A/N: The next chapter, where things are revealed. It's been too long since my last chapter, and I apologize, but I'm really stressed and bogged down with work right now. I'm trying my best. Sorry in advance for grammatical/language errors, please let me know if there are any big mistakes on my part!

All rights to Hiro Mashima.

Chapter 7: Hearts Discover

Lucy followed the pink haired boy down the hallway. She wasn't sure whether she ought to be irritated, surprised, or thankful that Natsu was already part of a gang. She hadn't realized who he was when they first met in town, but Lucy had realized it when she was reading over the Fairy Tail files once more at the base. She pulled his basic profile up in her mind.

'Name: Natsu Dragneel the Fire Dragon Slayer

Code Name: Salamander

Rank: Core member, but not trusted to go on sensitive solo missions

Specialities: Destruction, last minute comebacks, excessive belief in guild mates

Weaknesses: Strategy, stealth

Fighting Skills: Expert hand-to-hand combat, assorted weapons and firearms

Height: 5"10'

Weight: 185 lbs

Hair Colour: Sakura pink-claims it to be salmon

Eyes: Obsidian'

'Right,' Lucy thought to herself, 'nothing like his brother, of course not.'

"Here's the library," Natsu announced, stopping in front of the door.

Lucy waved him forwards impatiently. Natsu reached forwards and opened the door. Lucy was practically walking on his heels in her impatience to find the book that contained the image of Zeref. She wondered what it would be. Surely not that book?

"Over here, weirdo," Natsu directed.

He stopped abruptly in front of a shelf full of books about fish and sniffed the air. Lucy watched flabbergasted as he scented out the book like a dog. She wondered how good his sense of smell must be to be able to pick out a specific book's scent in a library full of books. Natsu pulled a thick leather bound book out of the edge of the fish shelf. He held it out to Lucy, who took it with shaking hands.

It was that book.

Hastily Lucy flipped open the cover, chanting prayers in her mind until she reached the page she was looking for. There it was, a perfect rendition of Zeref Dragneel in all his glory. Lucy knew this picture well, for she had created it during her stay in his castle. The painting had been destroyed in a fire though. Lucy remembered feeding the greedy flames the oil-saturated canvas in hopes of erasing all ties and all memories she had with that piece of trash.

Natsu watched as Lucy stoked the gently picture, a murderous fury filling her eyes. He backed up slightly as her bloodlust flared around her and his muscles relaxed as it seeped back into the girl to seethe under her skin. He jumped when Lucy slammed the book shut and whirled around.

"Thank you Natsu," she said, striding towards the exit, "you may rejoin your guild mates, I'm going to plan this war."

"R-right," Natsu said and wandered back to the guild hall.

Lucy spun on her heel and marched back towards Makarov's office. Hopefully he'd have a war conference room that she could monopolize, otherwise the Celestials would be returning to their home to plan. As it turned out Makarov had a huge war conference room that he was more than happy to let her use. It even had a map of their part of the world taking up one wall.

As Virgo marked the map with the information they had gathered, Gemini worked hard with Pisces to hang up the pictures of each member of the Spriggan Twelve, Tartarus Demons, and Seven Kin of Purgatory around the room. Scorpio and Taurus stuck the sheets of paper containing all known information about them under the pictures. Lucy stared at the book she had set on the table with Aquarius and Leo standing on either side of her.

"You're going to have to face the past eventually," Aquarius reminded her gently, "we all are and it's not going to be pleasant for any of us."

"I know," Lucy sighed, "but I've been searching for this book for so long and never found. To think it would turn up in the Fairy Tail library now of all times seems a bit, suspicious."

"Common Lu," Leo coaxed, "just open the damn book and get it over with."

"Alright, alright," Lucy grumbled and finally flipped open the unmarked leather cover.

'This Book is the Property of Zeref Dragneel,' read the title page, 'A Recollection of his Favourite Memories.'

"Urg," Lucy groaned, "I don't think I can do this."

"Lucia Ashley Heartfilia," Aquarius exclaimed, "the key to winning the war and finally being free to live whatever life you want may very well be in this book, you better read the whole damn thing."

"I hate to say it," Leo added apologetically, "but I agree with the mermaid for once."

Aquarius scowled at him. Leo stuck out his tongue. Aquarius's eye ticked as he blew a raspberry in her direction. Leo ducked just as a knife sailed through the air where his head had been. He pouted at the blue-haired woman and rolled away as she lashed out at him with her foot. Lucy spun around in her chair to watch as Aquarius chased Leo around the room, flinging knives and various limbs at him in attempt to injure him or catch him. The others paused in their work as well.

When Leo crashed into Taurus while avoided a ball on the end of a chain Aquarius had somehow gotten her hands on, the big man shoved his papers in Scorpio's arms and lunged at the man. Leo dodged the lumbering man gracefully and then shrieked as a bullet nicked his ear. Aquarius smirked at him, only to scamper away as Leo rocketed after her roaring in mock fury. Taurus chased Leo and slammed into Libra. The woman froze before kicking Taurus away from her and into Sagittarius across the room.

Within minutes the room had dissolved into a battleground. Lucy sat calmly at her desk, casually deflecting stray weapons and bullets with a knife of her own, watching her family in satisfaction. Virgo popped up beside her from the fray the was now rolling around the room in a cloud of limbs, dust, and weapons.

"Punishment, himegimi?" the pink haired maid asked.

"No, Virgo," Lucy smiled, her eyes softening and body relaxing for the first time in a long time, "let them play. It's been too serious lately, what with always being on guard while the Seis were in town."

"Hai, hime," Virgo bowed before disappearing, having been dragged into the fight once more.

Lucy sat in her chair, the book she did not want to read but had to, in front of her and her family raging around her. She remembered the days before Zeref had ruined her life, when her blood family had been happy and whole. Back when training was fun for Lucy because it was rare time spent with both of her parents. But that man had ruined it all in a single night. Slaughtering her family and stealing her away to be his toy until he grew tired of her. Lucy recalled those first few nights on the streets, honing her skills that had grown rusty during her years as Zeref's plaything.

Lucy's fists clenched as she remembered her first encounter with Aquarius, Taurus, and Cancer. The three had despised her because she was new-comer infringing on their territory, but slowly the hate had become vaguely mutual feelings of familial love. Lucy remembered the day Aquarius had asked her if she wanted to join them quite clearly. The older girl had been blushing slightly, a rarity in those days of blood, fear, pain, and hunger.

She would save her family, no matter the cost. Resigning herself, Lucy flipped the page and began to read.

A/N: And that's a wrap. Not the longest chapter, but I also don't think it's the shortest chapter. Not a lot has happened yet, but a little bit of the past has come up!

Thank you for reading and favouriting and following and all that jazz! Please leave a review!

Artistofthemind