The day of July 2, x784 was like any other summer day. The sun was out, the sky was clear and the breeze off the water was just enough to make the heat bearable. Most would call this a very fine day, indeed.

And for one busty blonde mage, this day would be the start of her entire future.

As Lucy Heartfilia found herself inside a vaguely familiar magic shop, trying to haggle with a vaguely familiar shopkeeper, she was barely managing to suppress a nostalgic smile. Of course, it was getting easier by the minute as her temper continued to rise.

"What do you mean 20,000 jewels?!" She demanded of the small statured man.

"This Gate Key is very popular, you know!" The man seemed unwilling to budge at all on the price. He had a stubborn set to his jaw and his arms crossed tightly against his chest.

"Oh, come on, old man!" Lucy huffed irritably, placing a hand on her hip as she tried to contain her annoyance. "You even said yourself that this town barely gets any business from mages. And that Celestial Spirit mages are a rarity! When's the next time someone'll come along to buy this key, huh? At a shop like this, it's worth 12,000, max!"

The shopkeepers face had continued to get more red as she talked, knowing there was nothing he could say to dispute her words but wanting to argue them all the same. Finally, he let out a long breath, a look of defeat on his face.

"Fine," his voice was grudging, "12,000 jewels. Take it or leave it."

"YES!" The blonde held her new Gate Key tenderly as it was handed over, excited to see her spirit again after so long.

"Now get out of my shop!" The man shooed her off impatiently, upset over his 8,000 lost jewels. Lucy was all too happy to leave, having got what she came for.

"This is great!" She exclaimed to no one in particular as she all but pranced down the street, her new key now jangling at her hip with the rest. "I'm only on day one, and already things are looking up! A whole 8,000 saved! And I get to see Plue again soon!"

Her grin grew even more when she thought of who else she'd be getting to see soon. She sped up her pace as a growing crowd of women got her attention, all shouting about the amazing Salamander. She couldn't help but scoff. Like this fraud was anything like the real deal.

The closer she got the more she could feel the tug of the charm magic against her. Of course, knowing it was there meant it had no affect. Thank Mavis. She couldn't help but be ashamed of the fact that she had been just as enraptured as these other screaming girls, the last time around. And by someone as disgusting as this guy, no less.

As Bora of Prominence finally came into view, Lucy had to surpress a shudder. She had almost forgotten how repulsive this man was but seeing him now, and seeing all of these women fawn over him, was enough to turn her stomach. If only they knew what he had planned for them. She was just about to make her way through the crowd when a voice stopped her cold.

"IGNEEEEEEL!"

Lucy found herself frozen to the spot, her eyes wide and her heart going a mile a minute. She knew, she knew, that she would be seeing him again. But nothing could prepare her for the sight of that bright pink hair, those eyes that always held a hint of a challenge, that mouth that could smile so wide it almost hurt to look at. As Natsu appeared on the ground before the fake Salamander and Lucy got an eyeful of him for the first time in almost two years, she wanted nothing more than to fall into those arms and sob her heart out.

But she couldn't. Because Natsu didn't know her yet. Wouldn't know that she was crying because she was happy, wouldn't know just the way to hold her to make her feel safe and warm and loved but not trapped or caged. Wouldn't pat her head and grin wide while calling her a weirdo in that affectionate tone he always took with her.

And at the thought of that - he doesn't know me, he doesn't know me at all - she finally felt doubt for the first time since she'd come back. Because it wasn't just Natsu. Nobody would know her. And even if she got everything right, even if she saved them all, they wouldn't ever be her friends. This Natsu would never be the boy that died bloody and beaten in her arms, with tears in his eyes at their loses but a vicious grin on his face for their victory.

And that, that, more than anything was a little hard to accept.

Stop it! She shook her head at herself, her long ponytail swaying back and forth behind her. That was the whole point of coming back, dummy! So that he would never become that, so none of them would. So they could be happy! So, get your head in the game!

Finally coming back to her senses, she took a deep breath before she continued onwards. By this time Bora had already taken his leave, the women left behind cooing after him. She stepped up to her long-lost-soon-to-be partner as he groaned on the ground from the beating he had received, and couldn't stop the affectionate grin on her face if she tried.

"That guy is really disgusting," her voice sounded a bit strangled from the withheld emotions, but who was he to know at this point in time? Her eyes slid from his to the blue cat at his side, and she found herself unbearably relieved to see the feline looking, well, happy. Instead of the down-trodden world-weary Happy she had left behind.

"Sorry about those women, it's not really their fault. He's using a charm spell on them, they really don't know what they're doing," she pulled on the end of her ponytail anxiously as she waited for him to speak. He pushed himself up slowly to his feet and then stretched his arms wide before slumping forward, looking defeated.

"Eh, it's not a problem," he mumbled through a pout. "But I really thought it'd be Igneel this time."

"Aye," agreed the feline by his side somberly.

"Igneel?" The blonde took on a curious tone as she tilted her head just so.

"My dad," the pink-haired boy before her explained as he crossed his arms behind his head. He suddenly grinned, full of pride. "He's the Fire Dragon!"

"Fire dragon?" Lucy laughed as she flipped her hair back behind her. "What would a dragon be doing in the middle of town?"

"Ah!" Natsu and Happy both exclaimed in shock, the thought obviously never occurring to either of them, and the sight just made Lucy laugh all the harder.

"Well, come on. You might not find your dragon in the middle of town, but I'm sure we'll at least be able to find lunch!" And with that the Spirit mage did an about-face as she led the way. She could hear as the dragon slayer behind her scrambled to catch up.

"Really?!" His grin had gotten impossibly wider at the prospect of food.

"Of course! My treat. It's the least I can do after watching you get beat up by a crowd of fangirls." She couldn't seem to stop smiling. She felt like she was walking on cloud nine, honestly. All of her earlier doubts seemed to have disappeared, and while she knew this wasn't the case and that she'd dwell on them later, she was going to save them for later. Right now the sun was out, the sky was blue, and Natsu and Happy were by her side. Everything was right with the world.

"Thank you for the meal!"

"Aye!"

She turned at their yells to find them once again on the ground, this time with their heads bowed, right in the middle of the street. People passing by stopped to stare at them and some even began to point and whisper. Lucy could feel her smile becoming strained already.

"I-Idiots! We're not even at the restaurant yet! Save your gratitude for once you've actually eaten!"

.

.

"Mavis, but I forgot how exhausting those two can be." Lucy sighed as she slumped down onto a park bench. It had only been about an hour and a half since she'd first laid eyes on her pink-haired partner and already she felt like she needed a nap.

But man was that guy full of energy. He and Happy both had stuffed their faces full at an almost nauseating rate as she filled the air with idle chitchat about her dreams for joining a guild and her disgust at Bora for his use of charm magic. In the end she'd been the first to leave again, dropping her money on the table. And, like before, they'd bowed in gratitude again right there in the middle of the restaurant. And, like before, Natsu'd offered up his fake Salamander autograph as proof of his gratitude.

"What the heck am I even supposed to do with this?" She wondered aloud as she fingered the edge of it. The cursive script covered the whole front and she couldn't help but scoff at the arrowed 'S'. Was that supposed to be like a dragon's tail?

"Ah, I see you're a fan," a voice spoke up from behind her, causing her to flinch. She turned to come face to face with none other than the fraud himself.

"I don't know if I'd go that far," she replied dryly as she flicked the piece of cardboard into a nearby trash can. She stood to walk away as he rounded the bench, but before she could take so much as a step he swung his arm up and around her shoulders.

"Playing hard to get? It's very charming. But there's no need to be embarrassed. I saw you earlier in the crowd and I've been unable to get you out of my head since!" Bora stood much taller than her, his dark blue hair looking windswept and his smirk tilted at just the right angle. He was very good, she had to admit. He seemed to have conning down to an art form.

"Charming, eh?" She couldn't help but ask, finding humor in the situation. "Sorry to say though, but that charm magic of yours isn't going to work on me."

"I knew it! I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you that you were a mage!" He was throwing on the act a little thick and once again she was ashamed to know that she'd fallen for it the last time around, hook, line and sinker. "I wanted so badly to invite a beauty like you to the party on my ship later this evening. We could even discuss my guild, Fairy Tail, if you'd like!"

"Fairy Tail, huh?" Lucy asked as she ignored her flare of anger and indignation at the use of her guild name. To flaunt it like that when it wasn't even his. He truly was pathetic and disgusting.

"Oh, yes. I could even get you into the guild! I could definitely talk to the Master for you. It wouldn't be any trouble at all."

She pretended to think it over before forcing a smile to her face. "That sounds great! I've always wanted to join that guild!"

"It's decided then! Come to my ship for the party tonight and we'll discuss all of the details then." As he swaggered away, Lucy couldn't stop the vicious smirk from coming to her face.

Like taking candy from a baby, honestly.

.

.

"Lucy, huh? That's such a pretty name."

"Thanks!" Lucy chirped with a sugar sweet tone. She sat straight in her halter-topped black dress, the fabric hugging all of her curves just right. Cancer had outdone himself on her hair, styling it in perfectly curled waves down her back while the top half was braided together. All in all she looked damn fine, if she did say so herself.

Across from her, Bora seemed to agree as he kept eyeing her up and down while he poured two goblet of wine.

"Let us toast," he declared in a pompous tone, "before we continue our discussion."

"Don't you have other girls to attend to?" She asked with pretend meekness as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger.

"It's fine, it's fine!" Bora waved his hand as if brushing off the issue. "I just want to drink with you."

"I see. Well, if that's what it is, then I'm sorry to say I'll have to decline." Lucy stood gracefully as the man in front of her froze in confusion. Her hand brushed her hip and clasped around her Gate Keys as she stepped around the table between them and, more importantly, away from the curtain behind her. "You see, I have this thing against sharing drinks with slave traders."

"You knew?!" Bora's entire countenance changed in that instant, from the suave flirtatious heartthrob to the despicable man he truly was. His mouth curved into an ugly grin. "And you still came aboard this ship? How foolish of you."

"Foolish? Not really. You're really not as big as you talk yourself up to be," the Stellar Spirit mage shrugged in mock apology and then smirked. "And I'm not just talking about your power level here."

"Bitch!" His face twisted into a snarl. With a snap of his fingers his men began to pour out from behind the curtain. Regaining his smirk he sauntered over to the fireplace where he pulled out a branding iron. "Just stand still. I'll brand that pretty skin of yours and then we'll be off to Bosco. Honestly, the less you struggle the less it'll hurt. Though, it will burn a little. Please bear with it."

Without a word in reply Lucy lifted a Gate key into the air. "Open, door to the Golden Bull, Taur -"

With a crash the ceiling caved in, causing everyone inside to jump back in shock. And who jumped down through the opening but one loud-mouthed pink-haired dragon slayer.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled out in giddy excitement. The boy in question turned to her in confusion.

"Lucy? What're you -" and in that second his face bloated and turned a sickly green. He turned away from her immediately and seemed to fold in on himself as he hugged his stomach. "Nope, can't do it."

"That's so lame!" The blonde laughed out. "What was the point of you even coming if you can't even stand up straight anymore?"

"The point... was..." with great difficulty he leaned against the wall and pointed an accusing finger straight at Bora. "You... using Fairy Tail's name like that. I've never... seen you at the guild before. You're no... Fairy Tail mage!"

For a moment his anger seemed to overpower his motion sickness as he stood straight and proud and full of fiery rage. "I don't care if you're a bastard or a good person! But I can't forgive you for using our name!"

For a moment everyone was silent, and Lucy couldn't help but be proud of her hopefully-soon-to-be partner as she looked around at all of the intimidated faces. And then the spell was broken as Natsu clapped his hands to his mouth to keep from vomiting and curled right back up on the floor. The room erupted into mocking laughter at his expense and the blonde just shook her head and sighed.

"Really, Natsu, that's so uncool." She stepped over to him to take guard in front of her fellow mage, determined to not let anyone get near him while in his vulnerable state. She caught a flash of blue from the corner of her eye and knew that Happy had finally arrived.

"Lucy! What're you doing here?" The feline yelled as he landed next to his partner.

"I could ask you two the same thing. Especially as it seems this guy only came to puke on everything."

"Aye, he doesn't really do well with vehicles," the cat informed her solemnly.

"I had noticed," Lucy muttered before shaking her head. "Anyway, keep an eye on him and I'll deal with these guys."

"No... Let me..." Natsu struggled weakly before seeming to give up on moving. The blonde rolled her eyes but otherwise ignored him as she directed her attention back to the men in front of her.

"Anyways, where were we again?" She asked them with a smile as she raised her key once more. "Taurus!"

In a flash the large spirit stood beside her and almost immediately began noodling around.

"Luuuuuuuucy, you look so seeeeeeexy todaaaaaaaay as weeeeeeell!" He exclaimed with hearts in his eyes. Ignoring his perversion with long practiced ease, she pointed towards their enemy.

"Nevermind that, I want these guys to regret ever laying eyes on me, got it?"

"Yes, of coooooourse, Luuuuuuucy!" The spirit was all to happy to follow her command as he grasped the handle of his ax and began swinging. Lucy, not one to let her Spirits fight alone, grabbed her whip from her hip and entered the foray as well. It was almost depressing, really, how simple it was to take them all out until only Bora remained.

"N-no! That's not possible! You're just a woman! You're not even affiliated with a guild!" He cried out as he pressed himself against the wall, his eyes wide in shock.

"Sorry to say, but this woman just kicked your ass and ruined your entire operation," the blonde said in a pleasant voice as she saunter towards him with a smile on her face. When he went to use his magic against her she simply flicked her wrist and her whip wrapped itself around his, disrupting his spell. "Oh, and also, this is on behalf of every women you've ever hurt, or branded, or sold."

And with that she punched him right in the nose, feeling as it gave way beneath her fist. He fell in a spray of blood and didn't get back up.

She stepped away as she dusted her hands, as if the action would rid her of the filth of him. She smiled up at her spirit as she passed. "Thanks for the help, Taurus. You can return now."

"Anytiiiiiiiiiime for that seeeexy booooody, Luuuuucy!" And then the spirit was gone and the only ones left conscious were her, a cat and a useless lump of dragon slayer.

"So lame," she sighed again as she gazed down at him, her hands on her hips. Happy nodded sadly.

"Aye."

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.

In the confusion of docking the boat, talking to the Rune Knights and getting all the girls held captive free, Lucy had lost sight of Natsu and Happy. When she realized this she nearly had a panic attack right then and there before she'd literally slapped sense back into herself. The Rune Knight questioning her had been very unamused.

Now, hours later, she found herself sitting by the dock on a bench, watching as the sun slowly rose and couldn't help the morose sigh that left her lips.

"Maybe I can just go there myself...? It won't be the same, but I don't think they'll turn me away..." She hung her head as she wondered just what it was she had done wrong. Yeah, she'd more or less handled the whole thing on her own this time around, but she didn't think that would result in Natsu leaving without her. It just didn't make any sense. She thought for sure he'd ask her to go with him.

And yet her she was, alone, and he was probably halfway back to the guild by now -

"Hey!" She jumped at the voice yelling down the street. "Lucy!"

She could've cried at the sight before her. As she got to her feet Happy floated down to her, landing on her shoulder as he let his wings disappear, and barely a step behind was Natsu, signature grin spread across his face

"I wanted to thank you for the help earlier," the dragon slayer rubbed the back of his head as he laughed nervously. "I really appreciate you kicking those guys asses, though I would've liked it more if I'd gotten to do it myself."

"Maybe if you'd chosen a better setting for the beat down," she suggested dryly. Really, how had he lived so long dealing with his motion sickness and he still seemed to forget about it when faced with a fight. And then he was left a sweating green mess on the ground. It was truly ridiculous. It was just so Natsu. "But it really wasn't a problem. He was planning to sell me as a slave, so honestly I had planned on kicking his ass anyways."

"But it's a good thing we were able to find you! We wanted to talk to you earlier but you were surrounded by Rune Knights."

"Aye, we try to avoid them at all costs," Happy explained brightly.

"Right, and you were talking to them forever," Natsu continued dramatically. "But now that you're done we can finally go!"

And with that he did an about-face and began leading the way down the road. It felt like a humorous repeat of earlier that afternoon and Lucy smiled as she asked, "Go?"

"To Fairy Tail, of course!" Natsu grinned back at her as Happy took flight from her shoulder once more. "You wanted to join, didn't you?"

There were so many emotions crashing through her at once that she couldn't believe she was able to contain it all. But as her grin grew and her face lit up in pure joy, all she did was nod as she ran to catch up to the boy before her.

"Yeah, let's go!"

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A/N: And there's chapter two! A day late, but hey, better than expected honestly. I know I've skipped an entire year ahead here, but I plan on putting tidbits of what Lucy was up to in later chapters. I might even take some to use as plot devices so that it's not just a retelling of events from the manga. We'll see.

In this chapter we catch a brief glimpse of Lucy's doubts. Those will definitely come into play later. And you may have noticed that she seems much happier and more like herself here than in last chapter. There is a reason for that as well. You'll see.

Well, anyways, like always I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I hope you come back for more! And I'd love to hear any and all opinions, good or bad! Honestly, it's where I draw my motivation from. So, please be kind and leave a review!