Well, I STILL don't own Fairy Tail or any of its characters. Damn. Whatever, I can still write about them! Enjoy!

6 Years Later

A wave of golden magic washed the group of dark mages over the hill and into the trap she had set, effectively completing the mission. The mages groaned at the tar pit they were now stuck in. The girl hadn't looked that tough! The only hit they'd managed to hit had merely dented her armor. A portal opened up under them, leaving only the hill behind for the blonde mage that had just defeated them. She cursed under her breath, struggling to remove her chest armor that was dented so she couldn't breathe. Damn them. She saw the town nearby, and decided she would have to ask for help.

"Damn dark mages. Don't they have anything better to do on Saturdays?"

A young man, tall and strong, exited the tiny blacksmith's forge shop, coughing at the acrid smoke his latest project had emitted. Damn iron. He had always hated that stupid element. He decided to take a walk to the edge of town to catch his breath. Upon reaching the top of the hill, he noticed something alarming. A girl with bright blonde hair was attempting to make her way to the town, and he immediately recognized that her chest piece was broken.

"Hey! You need help?"

She looked up at him, rolling her eyes.

"No shit, stupid. It's not like I can breathe."

With that, she collapsed. He ran down the hill, praying she wasn't in too terrible of condition. Carrying her back to the town would not be easy. He hit his knees next to her, carefully searching the front of the armor for a catch, but there was none. He gently turned her over and found the catch. As soon as he unlatched the clasp, she gasped for breath and clutched her chest.

"Thanks. I do have a tiny problem, though."

The black-haired man already understood. He shrugged his outer shirt off, handing it to her without turning around. He heard her toss the armor aside, throw the shirt on, and pick the armor back up.

"You can turn around now. Do you guys have a blacksmith around that can fix my armor?"

"You're looking at him. What's your name?"

The blonde repressed her desire to give her real name, reminding herself that she was not that girl anymore; she had died a long time ago. That didn't stop the name from floating around.

Lucy Heartphilia.

"My name is Kleah Pennright. And yours?"

The man ground his teeth on the name Natsu Dragneel.

"Hatsuharu Nashi. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kleah. Come with me; I'll get you set up somewhere in town and go over the repairs to your piece here. Was it magical damage?"

"Yeah. Does that make a difference?"

"More than you would think. If there's too much magic, I may have to completely re-forge a chest piece. We can go over that later, though."

The two walked back to the town, and Natsu pondered the strange blonde mage. She was absolutely beautiful, but the white patch covering her left eye, white glove on her right, and the general lack of life regarding her body dimmed her radiance. He shoved his hands in his pocket, deciding that he would think on the blonde later. Work came first.

Lucy was examining the blacksmith with zeal. Something about him seemed familiar, to the point of her studying the muscles in his arms. She was positive she had never met him, but she definitely found him interesting. For some reason, he reminded her of Gray. The thought was comforting; it made her almost wish she was home again. She hadn't been to Fairy Tail since she left to look for her partner six years ago. So far, she had turned up nothing. One more year was all she had given herself. Just one more. She didn't need to be slowed down by accidents like this.

"So, what brings you to Borst? It's kind of small, remote, quiet, and well, you know, close to that weird accident. Most people avoid it. Think it's haunted."

"I don't believe in ghosts and I have more important things to do than worry about the possibility."

"Mind if I ask what kind of important things?"

"None of your business. I do not answer questions about myself that would reveal more than my name. As soon as my chest piece is done, I will leave and you will forget about me; don't worry about that which you can't hold on to."

He grew silent after that declaration. Maybe she wouldn't tell him anything, but he could understand that something traumatic had happened to Kleah that had left her a shadow of a human being. Didn't she understand that having people that care about you is the best feeling in the world? Why would she want people to forget her? Positive she wouldn't answer his questions if he asked, he remained quiet as he showed her to the inn. Without a second glance, she carried her backpack upstairs, leaving him with her chest piece in his gloved hands. The girl who ran the inn looked at him with a curious gaze.

"Who is she? She sure is odd, especially if she talked to you. No offense, but the whole blacksmith look doesn't usually attract the ladies."

He chuckled at Rachel's wisdom regarding women; she was usually full of it. He and Rachel had been friends since he first met the town. She reminded him of Lucy, but not enough to spur the attraction he had felt around his partner. At first, her personality's resemblance had scared him away; that had gradually changed to a simple friendship. Natsu gave her a toothless smile (the most he ever gave anyone) and waved.

"I'm not all that sure who she is myself. I'll keep my eye on her, but I'd appreciate if you just kept tabs on her. Her name is Kleah, and something has hurt her. If anyone can help her, it's you. I need to repair this piece, though, so I'll stop by tomorrow."

"Don't forget to work on that horseshoe set for the festival next week. The mayor wants to see it a day ahead of time. Bye, Haru!"

Natsu exited the inn, feeling better now that when he had first entered. His two projects could keep his mind occupied and focused on something other than the new girl. People weren't his expertise, but the forge was.

I know that was painful, especially considering how close they are. I kinda wanted to have Natsu recognize her and freak out, but that would ruin the plot I spent a week putting together XD Anyway, if anyone has questions or comments, remember to tell me! I'm a very receptive writer, and I will never turn away any kind of criticism or critique. Thanks, guys, for the reviews I've already gotten and the followers. It means a lot to me as a new writer. Talk to you soon!