I wrote this one a while back and kinda forgot about it. Figured I'd throw it up here and see what y'all think. Something that struck me about the world of Fairy Tail was that alot of ancient and powerful magical artifacts seem to run off Celestial Magic (Eclipse Gate, Infinity Clock, etc). It made me wonder if there were others in the world that just never got mentioned in the Canon. So from that thought came this little diddy. There's definitely alot of places I could go with this one, so we'll see where it goes.

What a horribly beautiful day, Jude thought bitterly.

A cool breeze ran over a picturesque valley secluded from the outside world by a ring of hills. Enormous leafy oaks created a circle around an enormous clearing in the middle of the valley. Within this, a large white mansion stood, framed by carefully landscaped bushes and a large decorative fence with an elaborate H engraved at the main gate. The only blemish on the otherwise perfect area was a mass of black, moving slowly from the direction of the mansion towards the ring of trees.

On closer inspection, the mass was individuals adorned in silk fineries of deepest black. At the head of the group was a coffin borne by four men. At their front was a well-built man who trod sedately forward, though his eyes never left the ground. He had short-cropped dirty blonde hair and a bushy mustache that tickled the corners of his mouth. Laugh lines surrounded his dark brown eyes, but he showed no trace of a smile as he led the procession.

At his side was a young girl dressed in an elaborate black gown. Her hair was far blonder than the man she clung to, and her eyes a lighter shade of brown. Around her neck she wore a necklace with a single golden key hooked on it, a light blue emblem shining on the handle.

As the congregation approached the border of the clearing with the woods, a large obelisk came into view. It was situated directly in front of a rectangular hole, obviously dug to contain the coffin being brought towards it. The obelisk was gracefully built, with few adornments to detract from the main focus of the stone; the writing on the front describing the lifetime of the person who would soon keep it company.

Layla Heartfilia

X748-X777

The coffin bearers reached the grave first, and the people following slowly surrounded the soon-to-be occupied grave. The funeral-goers talked in hushed whispers as they waited for the burial to commence. The young girl at the head of the procession had grown bored of standing so she began to eavesdrop on the conversations playing out around her.

"I wish they would just get it over with. We've got to get to that ball in the next town before dusk."

"The spread afterwards had better be worth the trip out here."

"Foolish woman, dabbling in magic. She should have just left that to those barbaric guilds."

The girl didn't know what the last one meant, but she had to agree with the first sentiment. She was bored and tired of standing in the sun with this weird dress her maid had put her in. All she wanted to do was go back to the mansion and play with her mother. She had been sick recently and confined to bed, but her father promised that she would get better. She couldn't understand why she had to leave her mother's side to watch her father and his business friends put a box in the ground.

"Maybe if I play with her a bunch she'll get her energy back. Mommy loves hide and seek." The little girl thought, smiling at the prospect. As she began to think about all the hiding places she would use, the coffin was slowly lowered into the waiting grave. She watched with idle curiosity as a man in a big hat started droning on about life and death and other things she didn't really understand. She hoped it would end soon so she could go play. The man in the hat finished talking and they began to bury the box. Not quite sure what was going on, she turned to her father.

"Daddy, why are we burying a box? Can I go play with Mommy once it's done?" She asked sweetly.

The blonde-haired man next to her, Jude Heartfilia, looked down at his daughter smiling as she watched her mother being buried. He nearly broke down in tears as he realized his daughter didn't even know what was happening, or that her mother was now gone forever. The whole situation was a big farce.

He had invited people from fellow wealthy families that he thought were his friends. They had shared meals, made business deals, and had wonderful afternoons enjoying the wealth he had worked so hard to achieve. And yet, at his wife's funeral, all they could think about was condemning his wife for using magic or worrying about how they would spend their evening. He couldn't stand to look at them.

And to top it all off, he now had to explain to his daughter why she couldn't see her mother ever again. As he opened his mouth to speak to his daughter, his eyes caught sight of the key around her necklace. An irrational hatred built up inside him at the thought of his daughter using the very thing that had cost Layla her life. He quashed the feeling, knowing that he had to be a consoling father rather than a grief stricken husband.

"Lucy," he said as he kneeled down next to his daughter. "Mommy's not here anymore. Sh-, She's gone."

I can't do this. How am I supposed to explain death to an eight year old? Oh God, Layla what would you say? Jude thought as his daughter looked up at him with confused eyes.

"But Mommy's sick isn't she? She shouldn't be going places. She should be at home." Lucy told her father. "Where did she go?"

Damn it. What the hell am I supposed to say to that? Jude's thoughts were in complete disarray as he looked down at his daughter. He couldn't bear to see her cry, knowing that it would probably send him collapsing into tears as well. And no matter how much he wanted to cry, he couldn't lose face in front of his guests or his daughter. I just have to tell her, then do what I can. That's all I can do.

"Lucy, Mommy didn't go anywhere, but she's not here anymore. She's… sleeping." Jude told his daughter, tears forming behind his eyes. "We won't be able to see her again."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked. "If she's asleep we just have to wake her up." Lucy pat her father on the back, smiling as though she'd just fixed every problem in the world.

Come on Jude, you can do this. She needs to know. "No, Lucy please listen. Mommy isn't going to wake up. She can't ever again. We won't ever be able to see her again."

Comprehension slowly started to dawn on Lucy's face as she listened to her father. "She won't wake up? But that means… Daddy, is Mommy… dead?" Lucy asked.

Jude was shocked. She had come outright and asked the question he was trying so hard to avoid for her sake. She wasn't even sad about asking it. How could a little girl not even blink at her own mother's death? Has she always been this unnerving?

Something wasn't right. Lucy had brought nothing but happiness to him and Layla, so he couldn't comprehend why he was suddenly seeing her as something foreign and disquieting. I guess I can't expect myself to be thinking straight right now, Jude rationalized. Jude hugged Lucy close to him and barely managed to whisper "yes" before he completely broke down into tears.

The service ended not long after that. The group of mourners had retreated back to the mansion to enjoy themselves at the expense of the family they had all come to console. As the sun started to set, the attendees began to file out until only a few stragglers remained.

Throughout the meal, Jude sat with his daughter on his lap as he struggled to control emotions he didn't know he possessed. Hatred towards the magic that had taken his wife. An uncanny feeling of separation between him and his daughter. And most disturbing of all, an unnatural feeling of enmity towards Lucy. She hadn't shed a single tear the entire night. In fact, she had appeared completely apathetic the entire service.

How could we have raised such an uncaring creature? Jude thought as the remaining guests were leaving. She always seemed so happy and outgoing. Where did we go wrong? He looked down at his now sleeping daughter's face, hoping to find some glimpse of his happy-go-lucky daughter that always brought a smile to his face.

Instead, all he saw was a glimpse of gold around her neck that filled him with rage. If it hadn't been for those damn keys and magic, I'd still have my wife. Jude was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice as the last guest walked up to him and his sleeping daughter.

The man approaching him was a large, tan-skinned man hidden beneath a long black overcoat. Shoulder length silver hair spilled down his neck out of a brown bowler cap. Seeing he wasn't noticed, the man cleared his throat in front of Jude.

"Please, allow me to express my condolences for your loss Mr. Heartfilia." The man said smoothly as he took off his hat. His hair was combed backwards underneath. All together the man cut an imposing yet dapper figure as he gave Jude a slight bow.

"Thank you," Jude automatically answered, having heard the same sentence over and over that night. The only difference between this man and the others though was that his sympathy sounded sincere. Taking a closer look at the man, Jude was slightly surprised.

He didn't recognize the man at all, and he took great care to memorize the names and faces of all his various acquaintances. The inexplicable anger that had been building inside him all day was laid to bare at the strange man. "Who are you," he asked roughly. "I don't recall inviting you to the funeral."

Not appearing shocked at all at Jude's vehemence, the man bowed before introducing himself. "Ah, please forgive me. My name is Duncan, and I represent the Bureau of Magical Development." The man said as he rose from his bow.

At the mention of the word Magic, Jude's eyes nearly burst from their sockets with anger. His face turned red with anger as he looked at his visitor. "Whatever you're after, you can forget it," he spat. "Magic took my wife from me, and there will be no more of it in my home, do you hear me!?" Jude was nearly shouting as he finished, but a rustle from Lucy in his arms kept him from screaming the man out of the estate.

The silver-haired man appeared completely unfazed by the tycoon's outburst. "Of course, that is exactly what I am here to talk to you about Mr. Heartfilia. As I understand things, your wife's passing was due to Magic Deficiency Syndrome, correct?" Duncan asked.

The blood that had filled Jude's face left as quickly as it had come as Duncan talked. "How on Earthland did you know that? Did you look at our medical records?" Jude asked in a hushed tone, trying to keep Lucy asleep.

Duncan sheepishly rubbed the back of his head at the question. However, he was completely unapologetic as he answered. "An unfortunate necessity. It is procedure to look into non-violent magic related deaths. We must make sure it isn't the magic itself that causes the death." Duncan explained. "If a link between magic use and death is found, that branch of magic may be classified as dangerous or even illegal by the Bureau."

Jude's eyes narrowed as he processed the official's explanation. It was a complete invasion of privacy on the government's part, but if it kept dangerous magic out of the populace's hands, Jude supposed he was okay with it. But that wouldn't explain Duncan's appearance at his house. "So why are you telling me this? I'd figure the government would want to keep such invasive behavior a secret from the public?" Jude asked, his curiosity peaked.

Duncan adopted a more serious look, the sympathy written on his face being replaced with a look of grave concern. "Perhaps we should talk in private? I don't think this kind of talk is appropriate for a young child," he said as he nodded at the still sleeping Lucy. Alerted by the man's sudden shift in demeanor, Jude agreed and called a maid.

"Take the child up to her room and put her to bed," he ordered. The maid agreed readily, thought she was slightly perturbed. She had never once heard the master of the house address his daughter as anything but Lucy or one of his many pet names for her. However, an order was an order, so she chalked it up to grief and carried Lucy off to her room. She could feel the master staring daggers at her back the entire time. She chalked that up to grief as well.

"There, we're alone now. So what does your Bureau want with me?" Jude harshly asked as he turned to face Duncan. As he looked, he thought he saw the smallest of smirks on the man's face, but looking again he was greeted with nothing but concern.

"As I explained, it is my job to determine any dangers that could be associated with specific magics. And it pains me to tell you this, but I believe the cause of your wife's illness was possessing Celestial Spirit Magic."

Jude barked a bitter laugh. "Well of course it was. A person can't get magic deficiency if they don't use magic. If that's all you have to say then I think we're done here." Jude began to rise from his seat before Duncan quickly spoke.

"Please I think you're misunderstanding me. It wasn't her use of the magic that caused the illness. It was simply the fact the she could use it." Duncan's tone shifted from explaining to beseeching. "Celestial mages are disappearing all across the continent. Their numbers have dwindled to a mere fraction of what they once were. If I'm correct, those disappearances could be deaths caused by MDS."

The enormity of his claim wasn't lost on Jude. Gate keys were sold like candy in magic shops across Fiore. If he's correct, then anyone who can use this magic is in danger of dying. But it already took my wife, so what does it matter to me at this point? "Very well, I understand your point. But again I have to ask, what does this have to do with me?"

Duncan turned towards Jude and said cautiously, "Mr. Heartfilia, are you aware of hereditary magics?"

"What of them?"

"Well, you see, certain types of magic can be passed on from parent to child. And Celestial Spirit Magic has shown many documented of such an occurrence. Your daughter… she is in danger Mr. Heartfilia."

Jude felt like he'd been smacked in the face. Magic took his wife, and now his daughter too? Good, a malicious voice inside him seemed to revel in his daughter's plight. No more dealing with those damned spirits and their damned magic. Jude fought to shut it out, knowing his grief was behind it.

"Is there anything I can do to help her?" Jude asked. "If I take away her keys will she be safe?" There was faint hope in his question, but the voice inside him was still there, whispering gleefully that there was none.

"Unfortunately it's not that simple. Merely possessing the magic will put her life in danger, whether she uses it or not. However, the Bureau has developed technology that allows us to completely drain a person's magic from their body. Done over a long enough period, it prevents the onset of MDS and the only effect is that the patient can no longer use magic." Duncan smiled winningly. "If you allow us, we can save your daughter.

"You say over a long enough period. Exactly how long would the process take?" The thought should have repulsed him, but he was willing to take any chance to save Lucy. The voiced coerced him forward, whispering of a future without the magic that took Layla from him.

Duncan gave a wide grin as he realized that the businessman was seriously considering the offer. "The process itself will take about two years. It must be done very slowly as speeding it up could incite MDS, rather than eliminate the risk of it."

"And it's safe? She won't be harmed in any way?" Jude asked, nearly onboard with the idea.

Duncan's grin grew wider, knowing he had convinced the man. "Absolutely none. And I will personally oversee the entire process to make sure nothing goes wrong. Rest assured, your daughter will be completely safe in our hands."

Don't do it! Another voice in the back of Jude's head screamed. But he ignored it. "Very well, I'll trust her to you. I expect her back and magic-free within two years."

"Of course, sir. I shall escort her to the facility and we will begin treatment at once." Duncan said with another bow. "Now if you will bring her down, we'll leave at once."

"Of course." Jude snapped his fingers, summoning another maid. His face showed no emotion, as though he was merely conducting a routine business deal. He stood and walked away from the table, returning with a bottle of wine. "A glass for the road?" He inquired as he poured himself a drink. "I like to celebrate new ventures with a little toast."

Duncan nodded his consent. "I'd love one if you're offering." Jude poured another glass and they clinked their glasses together. "To your daughter's health." Duncan proclaimed.

"To the end of magic in this house." Jude answered. The maid came down, carrying Lucy in her arms. She brought the girl over and handed him over to Duncan, who nodded in thanks. "She'll be back before you know it sir. And with that, I shall take my leave. It's almost a day's journey to the facility and I wouldn't like to impose on you any longer."

Jude stood impassively watching as the man he'd just met carried his daughter out of the mansion to a waiting carriage.

Some feeling of unease stirred within him, but he quashed it with another sip of his wine. She'll be fine, he thought. Once she's back, she won't have any magic and we can be a family. He consoled himself with that thought as he poured himself another drink.

As he stepped into the carriage, Duncan noticed the key the girl carried on her necklace. His eyes widened in surprise, but he acted quickly. He brought out a small brown container from a pocket in his jacket, and took off Lucy's necklace. The container was a strange looking little thing, with odd runes and etchings covering its surface.

He placed the key inside the container and sealed it shut. A blue light shone from inside the container as it closed, but quickly dissipated. Returning the container to his pocket, Duncan placed Lucy next to him and muttered a short incantation to ensure she stayed asleep. Reclining back into his leather covered seat, Duncan exhaled a content sigh. "What a wonderful day it's been."

"Well if you're done congratulating yourself, let's get the hell out of here. I'm bored out of my mind over here."

The voice came from the corner of the carriage, seemingly from nobody. As the carriage began to move and moonlight shone inside, all that could be seen was a large stick with a skull on it. Feathers decorated the connection between skull and stick, and deep within its empty eye sockets two yellow glows shone out.

"I can't believe you wasted all this time just for another little brat to toy with. What's wrong with the one you've got?" The skull's mouth moved in exaggerated motions no living human could replicate as it expressed its annoyance. Whatever magic created the creature must have taken out the joints in its jaws, as the mouth became larger than the skull itself as it spoke.

"It's always good to have contingencies Klodoa." Duncan responded, massaging his temples. "And keep it down. I've got a headache from all the magic I had to use on those idiots today. I don't feel like having to use any more than necessary to keep the subject down."

"I still don't see why you had to be so delicate. You could've just killed them all and taken the little whelp if you wanted her so badly." The stick levitated and hovered over Lucy. It bent with a sharp creak, as if it were an old man bending down to observe the child.

"Is she really going to be helpful?" it asked with doubt in its voice. "She doesn't seem nearly as strong as the other one. That little brat will be a monster when she's older, but this one just seems… average." The skull sounded as though it were evaluating a prime piece of food rather than a human being as it judged Lucy.

"I wouldn't have wasted my time on anything short of extraordinary. I had to use more magic to keep her emotions in check than I did the rest of those pampered dolts combined," Duncan said, continuing to try and relieve his throbbing head.

"This child has terrifying potential. She must get it from her mother. Her father certainly wasn't a challenge. Ten more minutes and I could've had the man strangling the girl. But making him hate her lets us do this legally."

Duncan leaned back in his seat, a cruel smile emerging on his face. Manipulating non-mages was always a fun pastime for the man. Watching the widower struggle with his paternal instincts as Duncan's implanted ideas overwrote Jude's mind gave the Bureau official a sick feeling of pleasure. Duncan's wicked smile ruined the rather suave impression he had maintained back at the Heartfilia mansion.

"Ok, great. She's got potential. So what?" The skull named Klodoa asked in an exasperated tone. "With our technology we could make a toad stronger than your average mage. Why'd you pick another scrawny little girl?"

Duncan's grin grew even wider at the question. Explaining his reasoning to others always excited him. He knew it made him seem like a second-rate villain from a bad play, but there was always a certain satisfaction from laying out his plans to others. "Because, my friend, she can use these." Duncan pulled out the container containing Aquarius's key and shook it in front of Klodoa. With a murmured word, the container became transparent and displayed the key inside.

If the skull had eyes, they would have popped out of his head. "Is that a Zodiac key?! Where on Earthland did you get one of those?" Klodoa shouted. At the noise, Lucy groaned and turned over. Duncan shot an acid-laden stare at Klodoa and repeated his sleep spell.

"I'll tell you if you shut your trap you damn numbskull." Duncan angrily whispered. "And if you make me use that spell again I swear I'll turn you into firewood." Composing himself, Duncan folded his hands together, resting his chin on them. "The kid is a Celestial Mage, and she got the key from her now-deceased mother."

"Oh my, oh my. That is interesting." Klodoa was now spinning around in the air, his skeletal jaw turned upwards in a grotesque smile. "I haven't seen one of those in years. Last one was some poor sap who got himself drained dry. A bunch of zealots tried using him to power an old aftovront. He barely got a spark out of it before he fizzled out."

"I could care less about such a weakling. If he couldn't power something as simple as that, he probably couldn't even summon a zodiac." Duncan said in disgust. "With our magic-amplifying technology, we'll be able to turn this girl into a perfect little battery." Duncan ran his fingers through Lucy's hair, his teeth glinting as he contemplated the possibilities.

"Just think, with all the weapons and ancient magic I'll have access to, even I may not know what to do with all my power." Just wrestling with the limitless possibilities his new acquisition would bring him, Duncan's mood lightened. He felt like nothing could ruin his newfound excitement.

"Well you were right, Duncan." Klodoa said with a skeletal smirk. "This really is a wonderful night."

And the mood's gone. With a quick motion, Duncan grabbed Klodoa by the stick and thrust him out the window, holding him upside down as the carriage bounced along the dirt road. "We've been over this before, you infernal staff. My name is Brain. And you will call me Brain if you wish to keep whatever's left of yours inside that shriveled up little head of yours. We clear?"

Klodoa only laughed as Brain held him outside the window. "Oh of course, Brain, whatever you say. Now bring me back in before all the blood rushes to my head."

Duncan, or Brain as he called himself, grumbled and brought the staff back into the car. "Let's just get back. I want her to be on the same level as Subject One as soon as possible. It'll save us a lot of time and money if we can do their treatments at the same time." Brain tapped on the carriage behind where the driver sat, signaling him to speed up. With a lurch, the carriage increased its pace, moving closer and closer to the magic-enhancing facility. Meanwhile, Lucy slept; unaware that she would wake up the next morning not in her room, but in a cold metal cell.

So that's that. Little Lucy's off to some freaky government facility, her dad's been brainwashed, and there's another mysterious subject waiting there. Did y'all like it? Hate it? Are you completely apathetic or somewhere in between?

Anyway, I've actually got another chapter written so that'll be up here in a bit. Just needs some editing before I deem it worthy to see the light of the internet. Like I said, I wrote this a while back so there's some parts that physically hurt me to read. Anyway I'll see ya next time, folks.

Also, Skull Joke. YOHOHOHOHOHO.