Chapter 2:

Research, Research, Research!

Poppy

"Nothing in here either…" Poppy called out as she leaned back from a particularly dusty bookshelf, wiping her nose to rid the urge to sneeze. She carefully made her way down the ladder, shaking and wiping most of the dust from her burgundy skirt and her pink halter top. Down another aisle, she could hear Lucy grunting as she searched through the dusty thick books. "How about you, Levy?"

It had been a few weeks since Poppy joined Fairy Tail, and everyday was a busy day. It had taken her one week to learn most of the members' names, and now she could confidently say hi without confusing them (as she'd done with Macao and Max, to everyone's amusement). Also within those weeks, she and Lucy had managed to find a few easy jobs to make money with. The orange-haired girl had insisted on it, feeling guilty for relying on Lucy for food and shelter, not to mention clean clothes. Despite Poppy's lack of magic use, the duo discovered she was quite good with a staff - something that came in handy during their jobs.

And in between Poppy getting used to Magnolia and the exuberant nature of Fairy Tail, she, Lucy, and Levy researched Celestial Gate Keys. Master Makarov suggested searching through Fairy Tail's storerooms and records, hoping there would be information about it. Though she wasn't much of a reader (or maybe she was; she couldn't remember anyway), something told her she couldn't afford to slack off with this, not with the way Lucy and Levy were focusing.

Not that she wanted to, anyway.

"I didn't find anything either, Pops," The little blue-haired girl peeked around the corner, Wind Readers on her face and two books in each hand. She snapped them shut and tossed them onto a rather large pile of books in the corner. In front was a little sign that read "Discard Pile". "I'm not sure where else we could look, other than the 'Jade Palace' - the Royal Library - or the Rune Knights' Library…"

"We've looked through everything that could tell us something new about this Key - would they really have more information?" Poppy asked, holding up the Key in question. She'd developed a habit of staring at it every day, in the hopes that looking at it long enough would give the three some answers; so far, it hadn't revealed much. "Can we even gain access to those places? From what I've heard, the Royal Library is strictly limited to specific individuals, and the Rune Knights only allow other Rune Knights to search their shelves..."

"Sure - I don't think Princess Hisui would mind much if we asked!" Lucy said as she joined the two, letting out a sneeze as she brushed herself off. "Plus, the princess is a Celestial Spirit Wizard herself! If anything, this new Key would interest her…"

"I can also put in a request to some friends working with the Rune Knights," Levy added helpfully, tossing another book onto the pile and taking off her Wind Readers. "They owe me anyway, for helping them with that whole 'haywire enchantment' fiasco a few months back!"

Poppy smiled brightly at the two, clasping their hands with her own. "I… I really can't thank you enough for the help - both of you! Maybe we'll finally be able to learn something new… and maybe… I'll finally be able to figure out who I am, and summon a spirit…"

Lucy gave Poppy a silent nod, a slightly sad look on her face. Like she promised, Lucy began walking her through the steps to summon a Spirit. And faithfully, she practiced with her, following each step as best she could. However, she hadn't been able to muster enough magic to summon any of the Spirits she had, let alone the one Lucy had summoned using the Crystal Gate Key. With some advice from Capricorn, it seemed the memory loss was the reason behind her lacking abilities. So in a way, they were stuck - without her memories, Poppy couldn't use her magic, and without her magic, she couldn't summon the Crystal Gate Key's spirit, who most likely would have been able to help with the memory loss and their research.

"Then we've got no time to waste!" Levy said, holding their hands. Lucy and Poppy exchanged smiles as they followed Levy. "If I contact my friends in the Rune Knights, we should be able to get some information by tomorrow! In the meantime, you two - contact the princess, and tell her about the Crystal Key!"

"Yeah, let's go!" Poppy agreed as the trio made their way to the door. However, before they made it far, a loud and boisterous voice caught their attention. In the doorway, a familiar head of spiky pink hair could be seen. Behind the head was a blue cat with wings.

"Yo, Lucy! Carrot Top!" Natsu said, throwing a hand up in a wave as he smiled brightly. "Are ya done lookin' through these books?"

"Yes, Natsu - we didn't find what we needed here, so we're going to look elsewhere," the blonde answered quickly, pausing briefly to acknowledge him. "We're probably going to be gone for a few days, so… don't go into my apartment while I'm gone!"

Natsu had a bad habit of going into her apartment whether she was there or not (and had ended up terrifying Poppy on a few occasions). Even if she told him not to, he'd probably still do it, waiting for her to come safely home…. She had to admit, it was endearing once she got used to it.

"Hah? Where're you going?" Natsu asked, following Lucy step for step as they returned to the main room of the guildhall. Levy had detracted from the group, instead going to make contact with the Rune Knights. "Ohhh, can I come with?! Is it a mission? I didn't get to go on the last few missions-"

"No, Natsu, I told you; we're helping Poppy figure out what her Celestial Spirit Key is," Lucy said, holding a finger up. "It's a type of Key I've never seen before, so this takes top priority right now!"

"Can't you just, I don't know, ask a Spirit?" Natsu said casually, to which Happy agreed. "Don't you have one that's super smart or somethin'?"

"Yeah, yeah! The old guy who sleeps!" the blue Exceed added, waving his hands in the air. "I bet he knows something!"

"Natsu that-" Lucy paused as she took in Natsu and Happy's words. They… were right. If this was a problem that resided within the Spirit World, then who better to ask than a Spirit? And if she asked Old Man Crux, then maybe they'd get to the bottom of this much, much faster than looking through old manuscripts and texts! She cast a sideways glance at Poppy, who talked excitedly with Natsu; he had an odd look on his face as he halfway listened, his nostrils flaring every now and then. Maybe Crux would also have information about Poppy…? After all, if she was a Celestial Spirit Wizard, surely he would have some information on how she treated them, or what she was generally like…!

"I'll try that out, Natsu," Lucy said, interrupting the duo's conversation. They both turned to Lucy, who gave the Fire Dragonslayer a grateful smile. "That was a good suggestion - thanks!"

Natsu's chest puffed out as a prideful smile crossed his face. "Of course! I can do other stuff than fighting, too!"

Somewhere in the main room of the guild, a member called out to him, saying something that seemed like a sarcastic comment; what it was, Poppy didn't know, as Natsu turned, starting a fight. In the back, Happy cheered him on, while respectfully staying out of range of the magic being thrown around. Lucy, already used to the daily fights, simply turned and led Poppy away, finding a relatively safe space for the two in a corner of the guild. After looking through her Keys quickly, she selected Crux's Key, holding it up as it glowed slightly.

"Open, Gate of the Southern Cross; Crux!" he called out, watching as the sleepy old man appeared. One hand held his cross-shaped head up, while the other rested on his criss-crossed legs. He had an affectionate smile on his face as he gazed at Lucy. "Hello, Crux!"

"Lucy dear…. It's been quite some time…" he drawled, still smiling as he sat up. "Glad to see you're well… Oh…? Who might this be…?"

"This is Poppy Sojourner; she's a Celestial Spirit Wizard too!" Lucy said, introducing her. The grey-eyed girl gave a little wave to Crux, awe (and a bit of longing) shining in her eyes. "We've got a few questions we'd like to ask you." To Poppy, she added, "Crux is the one who taught me everything I know about Celestial Spirits; if he can't tell us anything about your Key, I don't know any other Spirit who could."

Crux chuckled as he heard Poppy's last name, a nostalgic look crossing his face. "Well now, a Sojourner...? How auspicious… Tell me, young Poppy… What are your questions…?"

Poppy caught that he seemed to know about her family -and possibly herself, if she really thought about it- but for now, she would focus on the matter at hand; later, they could ask him, despite her burning need to know now. Lucy turned to the orange-haired girl, beckoning her forward a bit. Poppy nodded, approaching Crux, and held up the Crystal Key for him to see. Crux's normally half-closed eyes widened in silent shock, and slowly, he stretched a hand out towards it, lightly touching the gleaming key. Lucy tilted her head as she watched him. She'd never seen Crux react like this, which meant… this Key really did hold some significance.

"Another Family Key…. Oh my…. It's been too long…" Crux muttered, withdrawing his hand. Lucy and Poppy looked at each other, before the orange-haired Wizard spoke.

"So, you know what this Key is?" she said, letting Crux fully hold it in his palm. He lowered his head as he silently held it for a few moments. Then, a snore left his mouth. Poppy was taken aback, blinking in confusion. "He… fell asleep?"

"No, he's just thinking." Lucy replied automatically, seemingly unfazed by the obvious sleep bubble leaving his nose. Poppy shifted in place, pursing her lips as she was about to comment that he really did look asleep when-

"HUARGH!"

Poppy let out a shriek as she clutched her heart. She didn't expect Crux to let out a bellow, and she once again turned to the blonde, who only kept her attention on Crux as he rubbed his chin. "So, Crux, what can you tell us?"

"That Key young Nakamura has… is what was known as a 'Celestial Family Key', long ago…" the Spirit answered, nodding as he spoke. "We Spirits, upon our first contracts… were put into eight families, each with their own distinct color... The Eight Families came to be known as Celestial Families amongst your kind…"

"Can you tell us about this Key's family?" Lucy asked. Crux nodded as he began speaking.

"This Key… Belongs to the 'Orion Family'... Of the Celestial Families… It is the smallest of the Eight Families, with only five Keys… The Key you currently own… Is 'Lepus the Hare'..."

"So what happened to the Celestial Families…?" Poppy quietly asked, accepting the key back from Crux. The old Spirit's forehead crinkled as he heard her question.

"Hmm… I'm sorry, my dear, but that… I cannot answer…" Crux said sadly, shaking his head. "It seems that information… is not within my reach… Where it should be, there is a void… a blank 'nothingness' in regards to their fate… Hmm…"

Crux tilted forward slightly once more as he crossed his arms; his eyelids dropped, and another sleep bubble grew from his nostril. Poppy sighed, letting out a nervous half-smile at Lucy. "Is he looking for more information?"

"No, he fell asleep," Lucy responded, forcing his Gate closed with a swipe of his key. Poppy marveled a bit at the blonde's ability to tell the difference, but was drawn back to the situation at hand as Lucy kept talking. "We weren't able to get a lot from him, but we got something..."

"'Something' is better than 'nothing'! It's only one step forward, but sometimes, that's all it takes!" Poppy optimistically said, clapping her hands together. Her bubbly nature was hard to resist, and Lucy found herself nodding along. "Besides, it's not like that was our only lead; we can still contact Princess Hisui, and now, we even have something we can tell her!"

"Right; perhaps the princess will give us our next clue!" Lucy said, quickly heading to the bar; Poppy wasn't far behind her, though she did trip over a chair leg sticking out. Lucy giggled as she helped the embarrassed girl up - in the short time she knew her, Lucy found that Poppy was clumsier than she looked.

Once they reached the bar, they borrowed the Communication Lacrima and found a nice, sunny spot to sit in. Thankfully, the fight on the other side of the guildhall died down, but there was no telling when a fight would start up again, meaning they would have to make this as quick as possible… Lucy entered in the information for Princess Hisui's Communication Lacrima, thinking back to how the princess had bashfully given it to her a few days after the incident with the Eclipse Spirits, and told her she was welcome to call on her anytime she needed the princess's help. Lucy didn't think it would come in handy so quickly and yet…

"I didn't know you were so close with the Princess of Fiore, Lucy…" Poppy commented absentmindedly, admiration once again shining in her grey eyes. "You're really amazing…! Those rumors really don't do justice to how cool you are!"

"Ah, well, it didn't happen overni- wait, what rumors?!" Lucy cried out, turning to the gray-eyed girl.

Before she could get an answer, the Lacrima beeped, and the connection was established. However, instead of the green hair and graceful features of the princess, an older woman with sharp golden eyes and greying hair appeared. From the polite and distanced aura emanating from her, Lucy guessed she must've been someone close to the princess, or at least working directly under her. Her cold and closed-off countenance softened as she took in Lucy's face, and she gave her a polite smile instead. "Lucy Heartfilia - how wonderful to hear from you…! How can I help you?"

"Well, I was hoping to chat with Princess Hisui a bit, but…" Lucy peeked around what she could see in the Lacrima, frowning a bit. "Is she busy right now?"

"Of course, the princess would love to chat, however…" the woman shook her head, giving Lucy an apologetic smile instead. "It seems an urgent situation has arisen, so the princess's already busy schedule will be hectic for the time being. How about I inform her of your call, and she may call you back when she has a free moment?"

"That should be fine, thank you very much," Lucy responded politely, before ending the communication. She couldn't help the disappointment that rose at their second lead being squashed so quickly, and from the look on Poppy's face, it seemed she wasn't alone in that regard. "So much for that…"

"I know the princess must be a busy person, but I wonder what sort of situation could demand her attention completely…?" Poppy said, stirring her straw in the drink she'd gotten while Lucy chatted. "It seems serious…"

"I agree; hopefully Princess Hisui will be alright…" Lucy hummed, her heart going out to the green-haired princess.

Just then, Levy plopped down in the seat across from Poppy, a slightly frustrated look on her face as she placed her head in her hands. "I'm sorry Pops, I tried to pull my favors, but the Rune Knights said they had a 'critical situation' that needed to be dealt with immediately; the earliest they'd be able to get what I asked for is two months from now."

"The Rune Knights too?" Lucy said, eyes widening a bit. Though they were essentially Fiore's magic army, they also held divisions and offices that were available to the everyday citizen's access - such as records and their library. However, they also had the notoriety of being… a bit unreliable, especially with so many people using those resources all the time - which was why Levy had instead gone through her connections. For them to be unable to offer help to someone who was especially loved there, seemed…. Ominous. "How peculiar…"

"Very." Levy agreed. She glanced at the Communication Lacrima as Lucy picked it up, intending to return it to Mirajane. "Were you at least able to contact the princess?"

"Sort of," she answered, scrunching her eyebrows together. "It was the same with the Rune Knights - she was super busy with something that needed all her attention. Oh! But," she added, wiggling slightly in her seat, "we were able to learn a bit more about the Crystal Key from Crux!"

Levy nodded as Poppy explained what Crux said. Her brown eyes were bright with curiosity as Lucy sat down, and hummed as she turned over the new info she was given. "Celestial Families, huh… at least we know what this Key is called - and that there are likely more."

"He said there were eight families," Lucy added, holding up one of her own Gate Keys - Aquarius, it was. "We know that 'Orion' is one family, so is it possible that… the Zodiac Keys could be another…?"

"I think it could - after all, they're the strongest Spirits!" Poppy said, nodding her head. "Maybe, from them, we could figure out how to find the other Family Keys!"

"If that's the case, then you should head to Sabertooth first," Levy suggested. "You might need all twelve Golden Gate Keys together - since Yukino has the other two, why not fill her in and see if she would be able to offer some new information?"

"Then we'll leave tomorrow; it's already too late to leave now" Lucy said, glancing at the darkened night sky. She turned to Poppy, giving her a nod as she stood. "Might as well go home and get some rest for tomorrow!"

"Yeah! I'm excited to meet another Celestial Spirit Mage!" she responded, jumping up from her seat and holding her cheeks in her hands. "You're already way, way cooler than the rumors let on, so I can't wait to meet the Yukino Aguria!"

"Hold on, hold on, what rumors about me?!" Lucy said suddenly, following Poppy as she skipped towards the guildhall's doors. "Hey! Poppy!"

Lucy didn't get the answers she wanted, unfortunately, no matter how much she asked. Eventually, she gave up, and the duo moved on to other conversations on the walk back, ranging from Sorcerer Weekly Spreads to their favorite snacks to eat after a bath. At the moment, they were crossing through Magnolia's Southern Gate Park, when Poppy suddenly grabbed Lucy's wrist. "Wait a minute!"

"Hm? What is it?" Lucy asked, turning to glance at her. The blonde paused slightly at the anxious look the orange-haired wizard had. Her grey eyes darted around the semi-shadowed park nervously, and her grip on Lucy's wrist tightened slightly. "Poppy…?"

"I… I don't think we should go through the park today," she finally said, still staring off into the distance anxiously. Lucy raised an eyebrow slightly - the park was the fastest way to her apartment, and they always went this way. "I just…. I don't have a good feeling about this…"

Lucy hummed, slowly looking around the park as well, when-

A shadow slightly shifted.

Poppy felt a chill go down her spine as she caught the same shadow shift behind a tree, and she couldn't help her trembling as Lucy tensed. One of the blonde's hands flew to her key pouch, but other than that, she didn't move again. Poppy balled one of her hands in a fist, while keeping her grip on Lucy's wrist in case they needed to run, or dodge. Neither girl moved, and it seemed as if time slowed. Other than the slight rustling of the trees and the crickets chirping away, there was no noise. Poppy could feel her nerves firing and her adrenaline spiking, her legs shaking and her breathing picking up-

"What're you doing?"

Both Poppy and Lucy screamed at the top of their lungs as a voice addressed them and a hand touched their shoulders. Poppy swung her bag wildly as she closed her eyes, and Lucy's arms flailed. A shocked grunt could be heard, along with a body stumbling backwards and hitting the ground. As Poppy turned to run, she tripped over her own foot and began falling. Her arm snapped out to grab onto Lucy and correct her balance, but she only succeeded in bringing them both down, landing roughly on the ground.

"Jeez, I was just askin' what's up?!" the same voice from before said. As Poppy sat up and glanced behind her, her eyes snagged on a familiar vest and scarf combo; she sagged in relief. "Ya didn't hafta attack me like that!"

"Natsu, thank goodness!" Lucy cried out as she quickly stood, grabbing his hand. "Can you walk with us to my apartment?"

"Hah?" Natsu gaped, tilting his head slightly. "Normally you don't want me anywhere near ya stuff! What's goin' on?"

"I don't know, I just… got a strange feeling before we walked into the park," Poppy replied, picking up the startled (but still partially sleeping) Happy. Holding him did make her feel a bit better, and she continued talking. "It felt like someone was watching me - like two ice patches crawling on my skin. And…"

She didn't know how to describe it, but it was a strong pull. Like a sweet lullaby she'd known all her life, something in the park was reaching out to her. It made goosebumps rise all over her and her eyes water when she thought about how gentle that feeling was. Above all, it felt… familiar. Something told her if she had her memories, she'd be able to tell what it was, but Poppy could only wonder in confusion about it. Actually, she really, really wanted to close her eyes and let it lead her away, but the other, oppressive feeling of being watched heavily had made her pause. And before she could figure out what either of those things meant, Natsu had scared them. She tried reaching out to see if that scary, watching feeling or the soft, familiar lull would come back, but they seemed to have dissipated in the wind.

"...And?" Lucy repeated softly, watching as the grey-eyed Celestial Spirit Wizard hesitate, repeatedly petting Happy's head.

Then Poppy blinked, shaking her head. "And I thought it might be something bad. That's why we were standing here, Natsu."

The two wizards glanced at Natsu, who had his head slightly raised. His nostrils flared as he took a whiff of the air. Before shaking his head. "Someone was here; I can smell it… but, it goes nowhere."

Lucy shuddered slightly, rubbing at her arms. "That's creepy…! I hope they're weren't following us…!"

Poppy nodded in agreement, holding Happy just a bit tighter.

"...I'll walk you both to your apartment." Natsu suddenly answered, stepping in front of them. He picked up Poppy's bag and slung it over his shoulder. The duo didn't hesitate to follow, and in a matter of minutes, they were back. He gave Lucy his signature grin as he took Happy back from Poppy. "Well, here ya are! G'night Lucy, Poppy!"

"Good night, Natsu; thanks again!" Lucy said, closing the window. At this point, she was unfazed about how he entered and exited. With a big sigh, she turned to Poppy, who was staring absentmindedly at the wall. "I hope nothing like that happens again; we were lucky Natsu was closeby."

"Yeah…" she muttered, still staring at the wall.

An awkward silence fell over the two, and Lucy shifted slightly, clearing her throat. "Um… Did you want to use the bathroom first, Poppy?"

Here, she blinked, before turning and giving Lucy a tired smile. "No, you can go ahead! I'm just gonna go to sleep…"

"Alright…" Lucy responded quietly, heading to her room. She paused in the doorway, turning back to give her a large, kind smile. "Goodnight Poppy. I'm… really glad you're here. Like I said a month ago, you're welcome to stay as long as you like, and… If you need to talk, I'll always listen."

Poppy was a bit taken aback. How could she be so kind…?

A brighter smile lit up her face, and she nodded at Lucy's offer. "Thanks, Lucy, I'll… keep that in mind…! And good night to you too!"

Lucy gave one more smile, before disappearing into her bedroom. While Lucy was in the bathroom, Poppy had changed and gotten the couch ready, letting her body relax a bit. However, she reached over to the table and grabbed her Key Pouch, taking out the Crystal Key once more. Laying down, she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, like Lucy had instructed. She ran her thumbs over the familiar grooves in the Key, reminding herself that they knew what Constellation this Key belonged to (Lepus the Hare), and its family (Orion). Even with all that information, she still couldn't feel anything - no spark, no welling power, nothing. Somehow, her mind wandered back to that gentle pull she felt in the park, and she wondered if that was what Lucy felt every time she summoned a spirit. Did she feel comforted in the familiarity of the Spirit's Gate she unlocked?

"I'd really like to know…" She muttered to herself quietly, putting the key back in the pouch.

And as she fell asleep, her mind still hugged the soft lullaby from earlier, imagining it as her Spirits, welcoming her back after so long.

Author's Note:

Well, it took me a bit, but here's chapter two! Things will be picking up from here, so the chapters will definitely get much longer; these are just establishing a few things~ Also, chapter three might come faster, as I've already written out part of it before finishing this one!

Thanks for reading!