New chapter! Can I just say something about the latest manga chapter? HAPPY!! I got the chills when he suddenly got all badass in front of Charle! Lots of tears, but lots of badassery. Nice!

Hope you enjoy this chapter! The real action begins next chapter. I swear.

Thank you all so much for leaving me something. I'm not going to deny that just reading what you write can help me get motivated when I'm having a block. I actually get nervous seeing that I have reviews, but not knowing what they say (anxiety, ne?)! I love hearing from you. Thank you :)

Welcome to all my new readers ^_^ Happy Reading! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own FT, only the OCs

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Lucy leaned her head back, allowing it to rest on her seat as the train slowly rocked its own noisy lullaby. The train was empty except for the six mages. Adie had insisted on avoiding Morpheus' transportation, and Lucy had the feeling it was for a good reason. The long trip would give the blacksmith time to continue to silently grieve. It would also allow her the necessary time to think up an apology to issue the entire guild and its master, as her last visit had been quite a deception.

No, Lucy couldn't disagree with Adie's decision to take the train to Magnolia. The ride to Wisteria from the mountains had taken a toll on the spirit mage, and she wasn't sure she wanted to return home totally depleted of energy. Though Lucy didn't always show it, using her spirits did tire her. Most of it depended on the expenditure of the spirits themselves. The more powerful the spirit, the more Lucy was drained when she closed the spirit's gate.

Lucy's eyes drifted to the back of Adie's head, which was now lightly banging on the glass with each throe of the train. She silently wondered if anyone at Fairy Tail would even recognize the woman, who was now sporting her natural hair color. Sure, the first name would be the same....

Maybe they could talk her into making up a new name.

No, Lucy told herself. That's unfair. Especially now.

She sighed, slouching farther into her seat. She picked at the frayed cushion of the empty seat beside her, pulling the delicate material apart and revealing the coiled springs beneath the padding. She glanced around the cab, accounting for each of her friends. Erza was in the back row, her eyes closed as her head bobbed with the train's movement. Gray had taken a seat in the middle section of the same row as Adie. His arms were crossed over his chest as he stared straight ahead.

Natsu and Happy were in the front—a few rows ahead of Gray. It was where, as Natsu had informed them, that he would feel the movement the least. Erza had offered to "put him out of his misery", but the dragon slayer politely—and fearfully--declined. Instead, Natsu opted to take some of the pills Adie had given him during their sea travel, though Lucy had no idea if the oblong pills were really indicated for motion sickness. She had a sneaking suspicion they were not, though whatever made Natsu happy made her just as happy. At least he wasn't vomiting or complaining. So far, anyway.

Lucy curled her fingers over the headrest of the seat in front of her, pulling herself upright over the movement of the train so that she could peek toward the front row. She decided she didn't like the sullen silence, and wanted to make sure that Natsu was faring well. She spied his mane of pink hair as his head lolled off the seat he was sprawled across. His eyes were closed, and his mouth hanging open as he snored. She could see the sticky string of drool creeping from the corner of his mouth as it stretched toward the floor, danging a few millimeters above the worn carpet. She rolled her eyes, smiling to herself.

Sleeping pills? Lucy silently wondered, a slight grin spreading across her face. That would work for his motion sickness, too!

She caught Gray's eye as she attempted to fall back into her seat. He raised an eyebrow, glancing from Natsu back to her. Enjoy the silence? he mouthed, bringing his forefinger up to his lips.

Oh, I am, Lucy replied in kind as Gray sent a sideways glance toward Adie.

Lucy followed his gaze, reminding herself that there was a more serious matter-at-hand: Barsky's death. Adie had been surprisingly calm—not that Lucy didn't expect that from the demi-spirit. Aside from destroying her childhood home, Lucy would venture to say that Adie was faring pretty well. She had easily agreed to go back to Fairy Tail and seek Makarov's help, even without much prompting and pleading on Lucy's part.

She doesn't look so good, Gray mouthed, his eyes darting to Adie's face. From the forward nod of the blacksmith's head, Lucy deduced that Adie had fallen asleep. Lucy squinted as she stood awkwardly between being seating and standing fully upright. She grasped the worn seat, looking more closely at Adie's weary features. The blond was much paler than Lucy could ever recall seeing her, and the dark rings under her eyes were becoming more...noticeable. Of course, Adie hadn't slept in days, so looking frazzled was to be expected, Lucy concurred. She silently hoped she didn't look as bleary-eyed. It had been weeks since she had last looked in a mirror.

Lucy silently nodded at Gray as she remembered Adie's tearful farewell to the villagers. Even the mayor had shed tears at Adie's departure, wishing her the best and reminding her that if she ever needed anything, just send the word. Something about his comment and the inflection of his normally high-pitched voice made Lucy wonder if there was a lingering message below the surface, though she doubted that the portly man could be roused to do much of anything.

Shame on you for such thoughts! Lucy inwardly chastised herself. Her lack of sleep, she supposed, was making her more facetious. Her body suddenly lurched with the rocking cabin and she easily plopped back into her seat. It was still warm against her rear. Her head fell back into the already-molded headrest. If she wasn't so damned tired, she would cringe at that thought that someone else's head had made the impression.

"Lucy?" came the soft voice. Lucy's head snapped around to find Happy staring up at her from the aisle, his paw supporting him as the cabin swayed.

"Yeah?" she smiled half-heartedly.

"I think Natsu's dead," he replied, tapping his paw to his mouth, nervously.

"He's not dead," Lucy sighed, her head once again settling back into the familiar mold.

"He's not responding--" Happy argued, a blue paw waving in the air.

"Adie gave him sleeping pills!" Lucy replied quickly, her eyes closed.

"Sleeping pills?" Happy repeated softly. "But they were to make him feel better--"

"And is he whining right now?"

"No..."

"Then he's feeling better. See?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not really."

"I don't know what to tell you, then," an smirk began to tug at the corners of her mouth. "Check for a pulse."

"Where do I do that?"

"Try his neck or something. Put your ear to his chest. Trust me, he's not dead," Lucy replied matter-of-factly.

"Aye," Happy replied cautiously, not sure he understood.

Lucy sighed once again. Maybe what Adie gave him was more like a tranquilizer......

Still, she couldn't argue with the much needed peace and quiet. Her eyes grew heavier as her breathing began to deepen. Soon, the rocking became like a mother's lullaby, softly cooing her to sleep. She could fee the fuzzy warmth of her slumber reaching for her, calling forth her dreams.

"You called, my lady?" came the purring, silky voice.

Lucy's eyelids fluttered open as her head whipped around to see who had spoken. "What the hell?" she screeched, jumping slightly. "Y-You!"

Morpheus said nothing, his eyes round and innocent as he blinked at her expectantly. "Yes. Me."

"You can't just sneak up on me like that!" she thrust an angry finger in his direction as her friends began to stir at the sudden interruption. The spirit remained silent as he settled his haunches into a seat only a few over from her.

"I'll be the judge of that," he mused, slightly delighted he caught her off-guard.

"What do you want?" she snapped. From the corner of her eye, she could see Gray craning his neck to see over the seats. Even Erza had awoken at the sound of Lucy's shrill cry. Adie's head was still bobbing against the window.

"I got a pulse, Lucy!" Happy exclaimed as he perched on Natsu's chest. At the mention of Lucy's name, Natsu's head shot up from the seat.

"L-Lucy? Trouble?" he slurred, as Happy shook his head in confusion. Pink hair was once again visible lolling off of the seat. Adie seemed to be the only one who hadn't responded, though she now sitting motionless. Lucy suspected that she was listening in, despite not physically showing her interest.

"Explain yourself!" Lucy cried, once again glaring angrily at her spirit.

"Eh, I missed you, that's all," Morpheus purred as he inspected one of his onyx claws. He shot a golden-eyed glance her way, his voice becoming lower. "Master Makarov if aware of your destination, as you had requested of me."

Lucy glanced around, knowing that no one else had heard the whisper. Her face flushed pink with her sudden guilt. She hadn't told the others of her request to Morpheus. After Barsky's death, she had decided to have the Celestial Spirit send his Oneiroi to inform Makarov of their plans. She wanted the guild master to have a full explanation so that they didn't have to give him one when they returned. It was still too difficult for all of them. A lot had happened.

Lucy leaned forward, nodding slightly. "Thank you."

Morpheus pulled his bulky hind paws up onto the seat, circling around before settling onto the cushion. Lucy thought she could hear him purring as his nails lightly raked the cushion. Gold eyes suddenly met chestnut ones.

"What are staring at?" he growled, his almond-shaped eyes narrowing slightly.

"N-Nothing!" Lucy's teeth chattered as she turned in her own seat.

She reached for her jacket, using it as a temporary blanket for her lap. She only had the clothes Adie had given her and a few things she had hurriedly packed into her bag upon leaving Fairy Tail. The sound of something heavy hitting the floor caught her as she dragged the lightweight jacket from the seat beside her . Morpheus' ears turned toward the noise as he peered over the seat's edge. His black pupils grew rounder as he caught sight of the item that had instigated the noise.

"A key?" Lucy asked as she leaned over, her fingers reaching out for the item.

She couldn't be sure, as the lighting was dim under the seat. She felt her fingertips touch the cool metal as she gingerly picked it up. She squinted, studying the item between her fingers. Had one of her own keys fallen loose from her keyring? Did she need to replace it? Again? Her belt didn't feel lighter....

"Where did you get that?" Morpheus asked, his voice was....different.

Lucy looked at him, her brow furrowed as she quickly counted through her keys. "I...I don't know. It's not one of mine."

"Not one of yours?" Morpheus repeated her oddly phrased statement. "Then how the hell do you come by such a key?"

"How should I know?" Lucy snapped, her patience wearing thin. She could see Adie turning her head slightly, as the conversation carried to the front of the carriage.

"Key?" Natsu mumbled, wiping his mouth. "Lucy's got keys!"

"What's the matter with him?" Morpheus asked, as he, too, peered over the top of the seat in front of him.

"Tranquilizers," Lucy replied softly, nodding her head in Adie's direction.

"You should use them more often," Morpheus replied, tapping his chin.

"Hey!" Lucy shouted, her eyes flashing their warning.

"I'm sorry, my lady," the large black cat bowed his head mockingly. "I didn't mean to slight your boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Lucy practically shrieked, standing as she held the key.

"Where did you get it?" Adie replied, her voice both soft and strained.

"Huh?" Lucy asked, blinking a few times before realizing what the blacksmith was talking about. She looked around, noticing that everyone's eyes and ears were on her. Even Natsu was beginning to perk up.

"Loooo-seh!" he grinned, lifting his head from the seat. Happy smacked him in the face a few times with his paws.

"Cut it out, blue dude," Natsu grumbled groggily. He rubbed his eyes as he attempted to sit upright. One lurch of the train and he rolled from his seat, hitting his head on the floor. The train suddenly grew quiet, and Natsu blinked a few times, his eyes unfocused and staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Where am I?" he groaned. "Luce?"

"Just sit still for a few moments," Lucy's voice was filled with annoyance. Any other time, this would be funny, but right now...not so much. She raised the key higher, studying it with curiosity as it gleamed in the light.

"I don't know," she whispered. "It fell out of my coat, I think."

The key looked like her other silver keys, but she couldn't recall stumbling upon a new one. It was something she would surely remember. It's not like she goes around shoving keys in her jacket pockets--

"The doctor!" Lucy suddenly called out, her eyes growing wide.

"Eh?" Gray asked, scratching his head.

"The physician at Daylon's," Lucy began, catching the slightly pained expression that flickered across Adie's face.

"What about him?" Erza asked, leaning forward out of curiosity.

"There was more than enough room for him to walk past me, but instead....he walked into me," Lucy explained quickly, her words jumbling together.

"I remember that," Natsu grumbled from the floor. Lucy smiled, silently thanking him for at least paying attention.

"What did this..physician...look like?" Morpheus asked, his pupils growing more slit-like as he looked from Natsu back to Lucy.

"Why? What do you know?" Lucy asked suspiciously.

Morpheus remained silent, shooting a quick look toward Adie, who was now propped upright on her seat so that she was leaning with her back against the window. Lucy followed the silent exchange, looking from the spirit to Adie and back again.

"What is it?" she groaned, knowing that something much bigger was about to be revealed.

"Portunus?" Morpheus whispered, his eyes locked on Adie. Lucy could see the slight nod from the corner of her eye.

"Huh? Who's that?" Gray asked. Lucy jumped, realizing he had come closer. She glanced toward the front of the car.

"Who's who?" Natsu echoed as he attempted to pull himself to his feet. He swayed with the train's motion, and his face became an almost sickly shade of green.

As if ignoring their questions, the two continued their cryptic conversation. "He hasn't come to the Human World since...." Adie murmured, her eyes trailing along the sea of seats.

"It's been hundreds of years at least," Morpheus answered softly. "Though I can't keep track of human years."

Lucy looked questioningly at Adie, her eyes pleading for them to include her in this conversation. Adie blinked, her bloodshot eyes heavy. "Zeref."

"Zeref?" Gray echoed more loudly, interrupting before Lucy could ask her own questions. "What does he have to do with all of this?"

Adie leaned her head back, closing her eyes. "It could have been, perhaps....yes, maybe it was Portunus."

"Who is this Portunus!" Lucy demanded shrilly as she jumped to her feet.

"Why aren't you answering my questions?" Gray asked, his arms crossed over his chest as his jaw set in annoyance.

"There's no need to get angry or jump around," Morpheus snapped as he plunged a dark claw into the seat in front of him. Stuffing sprung from the incision. "He's the spirit who makes the keys as well as ensures they make it...here."

The cat gestured around the train, obviously alluding to the bigger picture: the world. Human World.

"A key maker?" Lucy contemplated the information before Gray could interrupt. She hadn't heard about this spirit. "Then why would he come here—to this world? He would risk being captured!"

"Someone could get their hands on his key, aye," Happy replied, as he appeared over the top of the sliced seat in front of Morpheus. He glanced curiously at the stuffing that was billowing out of the tiny incision. He reached forward with his paws, plucking the fluff from the cut. And with that, Happy was distracted.

"Doesn't have a key," Adie answered cautiously, exhaling deeply as she prepared for the barrage of questions.

"But don't all Spirits have keys?" Lucy asked meekly. And here she thought she knew a lot about Stellar Spirits....

Adie shook her head. "Not every one. Portunus is by far the most important spirit. Even more so than my uncle. For him to have a key would mean that anyone who controls him could automatically have access to any and all spirits. Not a risk the King is willing to take."

"That would be dangerous," Gray affirmed with a slight nod. He stonily glanced between the demi-spirit and Morpheus.

Morpheus continued to hold his gaze—golden eyes focusing on the blacksmith. "That's a dangerous gift, indeed," he murmured.

Adie said nothing for some time, her eyes returning Morpheus' empty look. Lucy's brow furrowed in confusion as their silent conversation was lost upon her. She wondered what unspoken messages they were transmitting. Why weren't they sharing everything they knew?

"But why would he come here?" Lucy asked pointedly. She was quickly becoming irritated.

Adie looked away, as Morpheus sighed. "He must have an important key to deliver. Or maybe--"

"Wait," Gray interrupted, his face animated with the ideas that were clouding his head. "Did he make a new key? Does that mean it's a new spirit?" His eyes were filled with his seriousness as he awaited an answer. Lucy had to admit, she was impressed by Gray's ability to deduce such theories. Especially with such a limited knowledge about spirits.

Morpheus chuckled. "Girl, this one's smart, I don't see why you haven't caught onto that yet," his golden eyes glanced toward the pink-haired dragon-slayer.

Lucy's cheeks burned, "Dammit! Stay on track!"

"As you wish, my lady," Morpheus softly tsked. "Portunus forges new keys when a spirit is born, yes. Often, the key is released here without incident. It's only when a spirit has a special request—or mission—that they can dictate where they key may be released."

"How are new spirits born?" Happy asked, bored that he had pulled all the stuffing from the hole in the seat. Tiny fluffs of filler were adhered to his fur.

"Conversation for another time," Adie answered gravely. "Besides, we are unable to answer that question: we don't know."

"Don't know?" Gray echoed, glancing at Erza, who was watching in muted interest. "You don't have any theories?"

"There are things we can't speak of, and there are things we just plain don't know," Morpheus shrugged his indifference to the question.

"OK, OK, back to this key and Portunus," Lucy re-directed the conversation. "Why here? Why me? Why not tell me?"

"Don't know, don't care," Morpheus' brisk answere lashed out, though his eyes focused on the key between Lucy's fingers. His pupils dilated slightly.

Lucy drew her hand back, wary of Morpheus' interest. "What is it?"

The spirit blinked, though he said nothing. Lucy's eyes trailed along her comrades' wondering what they thought of the odd delivery. "So, whatever spirit this is," she waved the key, "Are you saying they wanted me to have their power?"

"Possibly. Or maybe they wanted it delivered to be close to a specific person," Adie pointed out, suddenly appearing next to Lucy from over the seat in front of her.

Lucy jumped, the key once again falling from her grasp. Morpheus reached out to catch it, the key settling in his dark paw. His eyes never left the silver item as his breath came faster. Lucy reached out for the key, her fingers missing the warmth it emanated. It wasn't just any key; it was her key. Morpheus glanced at her as he slowly returned it without so much as a word, though the slight tremble of his grasp spoke more.

"What did this spirit—this Portunus deliver last time he came here?" Gray asked warily.

"Not sure," Adie replied calmly. "Wasn't around."

"But you're a spirit—" Gray insisted.

"Half," Adie replied coldly. "Only half."

Gray studied her face for a few moments, his jaw thrust out defiantly. "Fine," he replied more calmly. "Half-spirit. But shouldn't you know this history?" This time, his eyes fell on Morpheus.

The cat returned the stare, as if contemplating an answer. After a few moments, he gave in, "Last time Portunus was here, it was when Zeref was sealed."

"Did the spirits help in sealing Zeref?" Lucy asked softly.

"It was the only time in history that Celestial Spirits truly battled alongside humans. Mages," Morpheus' voice was low but it relayed the magnitude of the situation-at-hand.

"So you think that fact is reason enough to suspect that a similar scenario is a possibility?" Erza asked, leaning forward in her seat, her hands clasped over her knees.

Adie glanced at Morpheus, who said nothing. "I am willing to bet that's exactly what he is thinking. Though, to be honest—it could be purely coincidence. Or nothing much at all, just a Spirit's wishes."

"Let's hope so, Child," Morpheus growled as his eyes suddenly found interest in the carpet's pattern.

He scratched behind one of his large, pointed ear. He hadn't expected this handful of mages to be so intuitive or intelligent. They were on the right path in their assumptions, though they had yet to realize the truth. He knew that law bound him to remain silent about such issues, but with the current circumstances, he thought these kids needed to know what they may be potentially facing.

"What's all the noise?" Natsu interrupted, stumbling up the aisle until he was standing next to Gray. His eyes fell on the key that Lucy was still holding. "A new one?"

Lucy nodded as she studied her unannounced accessory. Where did it come from? Why did it want to be there? What significance did it hold?

"Well? Aren't you gonna open the gate or whatever you do?" Natsu asked matter-of-factly.

Glances passed around, as if they hadn't considered that prospect. Lucy looked at Morpheus, sending him a see-Natsu-is-smart-sometimes-too look. The spirit looked unimpressed as his brow wriggled in amusement. Lucy had a lot of unanswered questions. She met Morpheus' gaze, her own stony and commanding.

"I want to know about the last time Portunus came to this world and what it has to do with Zeref. I also want to know what is going on in the Spirit World....I can tell that something is not right...no, I can feel it--"

"Fine."

Lucy jumped, realizing that Morpheus hadn't been the one to answer. It was Adie.

"Eh?" Lucy gawked.

Adie shrugged slightly. "He'll answer it. You probably deserve it," she nodded toward the key, "especially if you are being requested by spirits."

Morpheus' mouth was drawn in a grim line as he glared at Adie. She met his gaze with equal vehemence. Lucy could see his nostrils flaring as he contemplated Adie's promise. There was definitely something passing between them. Lucy worried that there may be ramifications on Morpheus' part if he shared that information with her. Maybe she would ask Crux, instead. He seemed to be the only one able to give her such information.....

"Come on, Luce, whatcha waiting for?" Natsu drawled, yawning as Gray reached out to prevent the pink-haired man from falling.

Lucy's smile was lopsided as she nodded her agreement. She sighed, raising the key skyward, her fingers trembling. If the Spirit had sought her out, then it couldn't possibly wish her harm. Right?

"Open the gate." Her voice wavering ever-so-slightly.

A smoky entity announced its presence, as a thick fog spread across the cabin. The handful of mages tried to fan the thick cloud from their view.

"Waaaah!" Natsu howled, his arms waving as he toppled over. He had been the first to catch a glimpse of the new spirit through the foggy dimness.

"It's her!" he wailed from the floor, the corners of his mouth twitching upward.

Lucy could see Adie suddenly leaping to her feet, her eyes bulging from her head. "I-Impossible!"

From the corner of her eye, Lucy could see Erza stand and quickly stride to where they were gathered. She, too, wordlessly stared as the dense fog began to subside. Morpheus quickly leaped from the seat, nimbly landing on the floor in front of the new spirit. He lowered himself onto one knee, bowing his head.

"Mistress," he murmured softly.

"Mistress?" Lucy whispered, squinting through the fog. Who is it?

The spirit took a step forward, and Lucy truly saw her. Her. Lucy's mouth fell open in a mixture of horror and joy. Could it really be? How was it possible? The hot tears stung her eyes as they spilled over her cheeks. An intense weight of guilt released its pressuring grip from Lucy's chest as she began to hyperventilate.

The spirit blinked a few times, her amber eyes studying Lucy's face as both remained silent. The spirit's ivory robe was sleeveless with a wide, scooping neckline and a hem that cascaded to the floor. A thick belt secured the gauzy material around the spirit's waist, as her sandals peeked out from under the robe.

"Lucy," she murmured, her palms outstretched toward the mage.

Lucy could see various bracelets and golden armbands that adorned the slender, ruddy-hued skin of the spirit's arms. Her fingernails were painted a deep purple, as were her lips. Lucy's mouth was still hanging open as she stared at the spirit before her. She still could not fathom what her eyes were telling her. She glanced at where Morpheus was bowing, his head lowered in recognition. He couldn't be mistaken, could he?

"Lucy, are you not happy to see me?" the spirit whispered, a playful and knowing smile twitching at the corners of her mouth.

Lucy's eyes darted back to the spirit as the blood pounded in her ears. The tears began to slow, with only a few brave ones sliding down her cheeks. She licked her lips, her voice dry and raspy as she spoke. "I-Is it really y-you?"

The spirit bent her neck in a knowing gesture, the smile spreading as her thick red curls spilled over her shoulders. She remained silent, awaiting her new master's commands.

"It is. Relieved? You didn't think I would be so cruel, did you?"

It was Lucy's turn to smile. The gesture was filled with both radiance and relief as her senses fell into agreement. There was no doubting the Celestial Spirit standing in front of her. There was no doubt at all.

Veleda was alive.