Chapter Four: Acceptance
Fairy Tail Fanfiction
Characters owned by Hiro Mashima

A/N: Oh dear, it's been so long since I've written. I'm so sorry! It's just that I've been really busy with school, seeing as how I have to worry about university applications. I still have to work on my supplementary things for the program I want to get into –sigh-. I hope you enjoy this chapter ^_^

….

The tent went silent, bringing an uncomfortable breeze as Lucy shifted on her spot, not used to the feeling of multiple eyes staring at her. She tried to look to Mirajane for support but was greeted with a surprised barmaid. The model had almost dropped her cup after hearing the news and was staring at Lucy with wide blue eyes. Now the blonde wasn't sure if she wanted to pinch Natsu for making a scene or hit him for getting her name wrong.

"Uhm…"

She was about to continue when the tent suddenly erupted with cheers. Whistles filled the air as everyone started to crowd around Lucy, eager to meet the new member as they pushed and shoved to see what the Heartfilia princess looked like. She could see Erza smile, pleased with Natsu's announcement as she placed both hands on her hips, reminding Lucy of a military officer who had just heard she won the war. Mirajane was squealing, clapping her hands and quickly filling mugs with celebratory booze.

"A new member! Yay!"

"Oh, this one's cute! This one's really cute!"

Lucy blushed, embarrassed by the attention as she placed her arms out front, making an invisible box to protect her from the friendly circus. Throughout this commotion, she was unable to see Natsu, who was grinning and rubbing his bruised cheek as he looked towards Master for approval. Mavarov simply smiled, nodding his head as he continued sipping his beer. "Anyone is allowed to join Fairy Tail, as long as they have the heart and determination to help make this circus a success."

Hearing this, Lucy wasn't sure whether to squeal out loud or be confused by the Master's warm generosity. She had just entered their lives for five minutes and was already treated like she was part of their family. Did she even deserve this treatment? She smiled brightly, before suddenly feeling her head hurt. She gripped it, confused by the pain before hearing a familiar voice.

Pathetic. You think you belong in the Circus? I taught you better than this. You're a Heartfilia. This isn't where you belong.

She gasped, hearing her father's voice resonate in her mind. What was he doing there? How did he manage to creep into her thoughts? 'What you're saying is wrong!' She replied, her internal voice fighting back as she furrowed her eyebrows. She could no longer hear the excited cheers from Fairy Tail, as she was stuck in a cold room with her father.

Come home. You have a fiancé who is waiting. This isn't where you belong. You don't belong anywhere else but with me.

"Stop! Stop!"

The cheers turned into curious murmur as they watched the Heartfilia girl nervously sweat, her pupils dilating as she clutched her skull. Her head was between her legs, and Lisanna slowly lowered herself down so she could be eye to eye with Lucy. "Are you okay?" she gently whispered, rubbing the girl's back. She tried to ignore how damp her back was getting and continued to rub in slow circles. "Why are you yelling stop?"

"W-What?" Lucy turned to look at Lisanna's concerned eyes and the rest of the members. Everyone held the same expression on their face and Lucy allowed Lisanna to slowly bring her up so her back was resting against the bar. She bit the bottom of her lip, knowing that everyone was expecting an answer. Even the Master was looking at her with bewildered eyes. How was she going to explain this? Why… why was her father doing this? 'Why now, of all times?' She thought, his image appearing and disappearing in her mind. His eyes pierced her soul, surfacing insecurities that she tried to bury many years ago.

Nobody likes you. They only want you because you're an heiress. You know why Natsu saved you? It's cause he pitied you. Everyone pities you. You're just that pathetic little girl who always cries for help. You really believe they're going to take you in just because they're nice? You disgust me. Go back to your mansion where you belong.

"I... I can't join. I'm sorry." This caused another wave of murmurs as Lucy stared at the ground. She didn't want anyone to see her face right now. She didn't want to watch Lisanna exchange worried looks with her sister. She didn't want to see Gray's shoulders slump with disappointment. She didn't want to see Erza's and Happy's faces contort with confusion. She was trying to fight back the voices but they continued to crowd her mind like little parasites.

She was unaware of a desperate fire breather pushing his way through the crowd, heavily breathing as he stood face to face with the blonde. "But Lucy! Why? You have nowhere else to go! Why don't you want to join?" He exclaimed, shaking the girl's shoulders so that she would look at him. When she did, all he could see was pain and he stopped, allowing his arms to drop as he stepped back. "Why?"

"Natsu, stop it." Makarov stated, as he jumped to the floor and walked towards the blonde. "Everyone has their own reasons. It is not good to push and ask why." He then looked at her, and placed a hand on her knee. "You are always welcome here, Luigi. I will welcome anyone who needs a home."

Lucy sniffed, rubbing her eyes as she nodded. "Y-Yes… and my name is Lucy…"

Makarov laughed, apologized, and then smiled as he turned to look at circus. "Now, don't look so depressed guys! Fairy tales are happy, not sad! We have to be excited for the show tonight!" Everyone tried to cheer as Makarov turned to look at Lucy. "Will you come to the show tonight? I would like you to watch us at least once. I promise it will be a show you will never forget."

"Y-Yes… of course." She gave Makarov a small smile and stood up, brushing her skirt out of habit and walked towards the door. She tried to avoid Natsu, but paused when she felt a strong hold grip her small arms. She took a deep breath and gave him a fake smile. "I'm sorry." She felt his grip loosen on her and she slowly removed his calloused hand from her arm, unconsciously intertwining their fingers before letting go. She took a deep breath as she started making her way towards the exit when she suddenly heard the sound of a horn honking.

Beep, beep!

"Excuse me! Excuse me!"

A small yellow vehicle swerved into the tent, the driver squealing as she tried to stop the car. Lucy screamed, startled by the diversion and felt herself stumble, falling to the ground as she watched smoke come out of the car. The driver coughed, stepping out of her clown car as she turned to look at the damage she had produced. "Oh no! It combusted again!" she whined, scratching her blue hair furiously as she turned to look at the circus, who was staring at her in disbelief. Levi McGarden blinked, not understanding what everyone was looking at. If she only knew.

"Hey guys!" she greeted, waving eagerly as a pierced man walked into the tent, casually twirling a wrench as he looked around. "Look at what Gazille made for me! We could use this for the show!" The clown car was painted with green spots and looked too small to fit in. It was impossible for any member to ride the car, except for Levy who stood at 5'1. She was one of the smallest members in the circus. The guild wasn't sure whether to laugh or applaud as they watched gray smoke fill the air. The car sputtered, sneezing out oil before coming to a complete stop. Gazille cursed, kicking the car as he opened the hood.

"Damn, I thought I fixed that engine."

Lucy blinked, picking herself up as she noticed that the man's clothes were greased with oil. He muttered incoherent curses as he played with the wires, trying to ignite a spark and frowned when the desired result didn't happen. The tent remained quiet, unsure on how to react until an obnoxious laughter filled the air. Natsu was clutching his stomach, pointing a finger at Gazille as he smirked in his usual way. "Gyahaha! You're finally good for something eh, Gazille? Instead of cleaning up elephant shit?"

A vein bulged out of Gazille's forehead when he heard that remark, slamming the hood (which made Levi squeal in terror) as he picked up Natsu by his scarf. "What did you say to me?" Gazille muttered, his eyes narrowing as he dropped the wrench to the floor. Natsu, unaffected slowly mouthed his words. "Shit. Cleaner."

"Damnit Natsu, you're going down!" A new cloud of destruction began to form as fists collided with faces. Lucy, realizing that she wasn't being watched, quickly made her way out of the tent, glad that she was going to leave the circus without recognition.

To Lucy's demise, she did not feel the presence of a certain fire breather, who had snuck out of the cloud and was following her out of the tent. Blue eyes watched the scene as Lisanna lazily stirred her drink. She looked at Happy, who was nibbling on a fish bone as he cheered for Gray to punch Gazille.

"Natsu pays a lot of attention to that new girl huh?" She asked, trying to look casual as she watched the fight ensue. Happy shrugged, ignoring Lisanna's question as he picked up another fish. "I guess sho. I fink sho. I dunno." His mouth was full of fish when he replied. Lisanna didn't say anything and sipped, eyes deep in thought as Erza and Mavarov tried their best to stop the fight. "Hmm…"

….

"Now where is that stupid tent?"

Lucy wandered around the Fairy Tail campus as she tried to find the tent that held her stuff. She was hugging herself tightly as she walked, the voices in her mind mocking her with each step she took. They were pleased with themselves, pleased that they have convinced the Heartfilia princess not to join. Every time she would turn back, they would yell and scream, asking her why she was being stupid and thinking of joining a circus. She was born and raised with diamonds on her hands. Surely she would never fit in.

"LUCCCCCY! LUCCCCCCY!"

The said girl whipped around and gasped when she saw a rosy head run towards her. Natsu was pumping his arms and gasping when he finally reached his destination. He shakily putting a hand on her shoulder and wheezed. "Lucy…. Lucy…. Lucy…." He breathed, unable to continue his sentence from the lack of air in his lungs. She tried to hide her confusion as she pushed his arm away, waiting for him to catch his breath so she could hear what he had to say. Standing up straight, Natsu looked at her, and Lucy immediately felt chills. The intense look he was giving her was making her heart skip a beat, and she could not understand why. It wasn't like he was going to confess his love to her! Surely it would be anything but that! But… why was he here anyways?

"W-What do you want Natsu?" she mumbled, as she tried her best to avoid his gaze. Realizing that he had no intention to leave her alone, she put on her best annoyed face and turned to glare at him. He continued to stare. "I said what do you want?"

All of a sudden, he grinned, catching Lucy completely off guard as she watched him rub his neck in a sheepish matter. Her face twitched. Now she was annoyed. 'What's with this guy?' she thought, feeling completely confused as she felt the wind tickle her arms. How did he manage to make her feel so many emotions at once? It must have been her imagination tricking her just a few minutes ago as she watched the fire breather kick rocks. Why wasn't he doing anything? Why was he just standing there? She decided to repeat her question. "Why are you here?"

"Are you coming to the show tonight?"

"What?"

She blinked.

"Are you coming to the show?"

"Maybe… why?"

He then jabbed a thumb towards his chest and stood with his legs spread apart, giving Lucy a confident smirk. "Cause I'm gonna rock."

She rolled her eyes at his confidence, suppressing a giggle as she tried to keep a serious face. But before she could say anything, she felt her nose get pinched and squeaked, watching the fire breather dash off before she could retaliate. She watched as his back got smaller and smaller, yelling from him to come back and screamed, "What was that for?"

"I better see you there!" He yelled, waving behind him as he ran back to the main tent. She watched until his figure disappeared and felt her cheeks heat up when she rubbed her nose in a light manner. Her nose tingled from his warmth, and she rubbed it furiously to make the feeling disappear. The feeling continued to linger. "What's with this guy…." She repeated, continuing her walk as she searched for her things. But in the back of her mind, the idea of going to the circus grew enticing, and soon enough, she couldn't wait to see the show that would happen in just a few hours.

….

It was now evening and Lucy could feel herself tremble as she made her way to her seat. She was in the largest tent in the Fairy Tail campus, the ceiling decorated with fairies and clouds as joyous music played in the background. She watched couples and families take pictures of the scenery, their excitement contagious as it slowly filled the air. She shifted in her seat, anxious for the show to begin as the audience continued to grow larger. The seats were arranged to hug the black stage that was standing in the middle, green smoke creating a wall to cover any shadows that the audience might see.

She felt the excitement infect her as she patiently waited, crossing and uncrossing her legs as she asked for the time. Okay, so she wasn't being patient. But she couldn't help it! She had been first to come so that she could pick the best seat in the house. That was around 5 o clock… what time was it now? Almost Seven?

She didn't have to wait any longer because the music stopped. The chatter began to quiet down as the lights turned off, making everyone gasp in surprise..

"We ask before we begin to turn off all cellphones, cameras, and electronic devices."

A loud voice boomed throughout the tent, and the audience complied as Lucy heard the sound of phones being turned off. The green smoke covering the stage began to climb higher and started to change into a purplish hue. The spotlights revealed a large, monstrous shadow. The audience gasped as the voice continued to boom.

"Now, who's ready for the Fairy Tail of their life?" Lucy and the audience cheered, and the shadow stepped out of the smoke, revealing a small old man in a ring leader's outfit. The old man grinned as he adjusted his red top hat, spotting Lucy in the audience and gave her a wink. Her chocolate orbs widened. Was that Master Mavarov? Before she could react, a trap door swallowed the Master, making the audience shriek before a sound resonated on the walls.

Beep, beep!

Laughter could be heard as three clowns entered the stage. There were two balancing on large balls and one driving in a car. They rolled around the stage to greet the audience, their grins stretching from ear to ear as they laughed manically. The two boys rolling on the balls leapt into the air, switching their position into a hand stand as they continued to balance and roll. The audience clapped for the boys as the three continued to circle the stage, making a few rounds before the clown car stopped in the middle. Stepping out of the car was a small blue haired clown, who giggled cutely as she beckoned the two clowns to come over. The two boys jumped and began to flip towards the clown, their movements' fluid until they reached their destination. The three then did a pose and yelled, "We are Shadow Gear, the Three Clown Musketeers!"

The audience roared as the clowns started to perform, doing a variety of activities such as juggling and slapstick comedy. Lucy's favourite scene was when the two boys were fist fighting over the blue haired girl and she had stopped their fighting by throwing pies at their faces. The audience agreed as she watched her neighbours clutch their stomachs, unable to breathe as their faces turned into an apple red. The performance continued until all three of them went into the clown car, honking the horns as they drove off the stage.

From then on, a variety of members performed for the audience. Erza looked beautiful as she danced with her swords, looking like a gypsy as her grace mesmerized the audience. Gray, who surprisingly kept his clothes on, amazed the audience with his magic tricks, doves flying into the air as he transformed creatures into ice. His blue haired assistant was also magnificent because she was a trap artist, and was able to make her way out of several chains in less than three minutes. It was even more impressive when she escaped a potato sack while submerged in water. Mirajane and Lisanna were the trapeze duo, doing flips in the air as they caught each other from falling. There were also animal trainers, elephants, and gymnasts, each putting hard work into their performance as they made the audience laugh and cheer.

Lucy couldn't help but admire all of the members as she watched, noticing how happy and proud they were of themselves when the audience clapped for them. She realized that Fairy tail was truly a fairy tale because it made people happy and desire to follow their dreams. It made her think of her life at home, and how she struggled to please her father. She attended dance lessons, went to the best schools, got the highest grades but was never able to make him happy, and no matter how hard she tried, her best wasn't good enough.

She wanted to be like the performers, working their hardest to make everyone smile, for Lucy learned throughout her childhood that her father's smile was all she ever wanted. For him to pat him on the head and say, "You did well." For him to take her to the park and spend the day eating ice cream and talking about her school. She wanted… she wanted…

"Now, for the final act of the night! Please welcome the dragon of the circus!"

Lucy snapped out of her thoughts as the audience screamed, feeling her heart thud in her chest as she watched a red dragon stomp towards the stage. Gray smoke escaped its nostrils as its yellow eyes scanned the audience. When the dragon spotted Lucy, it roared as it started to breathe out fire. Lucy froze, her body unable to move as the dragon looked straight into her eyes. The dragon was giving her an intense look, and she felt as if her soul was being peered into.

I… I want to be…. I want to be….

The dragon suddenly grinned, giving her a grin that was all too familiar as smoke started to envelop the body. It roared once more before its body was completely submerged, and when it finally disappeared, it revealed a pink haired fire breather and his pet cat. "Gyahaha!" Natsu laughed, twirling batons in his hand as Happy dropped a sack on the floor. The audience started to boo, disappointed that the dragon disappeared. Natsu twitched, veins bulging out of his skull before yelling, "Hey! What the hell! I didn't even show you my moves yet!"

Happy fluttered down to the floor and dug into the sack, grabbing at least ten cabbages before throwing them in the air. Natsu reached for his jug and took a swig, immediately burning all of the cabbages without hesitation. The audience was silent as Natsu laughed, standing proudly on the stage as he puffed out his chest. The silence was almost unbearable as Lucy shifted in her seat, trying to not look uncomfortable as she watched Natsu burn various vegetables and fruits. It made her angry that the audience wasn't responding to Natsu's act, and she was tempted to grab the burned vegetables and throw it at them.

Natsu did not seem disturbed as he commanded Happy to pick him up, who flew him to the sky until he reached the clouds and fairies. With one long swig, he blew a ring of fire that surrounded the stage and spelled the words "Fairy Tail" with flames. He then asked Happy to drop him to the floor as he curled into a ball, continuing to blow fire as he looked like a meteor ready to strike earth. He then smashed through the stage, landing with a big BOOM as he landed with his fist on the floor, one knee touching the ground. The flames rose higher because of the wind, and Natsu waited until it dyed to stand up again, his scarf floating softly behind him. He reminded Lucy of the Prince of Flames, as he stood with the jug in his hands and his sidekick on his shoulder. He then cried, "SO HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW?"

Lucy couldn't believe the tremendous response Natsu was getting. People were standing on their chairs, screaming praises while Natsu slowly walked off the stage. There were whistles coming from guys and fan girlish cooing coming from girls. As she sat there in a daze, she didn't notice Natsu spin around and wave to the audience. When he looked at her, she felt her breath hitch and gulped. He chuckled, giving her a thumb up, before running away with Happy.

As she watched the audience leave and commentate on the show, Lucy stayed in her seat until the tent was completely empty. She was lost in her thoughts, unsure on how to react from watching a spectacular show. She loved everything about the circus, but could not stop herself from feeling flabbergasted. She was impressed by Natsu and how he continued to perform when no one was cheering. How he kept the audience in suspense and waited till the last minute to amaze them. It was incredible. He was incredible.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

I…. I… I want to be happy.

….

"Good going birdbrain, I see you destroyed the stage again."

"Shut up ice man!" Natsu exclaimed as he grabbed a towel from Lisanna. He wiped his sweat off his forehead, chest, and shoulders before throwing the towel on the floor. He collapsed on a chair, resting his head on the cool table as he sighed. Happy sat on the table and looked at him curiously. "Do you think Lucy will come back after watching us?" His voice was quiet as he recalled how happy she looked while watching all of the performances. It made him especially proud that he had managed to shut Lucy up with his amazing act, snickering at the image of her 'deer in the headlights' look. Happy's ears flatten to his head as he looked at Natsu's sad face."I dunno Natsu… maybe…"

As soon as he said that, the whole circus gasped as the said blonde walked into their tent. Happy quickly tapped Natsu on the head, who grunted as he lifted his head in response. When he saw Lucy, he grinned and stood up from his chair. "Lucy! You're here!"

The girl ignored him as she walked towards the Master, who was trying to take off his ringleader's costume. When he saw Lucy in the mirror, he raised an eyebrow and turned to look at her. "Lucy… what brings you here?"

"Master I… I…." She was unable to continue as a tear trickled down her eye. The Master only smiled and beckoned her to bend down. When she did, he placed his hand on her forehead. "Didn't I say you were always welcome here?"

The tent waited in anticipation.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail."

Everyone erupted in cheers as Mirajane swooped to hug Lucy. Natsu and Happy high fived, their sad faces erased with grins as Natsu leapt into the air and whooped. Gray smirked as he proceeded to take off his tie, but then cursed and realized that his clothes were missing. This made Juvia, his blue haired assistant, blush and turn away. As everyone threw their costumes in the air, Lucy couldn't help but laugh as she hugged Mira and wiped the tear from her eye.

I want to be happy. And make people happy. With them.