FATE
Summary: Fate brought them together and Fate gave them happiness. But Fate just had to be cruel and take the girl away, seperating them. Still, the girl comes back. How will she survive against the game of Fate?
Main Pairing: StiCy or LucyxOC
Rating: T for SafeT and Character Death
Genre: Romance, Humor, Drama, Hurt/Comfort
DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I don't own Fairy Tail... The agony! T_T

I'm back and I bring to you Chapter 5! Been a LONG time, huh? I don't have a proper excuse for that... Hehehe... Except that I was lazy...

That's why I decided on a double update...There's not much to say here, because the long Author's Note would be at the end... Why is my profile pic cropped!? WAAH! *cough* Sorry. *cough* Anyway, English is just my second language~!

This is another long chapter (which I could have divided into two).

WARNING: This is not yet beta-read. I only proofread this, but I think there would still be mistakes...

Chapter 5: Instant Problems
"I... don't know."

Normal POV
October X791
Acalypha, Fiore
A comfortable silence blanketed the town of Acalypha. The birds sang their morning tune and formed a mini-ensemble with the sounds of the crickets and cicadas. The sky was still a bit dark, for the sun hasn't fully risen yet. The streets were quiet and only some early-risers were out in the streets, either to take some fresh air or setting up their shop.

Sting stepped out of the train station. The reason why he decided to visit Lucy's grave this early was because he couldn't get enough sleep the previous night, what with all his mourning. Lucy has only been buried yesterday, so he knew the guild would still be a bit empty even if he came there at about 10.

Walking to the cemetery, he ignored the stares of the curious townspeople. All he wanted was to "talk" with Lucy. His little "encounter" yesterday after the funeral really stuck on his mind, and he can't help but feel something... peculiar.

Arriving in front of the Hearfilia tombstones, he knelt down in front of Lucy's grave and patted the ground tenderly. Then, he laid down the flowers he bought a while ago. He smiled and let a small tear drop down his cheek. He traced the headstone's inscription lovingly as more tears trickled down his cheek, until he couldn't hold it in anymore.

He didn't know how long he stayed there crying, sitting on the ground, and hugging his knees. But after he cried his heart out, he lifted his head...

And saw a sight that made his eyes widen.

It wasn't Lucy. No, she didn't appear again like in the funeral. Instead, glittering golden particles were leaking out of the grave, which was also glowing a golden color. He stared at the sight, mesmerized. He didn't know what to do, or what he could do. He just stayed there, dumbfounded at the sight.

Gradually, the particles lessened, and disappeared into thin air. The grave stopped glowing and everything was the same as a while ago.

Sting gaped. He had some weird feeling in his guts that something was going to happen, or was happening, but he couldn't quite place it.

What the hell is happening? Luce...

After a few minutes of thinking, Sting shrugged. Maybe it was just her soul rising to heaven, he concluded. Standing up, he bid farewell to Lucy's grave, and left for the guild. Maybe, he'll ask Rogue's opinion on this later.

Somewhere out there...

Lucy sleepily sat up and rubbed her eyes. Ugh... Where am I...? Oh, surely this isn't Heaven. She scanned her surroundings. Everywhere she looked, all Lucy could see was trees and vines and bushes and thickets and moss and... Okay. She was obviously in a forest.

"Ugh... Why here of all places? Can't Gabriel just choose a different place? Oh right, he didn't know himself where I'll end up," Lucy sighed. She examined herself and noticed that golden particles were still leaking out of her body. I guess I'm still in the process of 'resurrecting', huh...

After much contemplating, she stood up and walked in a random direction. She didn't know where she was, so she had to find the nearest town. And soon.

Lucy sighed in frustration. "If only my keys were here... Loke or Virgo or even Pyxis would be able to help... All I have is my Fleuve d'etoiles. How would that even help me?" She wandered around the forest aimlessly, all the while thinking about what she should do. What would she do if she ended up in another side of Fiore? With no money at all? Or if she's in another country? Or worse yet, in another part of Earthland?!

Groaning in frustration, Lucy ran her hand through her hair. Inwardly, she hoped that she would coincidentally bump into an acquaintance, or better, a fellow Fairy Tail wizard. Like Gildarts, for example. That old man liked to travel.

The "floating golden particles" were gone, which meant that her "resurrection" process was done. She brought her hand up and examined her right hand. To her surprise, her Fairy Tail mark was not present. What-!? Gabriel didn't say anything about this! She groaned again and bumped her head on a random tree bark. First day back on Earthland and she's this stressed already. She turned and went back to wandering the forest.

Lost in thought, Lucy unconsciously followed a dirt path. Where it would lead her to, she didn't care right now; as long as she'll be able to reach civilization.

While walking, Lucy noticed the change in her surroundings. The dirt path she was following gradually turned a dark purple color. Farther along the path, the trees looked like they were wilting, much like in that Nirvana incident. She stopped in her tracks and shuddered. Without hesitation, she turned and ran towards the opposite direction, only to bump into something rough and hard.

"Oh? What do we have here?" said a cold and raspy voice that sent shivers down Lucy's spine. Slowly, she looked up and came face to face with a large, muscular man. She froze. He looked down at her and cupped her chin. Tilting her head left to right, he chuckled. "Looks like I've got me a nice treasure, eh?"

Lucy gulped. Instinctively, she reached for her whip, but was stopped by one of the man's large hands. He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Now, now. Don't be so scared. I won't do anything to ya." Forcefully, he grabbed Lucy and set her on his shoulder.

"KYAAH! PUT ME DOWN!" Screaming, Lucy trashed around and whacked his back in an attempt to break free from his grasp. Her attempts were proved futile, however, when the man laughed mockingly and shrugged off her trashing. She started sweating nervously. The environment was drastically changing into that of a horror atmosphere. The trees were dark and purple - wilting, actually.

It wasn't long before they entered a dimly lit building. The man rudely threw Lucy on the floor like a sack of flour. "Oww!" she squalled, rubbing her sore bottom. "Watch it, will ya!?" she cried out. The man laughed. "Feisty, eh?"

By this time, Lucy noticed the stares she was recieving from the other people present in the room and shivered. A few of them stood up and gathered around her. "W-what?" she croaked. The people sneered and grinned mischievously. The man who took Lucy raised a hand. "Now, now, boys. Easy. We'll have our fun later," he paused and glared down at Lucy. "For now, rough her up."

The men chuckled and stepped nearer to Lucy. "No..." They stood over Lucy, readying their clubs and bats.

By impulse, Lucy reached for her whip. With one crack and lash of her whip, the men fell back. "Tch! Damn you!" Lucy stood and poised herself in a battle stance.

The men rushed towards her. With her whip in hand, Lucy lashed out at them. She can't die now. Not here.

Somewhere in the forest...

"Damn! Where the hell is that dark guild!?" A frustrated shout resounded in the forest, followed by a loud -

SMACK!

"You've been complaining ever since we set off from the village. And it's not even an hour yet! Have some patience, will you!?" said a deep female voice.

"Y-Y-Yes! Anna-sama!"

"Good." Anna nodded. Anna was a tall and well-mannered woman and had an elegant and strict aura around her. Her long lavender-colored hair was let loose, reaching her thighs. She donned a long lavender-colored robe with an ornately ruffled collar and an intricate purple brooch located on the middle. Frills and small ribbons lined the edges of her robe, and dark purple laces criss-crossed at her front and back, giving her a noble and lady-like appearance. It also has a double layer, with the lower one darker-colored. Attached to her waist was a purple sword inside a white sheath with intricate lilac and rose designs. Her feet was hidden inside a pair of knee-high purple boots with purple laces and ribbons circling around it. Her purple clothing matched well with her fierce violet eyes.

"Now shut your mouth, Kaze," she commanded.

"Y-Yes, Ma'am!" he quickly replied. When Anna turned around again, Kaze muttered quietly under his breath, quiet enough to escape Anna's ears, "Yeah, yeah... Geez..."

Kaze was a hyperactive and rambunctious young man, with almost no manners at all. He had a bad boy aura which was emphasized by his messy, unkempt cougar blue hair that sticks out in every direction and with some fringes framing his pale and handsome face. He wasn't all muscles, but was also not too thin. He was the type that looks thin in clothing. A black double-breasted suit top that reached a little lower than his waist emphasized his well-toned abdomen. It also had a stand-up chinese collar and gold swirly patterns. Underneath it was a dark blue, button-up, long-sleeved polo. He wore loose ebony black slacks, which had silver chains hanging out the pockets, and shined black shoes. Since his suit top was quite longer than his waist, he wore his belt around it instead (it had belt hooks, too). His hazel eyes stood out the most.

"Idiot," someone commented. Kaze glared at the teen next to him. "Shut up, Rain."

Said person shrugged half-heartedly. Rain was Kaze's younger twin brother and polar opposite: quiet, calm, stoic, and almost always wore an expressionless... expression. His blue hair was of a darker shade and was well-combed and neat, except for the ends that seemed to stick out a bit. He also had a handome, pale face. Like Kaze, he wasn't too thin nor too muscular, but he was also well-toned. He wore the same black suit top with golden patterns as Kaze's, but instead of swirly patterns, his resembled long, thin streaks like that of raindrops. Underneath his suit top is a dark purple, button-up, long-sleeved polo. He also wears the same black slacks, belt, and shoes as his twin brother, including the silver chains. His eyes are the same hazel color as Kaze's.

"Rain's right, though. You ARE an idiot," said another voice. Kaze turned to his right and glared at the person who spoke.

"What did you say, Vulcano!?"

"You're an idiot," Vulcano bluntly replied. Vulcano had flaming scarlet hair which was gelled to neatly stick out in different directions. His bangs that framed the sides of his face were long, reaching his collarbone (the left one) and chest (right). He wore a confident smirk, letting out a cool yet intimidating aura. He wore a maroon blazer suit complete with a lighter red dress shirt, black necktie, and shiny black leather shoes. He prefers wearing his blazer unbuttoned. His ocean blue eyes contrasted his appearance.

"Really, until now, I still can't believe you're Rain's older twin brother. It's just so unbelievable," he continued, shaking his head.

Kaze scoffed. "I don't care what you think anyway, scumbag," he shot back. A tick mark appeared on Vulcano's forehead, but he wasn't about to give in just yet. "Who are you calling a scumbag, idiot?" he "calmly" responded.

Kaze smirked. "Who else?" He grinned slyly at Vulcano's infuriated expression. Just before Vulcano punched the lights out of Kaze, a small girl appeared between them. "If I were you, I wouldn't do that," she said. Seeing the flabbergasted expressions of the two, she sighed and gestured towards Anna's figure in front of them. Anna had her back turned towards them, but it was obvious she was pissed with the dark demonic aura she was now omitting.

Kaze and Vulcano gulped and sweatdropped. "T-thanks for warning us, Coral."

Coral giggled. Her wavy cerulean hair was held high into two bunches by big sapphire blue ribbons. She donned on a cute, short, fluffy blue dress with a lot of ruffles, resembling that of a doll's. Several sapphire gems decorated her dress on the chest and waist. On her feet she wore long knee-high blue boots with darker blue laces and shiny sapphire gems. Her big dark blue eyes emphasized her doll-like look.

"Although, I wouldn't mind her beating you two up. You guys are annoying me too, you know?" She laughed at their expressions. She heard Rain sigh and smiled at him. "Unlike Rain." Rain stared at her, his face showing no emotions.

The four stopped walking when they saw Anna halt in her tracks. Kaze and Vulcano immediately slung an arm around the other's shoulders and pretended to get along, afraid of Anna's wrath. Fortunately for the two, the demonic aura around Anna disappeared.

Anna turned towards them. "We're heading nearer to the dark guild. I'm having a weird feeling about this. Let's hurry." Since the tone of her voice proved business, the other four became serious and followed Anna as she ran deeper into the woods.

Lucy stood in the middle of the remains of the dark guild. Her clothes were tattered and torn, and her body was full of bruises and scratches. Around her lay the unconscious and injured bodies of the regular mages (who knew her whip could be so powerful?).

"You're tough... nothing compared to your underlings," she stated. In front of her stood the master of that dark guild, the same man who brought her there. The man laughed loudly.

"You're quite good yourself, girl." He wasn't as tired nor injured as Lucy, but he also had some bruises on his body, courtesy of the Fleuves d'etoiles. "But looks like the fun ends here." He reached for his dagger that was hooked on his belt. Bringing it out, he licked the dagger's blade. He crouched down in an attacking position and poised the dagger in front of him.

The sunrays that peeked over the trees lit up the partially destroyed builing and shone on the dagger, elaborating its design. A shiver went down Lucy's spine once she saw the dagger's full details. She froze. The pitch black dagger with daunting red patterns was all too familar for her. "I-It can't be...! That dagger...!?" she managed to blurt out.

The man raised an eyebrow and straightened up. "Hmm? You know this dagger? Well, that's good then," he shrugged. Lucy's eyes widened. "B-but how...!? They should have taken that dagger already! Why is it with you?" she questioned, shakily. The man shrugged once more. "I just saw it lying around in the remains of a dark guild. The officials didn't seem to notice it because it was quite well hidden," he paused and glared at Lucy, causing her to step back in fear.

"Never mind that. I don't give a damn about this dagger's history anyway. All I care about now is to end YOU," he growled. He stepped foward, striding nearer to Lucy and smirked at Lucy panic-stricken expression. He held the dagger in front of him to ready his move.

Lucy trembled. It took a great ounce of her power to step back. The image of Soul being possessed by the Soul of Dread flashed before her...

"No... The S-Soul Reaper..."

The image of the Soul of Dread attacking her friends...

"Hmm? Soul Reaper? Is that how it's called? It fits," the man commented, then cackled loudly. "Ah, my blood's boiling with excitement!"

Lucy froze in her place, unable to move. Her pupils dilated and she sweated nervously. She trembled uncontrollably and uttered muffled cries for help.

Fear.

Flashbacks of her experience with Midnight Dread replayed in her mind like a broken record.

Trauma.

Gathering her remaining strength, she screamed for all she was worth.

"SOMEONE, HELP!"

The man leaped forward, ready to stab Lucy. Lucy stared, wide-eyed, at her impending doom...

"Watch out!"

Anna ran through the forest with her team on her heels. The bad feeling inside her grew when she saw the alterations in the forest environment. She caught sight of a partially destroyed building in the distance. I knew it...!

"Kaze! Get there first! You're the fastest among us!" she called to the boy behind her. Kaze nodded and lowered his stance a bit. Wind gathered at his heels and with one swift leap, he took off. He maneuvered his way through the forest skillfully and arrived in a clearing.

Kaze looked up and saw a man with huge built about to pounce on a blonde girl.

"SOMEONE, HELP!"

Clenching his teeth, he dashed towards them.

"Watch out!" he shouted. But he was a little too late. The man brought the dagger down and stabbed the girl.

In a burst of andrenaline, he jumped and landed a drop kick to the man's side, sending him back. He straightened himself and glanced back at the girl who fell on the ground. His eyes widened seeing the girl's condition. Blood was dripping out of the stab on her stomach, as well as from her mouth. He clenched his fists and glared at the man who stabbed her.

"Stabbing a woman? That's low." He charged again with immense speed and roundhouse kicked the man on the side of his face.

Anna and the rest arrived seconds after. She studied the scene quickly before sending orders. "Coral, tend to the lady's wounds! Rain, Vulcano, assist Kaze! I'll signal the Rune Knights!"

"Understood!"

As soon as her teammates left to carry her orders, she brought out a medium-sized signal flare and ignited it. The flare exploded in the sky with bright lights. It's a good thing we talked to the Rune Knights before heading here, she thought.

Coral ran to the wounded lady's side. She sat down and, using her magic, enveloped her with water. "Refresh," she chanted. While the bruises and scratches started disappearing, she took out some bandages and wrapped the stabbed stomach to lessen the bleeding.

Rain and Vulcano ran to Kaze's side.

"Took you long enough," Kaze sneered.

"Hmph," Vulcano scoffed while Rain remained silent.

Vulcano stretched his arm out and a red-orange magic circle appeared at the huge man's feet. "Pillar Combustion!" he shouted, and a tall and wide pillar of flame burst out from the circle.

Kaze and Rain stood side by side and readied their magic. Wind gathered around them, and a blue aura surrounded them. "Unison Raid: Gale Downpour!" A gray magic seal appeared before them and a blast of wind and rain shot out.

The man stood his ground and raised his arms protectively against the upcoming attack. The strong wind cut through his clothes and the bullets of rain pelted his skin. He lost his footing and crashed into a tree.

"That was fast," Kaze breathed. Rain cautiously walked up to the man. Once he got near enough, he studied his condition. "He's unconscious," he called to his teammates.

Anna walked up to them. "Good. Rain, help me tie him up. The rest of you take care of his guild members. Make sure none of them get away if they gain back their consciousness," she commanded. The three boys nodded and carried on their given task.

Rain took out a rope that he hid in his coat and brought it to Anna, who quickly took it. She tied the man's hands and feet together quickly and skillfully. Rain sweatdropped. And what do I have to do?, he thought. Anna dragged the guild master towards the rest of his guild while Rain followed suit.

"How is she?" Anna asked Coral after she set the huge master's body beside the pile of regular members.

"Fine, I guess. She's just unconscious," Coral replied. She waved her hands over Lucy's body and removed the water encasing her. "I managed to heal her wounds and stop the bleeding before it became life-threatening." Anna nodded. "That's a relief. We'll take her to the guild after this," she announced. "I still can't shake off this weird feeling..."

"Hey, Anna. Do you know what this is?" Kaze walked up to them with Vulcano right behind him. He was holding the black dagger with his hand. "I think the big guy dropped it when I kicked him a while ago," he said.

Anna took the dagger from his hands and examined it. She shook her head and gave it back to Kaze. "No, I don't."

Kaze raised an eyebrow as he studied the dagger. Something seemed off about it, with its eerie patterns and pitch black blade...

"Anyway, let's wait for the Rune Knights. We'll bring the dagger to the guild so we could examine it better," Anna announced. The rest nodded in agreement.

In a city near the borders of Fiore
Galdmiore City, October X791

Anna and her team opened the doors to their guild. "We're back!" Kaze exclaimed. The guild welcomed them with cheers of acknowledgments.

"Welcome back." A woman with short red hair walked gracefully and elegantly towards them. She wore a sleeveless yellow-and-white polka-dot choffin shirt and a knee-length brown skirt with ruffles and topaz gems adorning it. She wore golden shoulder plates and a long, flowing white cape was attached to them.

"We're back, Master," Anna respectfully bowed her head a little in the presence of the woman.

"Didn't I tell you to stop bowing your head to me, Anna?" the woman laughed.

"But Master-"

"It's fine. Just call me Sakura. I'm 19, for Pete's sake. I don't want to be treated as a full-grown adult, yet."

Anna sighed. "All right then, Lady Sakura." Anna glanced behind her and motioned for Rain to bring forth the person they brought with them. She was still unconscious.

"We brought someone with us," she told Master Sakura. The Master's expression changed into that with utmost concern, and she signalled for them to follow her to the infirmary. Once there, Rain gently put her down on the soft mattress. Master Sakura assigned someone and Coral to keep watch while the rest of them left.

Anna gave her the blade that they brought with them, too (apparently, the Rune Knights didn't know what to do with it). After studying it for a bit, she decided to lock it in her Guild's storage - securely.

- ~ 2 WEEKS LATER ~ -

Coral walked to the infirmary room to have her daily checks on their patient. Ever since they brought her to their guild, she was in a comatose state and was asleep since then.

Opening the door, she heard a groan and her eyes brightened. She ran to the side of the bed almost immediately.

The girl sat up, rubbed her eyes and scanned her surroundings. "W-Where am I?" she sleepily asked. Coral put on a bright smile and carefully laid her down on the bed again. "You're in our guild infirmary. Wait here. I'll call Master," she replied as she left the infirmary and headed downstairs.

Minutes later, she came back, bringing with her Master Sakura and the rest of her team. Master Sakura was the first to speak up. "How are you feeling?" she kindly inquired as she stood beside her bed, by the window. The girl stared at her for a while before replying, "I'm fine. And, umm... Who are you and what am I doing here?"

Master Sakura looked at her kindly. "I'm Master Sakura and this is Team Accord. They were the ones who found you injured in the dark guild they were supposed to hunt down," she said as she gestured towards the rest of the people in the room.

The girl smiled a little and thanked them before introducing herself. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia."

Kaze stepped forward. "So, uhh, Lucy, what were you doing there, anyway? I think you fought the dark guild, until their guild master stabbed you. If it weren't for me, you would be dead by now," he boasted. Rain elbowed him and gave him a cold glare while Vulcano shook his head.

The girl's expression slightly fell. "I... don't know."

"Huh? What do you mean you don't know?" was Kaze's intelligent reply. The rest stared at her curiously and worriedly.

"Aside from my name, I... don't remember anything else."

"WHAAAAAAT!?"

(A/N)

LUCY LOST HER MEMORIES!? O.O She can't remember anything aside from her name... Oh no...

~ I got a bit lazy describing Coral's appearance. But it's easy to imagine it, though. You know those fluffy Pre Cure outfits, right? Something like that. And those fluffy dresses in Mermaid Melody? Just mix those and let your imagination wander. I'm not good at describing those kinds of clothing/dresses :P

QUESTION: Do you guys want me to put previews at the end of chapters?

Don't forget to leave a review! Reviews are the fuel to my brain!
One more thing: Constructive criticism is allowed~! Just NO flames, please~!

See ya next chapter! Toodles~!

GUEST REVIEW RESPONSES:
Chapter 3.5:
Guest 5/15/13: I'm glad~ ^_^ I managed to make you cry~ (I don't mean it in a... you know, bad way) Thank you for reading my story~
Chapter 4:
panhero: Thank you ^_^ ! Wait, you pinched yourself O.O? Anyway, thank you for reading and reviewing~ :D
ninjapanda: I guess we'll just have to wait before she sees Stingy Bee again~...
ME: Blame Gabriel for not knowing where she'll end up...
Gabriel: OI!
ME: Kidding~
Glad to know you used the OST I picked and that you love it. I love it, too~! (T^T) And thanks so much for reviewing and...uh...comforting? :D Thanks again~! XD