A/N: EPISODE 191 IS OUT! *Muffled screaming* For those who are up to it, I'm planning a fic (obviously angsty), surrounding Future Natsu and Lucy. If you want to know more, PM me.

Here's the update, Guest, Coolanime14 and Ebon fire Red waters! Apologies to SaberTail FairyTooth, I didn't really mean for it to end with a cliff-hanger, sorry. I'll be cutting down on them, don't worry. Thank you for the welcome back, cocopuff123 , and for the compliments. Also thank you to Wolf123, thank you for the kind words, I'm happy you liked it! Erin isn't really going to be as focused around as Lucy or Team Natsu, but he does have a major role. As for "Stellar", they are explained in this chapter, if only briefly. To Rose's Shadow, hot chocolate makes every conversation serious. Everyone knows that. ;)

To pikaace, DID YOU REALLY MEAN THAT?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?! If you really mean what you said, I really want to hug you. I've read hundreds of fics way better than this one, so saying that means a lot. Like I can't describe how much that means to me. Really. Thank you. Erin's going to be seen a lot more, don't worry. I actually picked out his name from Eren from AOT, but I spelled it that way it because Eren is so much better than Erin. :P

JUST TO GET YOU ALL EXCITED, WE MEET THE SPIRIT BEHIND THE KEY THIS CHAPTER. HAPPY READING! However, it's not a very long chap, I'm struggling to find inspiration.

Note: The flashback in this chapter is from an event that takes place back in chapter eleven.

149 Favs and 199 Follows, huh? Thank you! x

The Soft-Spoken Visitor

On the morning of the 25th, little improvement had been brought to Lucy's condition.

In an arm chair she'd dragged to her close friend's bedside, Erza was seated, dressed in regular clothes for a change. She had arrived to Porlyusica's home at precisely seven-thirty that very morning, not even a moment later, with a few of Lucy's favourite novels in her arms and a few pages accompanied with a quill. The idea of the Celestial Mage being entirely on her lonesome as Porlyusica provided little to no social interaction had struck the S-Class Mage hard the evening prior. But now, possibly when the blonde had healed further, she would be able to occupy herself either by reading or working on her novel if she chose to. The grateful smile that Erza had received from her comrade just before she resumed her slumber was enough to put her in a bright mood for the remainder of the day. She knew that Lucy wanted to express how thankful she was for the thought her teammate had put in, yet a simple action alike to speaking seemed to exhaust the teenager quickly, so Erza had hushed her before she could say anything.

Now, Lucy slept quietly, yet with her breathing laboured and her expression laced with discomfort. She was now dressed in fresh and clean pyjamas that Erza had brought earlier, alongside a collection of other garments she regularly wore and other personal belongings. Fairy Tail's Medical Advisor crinkled her nose at this, most likely from more of her patient's things taking up a space in her home, even if it was just a small one. The Requip Mage had also given herself the task of tending to her friend's hair as she slept, carefully brushing it out and tying it into a braid, her actions slow and gentle to not disturb the younger girl's slumber. She also tucked the blankets that covered the blonde in closer around her and shut the window when a breeze came in that made them both shiver. It was instinct, Erza proposed, to feel the need to look after Lucy in such a motherly fashion. Even if she'd never voiced the thought aloud, but she had started to look after her as one would for a younger sibling whom they adored dearly as of recent. Neither of them had ever had the privilege of a brother or sister, but Fairy Tail had brought them both too many family members to count. Erza knew that she beared resemblance to a motherly figure in the way she would act towards her fellow Guild Members, in terms of scolding them of their bad habits and so on, but she defiantly wouldn't mind preserving a special part for Lucy in her heart as her younger sister.

She defiantly wouldn't mind it at all.

As time ticked on, the scarlet-haired woman stayed at the Stellar wizard's side. As it neared ten in the morning, she had only moved for a short bathroom break before returning to watch over her friend just as Porlyusica had finished making at least half a dozen batches of Magical solutions to speed up Lucy's recovering process. It'd taken at least two hours, yet to Erza's surprise, the elderly healer hadn't complained once, nor made a sound. She'd remained focused without even a mere glance in Erza or Lucy's direction. This was most likely for the reason that the solutions required a great deal of concentration to make, but Erza did not mind. She merely continued to tend to her slumbering Nakama, lightly dabbing at her flushed face to wipe away the perspiration as it formed and settling a chilled, damp washcloth upon the girl's heated forehead. She'd been informed upon arrival to the healer's cottage that Lucy had somehow developed a fever overnight, and was told that it was her body's natural reaction to something being wrong and that her increased temperature was its way of fighting to return to its normal state. Apparently, Master Makarov had also experienced similar signs when he'd been in the same position.

Grey and Natsu arrived just around ten thirty to visit their teammate, the latter seeming oddly tired, as if he'd just rolled out of bed. Judging by the state of his clothes and hair, he had only recently been asleep but had quickly hurried to get dressed into different clothes before coming to visit Lucy. Erza supposed he'd stayed up late the evening before to brawl against his fellow Guild mates into the early hours of the morning until everyone had passed out with exhaustion. "Good morning, boys." She greeted them both with a warm smile before she gestured for them to sit beside her. Dragging chairs over to Lucy's bedside, they did just that. "How are things at Fairy Tail at the moment?" Erza asked. "I'm assuming you were there this morning, correct?"

"Yeah, we were." Grey answered, scratching the back of his head. "Now that everyone was there this morning, whoever wasn't fighting last night is probably introducing themselves to Erin and stuff." He chuckled as he reminisced on the brawl that had taken place. "I think the poor guy was a bit overwhelmed, I mean, he was practically crushed by a table at one point…"

"He was fine!" Natsu assured, laughing as he also remembered. "If you're gonna feel sorry for anyone, feel sorry for Elfman! He was out of it in seconds!"

"I don't even remember how he got into the air!" Grey muttered as he shook his head. "He almost landed on me…"

"After being at Fairy Tail for so many years, you learn to expect that sort of thing." Erza said with a small laugh herself.

"True." Grey smirked before he looked to Lucy. "Is she alright?"

"Her condition's worsened." Erza sighed. "She developed a fever last night. It's nothing serious, but it certainly isn't helping her current state." She turned to the Ice Mage beside her. "But it'd be good if you could lower her temperature, Grey."

"Right." Grey said. "Of course." He leaned forward, taking the cloth from Lucy's forehead to use his Magic on it. After he'd cooled it down, he placed it back to its original place. At the action, her strained expression eased just a small amount. "That should help a bit." He murmured, studying his friend's face. "She'll be alright soon, though. With Porlyusica looking after her, that is." At the mention of the healer, she entered the room, another dose of her Magic Power-replenishing solution prepared.

"Lovely." she said sourly, crinkling her nose in distaste at the group. "There's more of you. Wonderful."

The team of wizards simply ignored her, one of which taking on the task of awakening their friend for another batch of her medicine. Erza slowly shook the blonde's shoulder, quietly calling her name to gently wake her.

Lucy moaned softly, making a pained expression as her eyes opened. She was reluctant to leave the comfort of her dreams, squinting at the sudden exposure to the bright sunlight shining in through the window. Then, her attention focused onto Erza, Grey and Natsu. Her lips curved into a soft smile at their presence. "Hey." She greeted weakly.

"Hey, Lucy." Grey said. "You feeling much better?"

"That's a stupid question." snickered Natsu.

"You wanna go, Flame Brain?!"

"I'm feeling alright." The Celestial Mage answered, giggling as they began to bicker.

"Save your strength, Lucy," Erza scolded her gently before returning the smile. "Don't talk too much, it tires you far too quickly."

Lucy hummed in response, rubbing her eyes as Porlyusica neared her, passing her next dose of solution into her patient's hands. "Even if I've only been here for a little while, I already missed you guys," she murmured quietly.

Natsu looked away from his rival and cracked a grin at his partner. "We missed you too, Lucy."

"Don't worry, we're going to save the best missions for when you're better." Grey assured.

"But we'll only do so when you've fully recovered." Erza added.

Lucy grimaced as she took a sip of the Magic potion. "Can't wait."

LINE BREAK

She found herself in the depths of her own subconscious soon enough, sinking into the mattress and snuggling beneath her blankets as the sound of rustling leaves from the trees outside lulled her to sleep.

Once again she found herself within a replica of the Celestial Spirit Realm inside her dream. "Hello?" Lucy called out just for the sake of it, although she didn't expect a response. Soft murmurings echoed in the back of her mind, sound as if they were coming from afar and yet right beside her at the same time. It was confusing, as she tried to make sense of the mixed voices mumbling and whispering to one another. These strange dreams had only started after her solo mission in Starlight, and she was sure that they had something to do with the mysteries she was so desperate to solve. Perhaps they were visions, she'd mused earlier that morning, before Erza had arrived. Perhaps the three beings she heard speaking about her were attempting to contact her. Maybe to warn her, but of what, she was uncertain.

"Does this have something to do with my mother?!"

The question was blurted out in a mixture of desperation and frustration and silence was what it was met with. She didn't understand why she'd received a letter in a foreign language no one could read. She didn't understand why she'd found a Celestial Spirit key that she, a Celestial Spirit wizard, could not summon. There were so many questions and so little answers. Why me? She had remembered crying this out into her mind after awakening from yet another strange 'vision'. Why had her mother never showed her this message before? Why this? Why that? Nothing made sense anymore.

"Please!" she cried out. "I need to know! Please, can you help me?"

"You aren't strong enough yet, Lucinda."

"H-Huh?"

Lucy slowly raised her head at the sound of the gentle voice responding back to her.

Yellow light bathed the area with an intensity that made the girl close her eyes. However, when she opened them, she finally caught a glimpse of the one who had spoken. Her features contorted in surprise at the flickering image of a gigantic figure standing before her. Air caught in her throat as her chest tightened with a mixture of disbelief and terror at the sight of a Dragon right before her eyes.

As if she didn't need another question without an answer.

The stars and orbs of light floating around the large being reflected in the dark, golden scales that covered the majority of its body. It's lower body, stomach, chest and the inner portions of its tail and legs were creamy white in colour, and large spikes only a few shade's darker than its scales ran from its head and down to the end of its tail. Its eyes were round with glowing white sclera and black pupils. As the Celestial Mage took a step back, the Dragon folded it's large, bat-like wings, and laid down. The fact that its golden claws were bigger than Lucy frightened her immensely, and the razor sharp teeth showed when it smiled did not help settle her nerves. Magic Power practically radiated off of it, its entire aura giving off a great sense of strength. Yet, as its image continued to flicker, Lucy realised that it was a hologram, and that the creature was not truly laying before her.

Phew, I guess I'm not being eaten, then. She thought.

"Not…strong enough?" she was hesitant to speak to such a powerful being as she thought about its words. "What aren't I strong enough for?" she curled her hands into fists in an effort to stop them from trembling in fear.

"We don't have much time, so I can't explain much. I apologize." the Dragon said quietly, eyes saddening at the thought.

It seemed soft-spoken, something Lucy found strange for its size. It was female, judging by its voice and more slender build compared to Constellar, the male Dragon she'd seen a painting of within the Kingdom named in his honour.

"You were able to control a small burst of my Magic Energy when my Gate Key fell to the ground, and that was incredible enough." The Dragon continued. "But you need a great deal of strength to summon me to your world, and I fear if you try again at your current level…" She turned her large head, looking off into the endless stretch of light and stars. "…your body won't be able to withstand it. You may die if you make another attempt." She shifted her eyes back onto the wizard, who froze under her gaze. "You don't have enough Magic Power at the moment to open more than a few Gates at once, after all. It'd be impossible to summon me the way you are at the moment." She paused for a few heartbeats before adding, "I apologize if that sounded insulting."

"N-No, that's okay. But…w-wait a moment…" She felt light-headed, laughing uneasily at the end of her sentence as she felt herself shaking. "Uh…w-what's your n-name?" she was stuttering and stumbling over her words as she tried to understand the knowledge she'd just gained. "A-And, t-the Key I have, i-it's yours?" her mouth fell open in shock as the creature nodded. "So t-that means, the dream I had, back in Constellar-"

"Hello?" the member of Fairy Tail called. "Who's there? Who are you?" she asked. "Please, answer me!" she spun around as the laughter was suddenly behind her. She squinted and saw something gold glimmering in the distance. Before she knew it, she was running, running as fast as she could towards that object for an unknown reason. She wanted answers and she needed them know. "Who are you?!" the blonde screamed, pumping her legs faster as the laughter began to fade. "Answer me, please! Please! Why am I here?" no matter how fast she thought she had travelled, the space around her was expanding, stretching away from her. "Does this has something to do with what I found? Huh? Stellar? Is that your name?!" she skidded to a stop as all noises were ceased and the light had stopped moving away from her. "Is it?!" Hunching over, she was panting, catching her breath. There was silence all around, terrifying her, wondering what was about to happen.

"So it is you, Lucinda Heartfilia…" a soft, gentle, female voice whispered. "You're the one who has found my key, dear?" she hummed, her words spoken in a tone showing the person the voice belonged to was apparently impressed with her feat. "It seems brother dearest was correct, after all…" the light floated towards Lucy, identical to the orb that she had found a few hours beforehand. "My name is not Stellar, but that guess in itself is close enough. I look forward to meeting you in person sometime soon, Lucinda." The world began to spin around her as the key dropped into the girl's hands and the voice faded away.

"Yes, it is." The Dragon said. "My name is Stellaria, and that is all I can tell you for now."

"S-Stellaria?!"

"The connection this time between you and I is more stable, but not by a great deal." Stellaria kept talking as if the girl hadn't spoken once. "Now, we can converse, however, we don't have much time left, so your questions must wait until later."

"Much time left?" Lucy echoed. "What do you mean-"

"The letter you received was written by your mother a mere fourteen months before she passed away." The creature hurriedly continued on. "It is written in an ancient script for the fact that it is for your eyes only. No one else. Its contents have been hidden even from your father for this purpose."

"But-"

"You must understand that great power is within your reach, and that you only need to grasp hold of it." her image began to flicker violently, meaning that their conversation was going to be cut much shorter than either of them realised. "You must grow stronger, and you must become aware of your hidden abilities, Lucinda." She began to talk faster, almost in a panicked way as Lucy stared at her in awe. "Whether or not your use them for your loved ones or for yourself and any personal gain, that is your own decision to make." Her large eyes softened. "The King and Queen of Constellar are the ones we have given only vague instructions to, for this journey is only yours to travel."

"I don't understand!" Lucy cried, clutching her head with both hands as it began to ache. "What are you talking about? What does all of this mean?!"

"The road will be long, and it will be painful. Your blood will be spilled and your tears will be shed. Nevertheless, you must stay strong." The warning was slightly muffled as the Dragon started to fade away. "Trust only those you know best, and follow what your heart tells you. That is all I can say for now. Until we meet again…"

"No, wait!" Lucy scrambled towards the gigantic creature just as it vanished from sight.

"Don't let the darkness consume you…"

"Come back!" she shouted. "Please! I'm begging you!"

"The brightest stars burn out the fastest."

That was the last thing she heard before the ground beneath her feet cracked open and she was swallowed up by a never ending darkness.

LINE BREAK

"No!"

The action of sitting up so abruptly and harshly was one Lucy instantly regretted as her head spun and a chill swept through her bones. She let out a soft moan, clutching at her heated forehead with trembling fingers. "Wh-What…what was that?" her breathing had quickened, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "I...I…" she looked to the end table at her bedside and watched as the key that rested there sparkled in the moonlight. "Stell…Stellaria…" she hesitantly reached for the glimmering object, yet retracted her hand as pain resonated throughout her body. "T-That's your name, huh?" Her gaze shifted to the paper beneath the Key, the letter she was so determined to read.

That is, if she ever found a way to translate the script.

"What does all of this mean, Mama?" the seventeen-year-old whispered sadly. "What does it mean?"

Lucy curled in on herself, seeking comfort underneath the blankets tucked around her. It was late, by what she could tell. Night had fallen by now, and Natsu, Grey and Erza had either returned to the Guild or back to their own homes. Porlyusica was out collecting more herbs for her patient, leaving the Celestial Mage by herself for the time being. She laid on her side, feeling an undesirable pang of loneliness among the pain residing in her body which rested alongside the fatigue. After she'd learned that the letter she'd received was written by the late Layla Heartfilia, and after visiting her father and Ms. Spetto, she found herself feeling lonely. Even extremely so. As she said to Erza merely days before, she was sure with a family like the one she had at Fairy Tail, she wouldn't be allowed to feel alone. She was constantly around them to the point where she'd barely have a moment to herself. Despite whatever she said, she secretly enjoyed this immensely after suffering through years of isolation. She really couldn't say there was a happier day than the one she met Natsu, but now, it wasn't the companionship of her fellow Guild members she was seeking.

No, she felt a longing for her mother, a feeling that had never left since the wizard's death, but merely became more bearable over time. Lucy craved Layla's motherly love ever so dearly, now more than she ever had, except for those dark times throughout her early childhood. She was merely ten years old when her mother had left her, and yet she could only receive something alike to that same caring from Ms. Spetto and the members of staff who adored her and stepped in to raise her when Jude began to ignore her existence. This ordeal had stirred up those emotions once more, whether she liked it or not.

However, no matter how much she longed for that same affection, she knew she'd never receive it again.

That was the cruel reality of this world that she knew she had to accept one day.

.

..

…