushing grasp, eyes narrowing into a dark glare as her lips pulled back in a dangerous snarl. "Do tell then. Any secrets that trash holds rightfully belongs to me!"
"Let me guess! It tells of where all his greatest fortunes lie!" Everlues voice bounced off of the walls as he used his Diver Magic to shoot back into the ground in hopes of catching the blond while she was unaware of his exact location. "How ignorant can you be?!" Lucy scoffed as she flipped backward to avoid his hold once more. "You want to know what it is so badly?! Its a trashy story about a horrible man named Duke Everlue." "Well, I do agree with you about the story being trashy. I wouldn't say the main character was horrible though, I am the perfect muse after all." Everlue's arrogance only served to add to Lucy's already boiling anger. "You're a sorry excuse of a man! Not only did you blackmail Zaleon but you locked him in solitary confinement for three years! Was it not enough to ruin his families lives?!" A filthy smirk pulled up Everlue's lips at the girls words before he spoke as well. "Why, that was all his fault! Had he agreed to write my story from the beginning I would have never had to do it all! You find it cruel I locked him up for so long? That's just the time it took for him to appreciate me!"
"You couldn't be so wrong! Zaleon never appreciated you! This book wasn't even written for you!" "How can that be?! I've read that book hundreds of times, I'm the only one mentioned!" This time it was Lucy's turn to smirk. "Yes, well, I happen to know something even you don't know. Before Zaleon ever became an author he was a great wizard! When the book was finished he used what little strength he had left and cast a spell on it. This book doesn't belong to you Everlue! It never did, that's why I won't give it back!" Within seconds Lucy had a golden key in her left hand as she swiped it through the air with a certain ferocity only she held. "Open! Gate of the Giant Crab: Cancer!"
Happy and Saiya's eyes widened, however, as Duke Everlue suddenly had a golden key in his hand as well. "Open! Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!" Followed by a large rumble before said spirit appeared with something extra. "L-Lucy look!" Saiya gasped as her eyes landed on the pink haired slayer. "He traveled through the Celestial Spirit world?!" Lucy gaped. "N-now what?!" He yelped. "Finish this so we can go home!" "Right!" He took in a big gulp of air before screaming; "Fire Dragon Roar!" The blond quickly yanked out her whip and coiled it around Everlues body so Cancer could do his thing while Natsu took out Virgo. Next thing either party knew, the Everlue Mansion was reduced to a pile of rubble.
Kaby looked up at Lucy in confusion as she offered him the very book he requested to be burned. "I'm afraid I don't understand." He explained. "I asked that this was destroyed. So why?" His eyebrows furrowed as he easily recognized the burning anger in the girls eyes. "Do not misunderstand me, Mr. Melon. I can see why you would want this book destroyed. Zaleon's your father, correct?" "He.. He is." Kaby gulped. "If you still want to burn the book, then by all means do it. I won't let anyone stop you from doing what you desire. But just know some people would kill to have one last memory of their father. You have something very rare, Mr. Melon. Would you really give that all up because you were hurt by your fathers leaving?" "I most certainly would!" He agreed as he lit up a match. "This book is trash. My father left us for something he never supported in the first place-!"
"Is that why you said he was a bad father?" Lucy clenched her fists. "You've been wrong about everything from the very start! Your father loved you more than anything Kaby! This book isn't trash! Its by far the best work of literature he's ever wrote! Look!" Everyone gasped as the book suddenly levitated into the air and began to glow a bright white. "While it reads normally as Daybreak, when rearranged its real title is revealed; Dear Kaby. This book was hidden behind a spell to hide its true meaning until the one true reader found it. This is a letter to you Kaby, Zekua Melon's son, holding everything he ever wanted to say to you." The girls eyes softened and fell void of her anger as she saw the wetness in Kaby's eyes when the book landed in his hands. It was funny how bittersweet the situation actually was.
"Natsu, Happy, Saiya, lets go." The blond exclaimed as she turned over her heel. "B-but your reward!" Kaby protested. "We were supposed to burn the book." Natsu smiled. "Since we didn't burn it we didn't finish the mission." Lucy shrugged her shoulders. "Take good care of that book, Mr. Melon." Both slayers chorused as they made their way to the exit of the house. "Its time we headed home, that means you too Mr. Melon." Were Natsu's final, parting, words.
As they began their trek home an important question came to Happy's mind. "Say, Lucy? How'd you know all that stuff about the book?" She looked up to the stars as she answered. "Kemu Zaleon is one of my favorite authors. When I'd first caught wind of his death I was devastated. I immediately could tell that something was wrong with the book because it wasn't something Zaleon would ever write and publish. Kaby's story didn't add up and when we broke into Everlue's mansion the pieces started to fall in place. It was pretty easy to figure out, honestly." Lucy explained. "Plus Lucy has this cool six sense ability. She can normally tell when something will go wrong." Saiya chimed in. "Woah! So Lucy's psychic?!" Happy yelled over the sounds of the cooking fire.
"You know what Luce? I've got you all figured out." Natsu suddenly snickered. "Your obsession with books and that stack of papers I found. You want to be a writer don't cha'?" "Shut up!" Lets just say that was the second time Natsu got a Lucy Kick that day.
It had been a long morning of walking through swamps and dense forests. Lucy had staid in Horologiums body for most of the journey and answered small annoying questions Happy would bring up here and there; or simply yell at him for saying something rude, normally along the lines of "Lucy's fat because she never walks on her own." She was just ready to get home and take a real mission so she could actually pay her rent on time. Of course Natsu had to add to the blonds annoyance by jumping at a bush when it began to rustle out of nowhere. "He really is an idiot, isn't he?" Lucy sweatdropped and banged her head against the glass door of Horologiums body. "Its Gray!" Happy yelled in surprise. And not so surprisingly the duo got into an unintelligible argument about whether or not there would be a bathroom in the forest.
"You four should get back to the guild soon too." "Yeah? Why's that Ice Princess?" Natsu sneered. "Erza's on her way home. I'd say she'll be back anytime." Gray shivered. "That's great news! We have to get you back home quick Lucy!" Saiya cheered. "What are you so happy about?" Gray sweatdropped. "Erza is one of the people on Lucy's fight list!" "Fight list?!" Both mages screeched. "No Luce you can't!" "Yeah! Erza will kill you!" "She's a monster!" "A demon!" "She crushed Gray with her pinky!" "Yeah?! Well she knocked Natsu out with a glare!" "Did she?!" "Yeah?!" "WOULD YOU IDIOTS SHUT THE HELL UP?!" Lucy yelled after smacking them both in the back of the head. "Aye sir!" Next thing anyone knew they were engulfed in sand.
"Saiya! Happy!" Lucy's eyes widened as neither exceed could be found. "Help us!" The cats cried as they were tied to a stick over a fire pit. "Oi! You'd best let my friends go!" Lucy snarled as she was the first to find the Eisenwald members. "Oo I'm so scared." Snarl teased. "Tch." The dark guild mages suddenly found themselves withering in fear under the girls dark gaze along with the two beside her. "You think its funny to try and eat our comrades?" Natsu growled. "You mess with one of us you mess with all of us." Gray smirked. "Lucy help me! I don't wanna be eaten!" Saiya cried. And just like that all three mages shot forward. "Sand Bomb!" "Go get the exceeds! I'll cover you!" Gray yelled over all the chaos. "Right!" The blond quickly ran over to her two friends and began to untie them from their binds, ignoring Happy's screams about how she was going to eat him next. "Behind you!" Saiya exclaimed as the Chicken appeared behind the slayer. "Celestial Dragon Iron Fist!" Gray's smirk widened as he watched the blond from the corner of his eyes send the poor mage flying into the trees with a simple punch. "She belongs in Fairy Tail alright."
Soon enough all 5 mages were tied to the tree with Gray and Natsu fighting in the background, again, while Lucy crouched in front of them all. "L-Lulla..by. L-Lullaby." "Lucy look out!" Happy and Saiya crashed into the girl before she could be caught in the large shadow hand that yanked all 5 mages underground. "What the?!" Natsu gaped as he attempted to find the caster of the spell. "Whoever it is, they're gone now." Gray frowned. "Lets just get back to the guild." "Yeah, good idea."
A/N: I apologize for the long wait! I had to finish band-camp and then school started! I have practice Tuesday-Thursday, Football Games Friday, and Competitions almost every Saturday so I was busy and unable to update this fanfic.
~These two episodes (3&4) were hard to write for some reason so I'm sorry if certain parts of the chapter seem awkward. I'm going to try and push out another chapter before the day ends but if I can't it will definitely be up tomorrow 3
THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS/ FAVORITES/ FOLLOWS
Pls do it some more.
Let me know what you think of 'A Heart of Stars' so far, I love your feedback!
-xxTheNightmareBeforexx
