Chapter 1:

Fairy Tail, X791 and an Orange Haired Girl

Poppy

"Find that Heartfilia girl; she can help you! When you wake up, you have to go to Fairy Tail!"

Poppy already knew that.

That line had been repeating in the orange haired girl's head ever since she woke up two weeks ago, alone and confused. The halfway destroyed and abandoned building did nothing to abate her confusion, leaving with that urgent voice and line and nothing else. It was the only thing, besides her name and age, that she remembered. It constantly bugged her while she made her way through city after city, barely being able to find somewhere to sleep each night. Every time she rested, it invaded her dreams, reminding her again and again that she was wasting time, that she needed to get there.

Now her grey eyes settled onto the tall, proud building looming over her and casting a cold shadow. Nervously, she scratched at the old scar on her left arm, then began making her way towards the door. The noises she heard from inside grew louder and louder, diverging into laughter, screaming, and rambunctious, drunken talking. Finally, she reached the door, resting a shaking hand on it and slowly pushing it open, only for three black snowballs to sail past her face. She backed away in a haste, her already nervous heart pounding rapidly. After a very slow count to ten, she stuck her head back into the cracked doorway.

The inside of the guild was in the midst of a warzone, with tables and chairs flipped over, magic being thrown left and right, and members lying in various positions on the floor. The rambunctious and loud talking that Poppy heard earlier seemed to be yelling instead, as she watched the guild members throw magic spells across the hall. Upon closer inspection, however, it seemed like a boy with brown hair, sparkling grey eyes and a mischievous grin, fighting another boy with spiky brown hair, fiery red eyes, and a semi-permanent scowl, was the main cause of the chaos. They danced around the guild hall, trading blows, laughter, and curses. A lot of curses, as she heard swears she'd never known existed being shouted at the laughing brown haired, grey eyed boy.

"Do not be afraid to enter, Miss; it may seem scary but today is a rather tame day."

Poppy turned to the source of the voice, her shoulders drawn up close to her ears, and looked up to a man with green eyes and a patient, motherly smile; he didn't seem to be any older than twenty, it looked. She noticed he was dressed in a simple blue robe held closed with a white belt, blank pants tied neatly at the bottom, and wooden sandals. His long black hair was tied in a low ponytail, ending at his lower back. In his belt was a sword; she could practically feel the magic crackling from it.

"Are you going in?" The man pointed to the open door, still revealing the fight going on. Poppy couldn't find her voice, so she simply nodded. The man's smile seemed to get brighter, and he pushed the door open further, taking her by the arm and leading her in. The air seemed to change almost immediately, wrapping her in a sort of fuzzy warmth as they somehow made their way through the chaos; it reminded Poppy of a fluffy blanket freshly washed and dried - and though she could feel her body relaxing, she shook her head to keep herself on task.

"Great! I take it you want to join the guild, then?" he asked, green eyes sparkling with the excitement of a small child.

"N-no, I-" She didn't even get to finish her sentence as her escort was pummeled by snowballs. The loud laughter that came from across the hall indicated it was from the same brown haired guy who probably started the whole thing. The man scowled, dropping Poppy's arm and drew his sword, which lit up with bright, purple-tinted lightning.

"Attacking someone while they assist a person in need of help is very dishonorable of you, Ma-" The samurai-esque man was cut off when a ball of flames was shot at him, causing him to duck.

He scowled, following the direction it came from, and found the cursing, red-eyed boy from earlier shooting the yellow and red flames everywhere. He seemed to be following the same path as the grey eyed boy. "Stop moving, dammit!"

"Never!" he laughed, chaos following him everywhere he stopped. "Just admit I'm right!"

"Perhaps you should both take a timeout," Poppy's ex-escort suggested, chasing after the two. Neither listened, however, and only continued to destroy anything that was within their paths.

Poppy herself stood alone in the middle of the guild, barely able to dodge incoming attacks. Twice her back had been whacked with snowballs, only to have what she considered the Flames From Hell itself nearly burn her to a crisp. Three times she had almost been struck with lightning, the hairs on her arms standing from how close the bolts were to her, not to mention the dozens of other guild members feebly trying to defend themselves. Somehow, she managed to shuffle her way to the bar, which seemed to be the only safe-zone. Behind it was a familiar face - one she had seen every time she made mention of Fairy Tail.

"Are you new here? I take it you want to join?" Mirajane asked, smiling cheerfully at the orange-haired girl. She produced a magic stamp, holding it up and waiting for Poppy to show her which body part she wanted it placed on.

"Well, actually..." She responded, her voice shaking slightly. She had finally made it to Fairy Tail, but now what? "Well…"

How did she even know this Lucy Heartfilia would help her? She'd definitely heard the rumors of her strength, but she didn't know if she'd be willing to hear her out… "Um…"

"Yes?" Mirajane asked, hesitating with the stamp. Poppy didn't get to answer as a body slammed into her, sending her sprawling towards the surprised Mirajane. She wasn't able to catch her balance, her legs twisting and her arms swinging wildly to grab onto something, anything, to keep her upright. To no avail, she crashed onto the floor, grunting as something collided with her collarbone. Next to her lay the gray eyed boy from before. He was groaning, face scrunched in slight pain as he rubbed the back of his head. Poppy sat up on one arm, wincing, then reached up to rub at her collar bone. She pushed off the stamp, which peeled off her brown skin with a bright, happy Pop!, leaving behind a golden yellow guild mark, and the red outline of a stamp.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Mirajane said with a giggle, reaching down and picking up the stamp. She then turned, heading back to behind the bar counter. "Feel free to talk to any of the guild members! I'm sure you'll fit in well!"

Poppy rose to her knees in stunned silence, rubbing at the golden guildmark resting right beneath her collar. This… This was not how she planned everything to go. She was supposed to find Lucy Heartfilia, explain her situation, and hope there was something she could do about it. Joining the guild was never a factor in her plan - first, she wasn't a mage (as far as she knew), and second, she didn't think she'd get any benefit from joining! Now she'd have to figure out something else…

She looked around the guild warily, seeing that the fight had died down and guild members were happily chatting with one another while cleaning up the guild. She wasn't quite sure who to approach; they all seemed to be doing their own thing at this point, leaving her to stand there awkwardly. They all moved around her, as if she were on an entirely different plane than them - and she felt like she was. Not even the black haired man looked to be free, as he was busy conversing with the brown-haired boys from earlier. Hot, embarrassed tears started to burn at the corners of her eyes, and she nervously scratched at the jagged scar on her left arm.

This whole thing was starting to overwhelm her. She hadn't wanted to be a guild member, but now...

"You look a little lost…"

Poppy turned to the sound of the kind voice saving her from her thoughts, her eyes resting on a short girl with bright blue hair and chipper brown eyes. Behind her was a man with rough, wild black hair that reached down to his waist, and calculating, bored red eyes.

The blue-haired girl peered up at her, noting the golden guildmark just below her collarbone, and her smile grew wider. "I see you just joined! Come sit down, I know the guild can be really wild to newcomers."

The cheerful blue-haired girl took a seat at the nearest table, with the semi-scowling black haired man following, sitting next to her. Poppy followed meekly, sitting down softly in the seat across from the couple.

Absentmindedly, her hand rubbed at the fresh golden guildmark on her collarbone, while she studied the girl in front of her. She seemed to look young, almost barely a teenager, but the way she held herself let Poppy know that she was much older than she looked - probably around her own age. The black haired man, on the other hand, looked old enough to be well into his twenties, and his gruff and rough countenance did nothing to thwart Poppy's assumptions.

"What's your name?" the blue haired girl asked, leaning her head into her palms and staring cheerfully across the table at the other girl. "I'm Levy, and this -" she pointed to the grumpy black haired man - "is Gajeel."

"I'm Poppy…" she answered, breaking eye contact and looking down at her hands. From the corner of her eye, she could still see the shining guildmark, and frowned.

"Where're ya from?" the black haired man bluntly asked, arms crossed and studying Poppy intensely. She couldn't help but to squirm under the scrutinizing glare sent her way. It was almost as if he were daring her to say something he didn't like.

Which only served to make her more hesitant to say that she couldn't remember. So for a moment, she fidgeted, trying to figure out how to answer this question, until Levy spoke.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to." She said with a simple smile. "We don't ask for a background check here."

"Thanks…" Poppy offered her a small smile, grateful for sparing her an awkward situation. Gajeel, however, merely gave her a grunt, and she wasn't sure what that meant.

She supposed this was her chance to ask, so she took a deep breath and began gearing herself up to speak when she heard a voice from behind her.

"Levy~ I'm back!"

Poppy watched as Levy's eyes lit up and a squeal escaped from her widely smiling mouth. She jumped from her seat, nearly knocking the chair over as she waved wildly. Even Gajeel smirked slightly, leaning back in his chair. "Looks like the cheerleader is back…"

Wondering what he meant, Poppy turned to look behind her, and her eyes widened. There, casually making her way over to where the trio sat, was the person she had been looking for. The blonde-haired girl walked with a cheerful bounce in her step, her brown eyes shining with each step she took. In her hand was a book, though from this angle Poppy couldn't tell what it was.

She swallowed, clenching her shaking hands as she tried to calm down, and clumsily stood from her seat. Behind her, Levy and Gajeel stared at Poppy, confused looks on their faces. In front of her, the Celestial Spirit Wizard hesitated in her step, seeing the orange-haired girl's serious expression. Her smile dropped a bit, and she quickly gave Levy a questioning stare.

"Oh, this is our newest member, Poppy…" Levy started off, faltering as she didn't know what else to add. Instead she directed a question at Poppy. "Are you a fan of Lu's?"

She didn't answer, however, as she made her way to Lucy. The girl had a hesitancy in her as she slowly took a step forward. Poppy however, did not hesitate, only continuing forward in her determined steps. Finally, she opened her mouth. "Lucy Heartfilia, I need your-!"

Poppy didn't get to finish her sentence as her foot scuffed across the floor, catching on a slightly raised floorboard and causing her to trip. She let out a squeal as she hit the floor for what had to be the second time within ten minutes. The pouch she had been carrying skittered out of her hands, stopping in front of Lucy. The blonde haired Celestial Spirit Wizard bent down to help her, pausing as a gasp escaped her lips.

"Poppy, was it? …Are these Gate Keys?"

She sat up, rubbing the side of her head, and nodded meekly, before finally speaking. "I need your help! I can't remember who told me or why, but those must be important, because I had to come find you!"

Lucy helped her up from the ground, leading her back to the table. She sat down next to the orange-haired girl, putting the keys out on the table for all to see.

They looked like regular Celestial Gate Keys, with a sign and design specific to the Spirit. For the most part, they were Silver; however, one was not colored Gold, nor colored Silver. Instead, it had a blue, translucent look to them, distorting the light as Lucy held the key up and examined it. As for which Spirit it belonged to, Lucy wasn't sure - though she knew most Spirit's symbols, she didn't know them *all*. This was one of the few that she didn't recognize immediately.

Levy looked on in interest, her eyes wide as she studied the key as well. "I've never seen a Gate Key that color before… Have you, Lu?"

Lucy shook her head, still in awe. "No… I only thought two types existed… You said you couldn't remember why you had to find me...?"

"That's right," Poppy confirmed, clasping her hands together as she spoke. "I woke up two weeks ago with no memory - all I could remember was that the key pouch was important, and that I had to come find you. Do… Do you think these keys belong to you…?"

Lucy shook her head, putting the key back in the pouch, and handed it to her. "No, these Keys don't belong to me - but they do belong to you."

"What? How do you know?" Poppy asked, examining the pouch skeptically. "I don't even remember if I ever used magic…"

"Why else would you have been told to come find me, unless those Keys belonged to you and you needed my help with something else?" Lucy suggested, her brows furrowed as she tried to find a logical answer.

"How about you summon one of the Spirits, Lu?" Levy suggested, resting her head in her hands. "That way, we can ask who their Key was contracted to."

"That's a good idea in theory," Lucy started, humming. "I'll give it a try and we'll see what happens."

Poppy nodded, handing the pouch over to Lucy, who selected the glass-like Gate Key. After taking a deep breath, she summoned her power into the key, before calling out to the Spirit. A few moments later, a shimmer appeared in the air, and a Spirit appeared. She had black colored hair, with two long bunny ears sticking out of the top of her head, and scared red eyes. Her skin was a dark color, almost matching Lucy's own brown eyes. She glanced uneasily at Lucy, recognizing her as the one who summoned her, and narrowed her eyes in confusion and defense.

"You're not Miss Poppy… Who are you?" She asked. Lucy pointed to the grey-eyed girl, who stared at the Spirit in awe and slight confusion. The Spirit, however, jumped onto her, giving her a hug. "Miss Poppy! You're alright!"

"Yes, but… who are you?" she asked, awkwardly hugging the spirit. The Spirit pulled back slightly, confused, but the longer she stared at Poppy the more she realized that the orange-haired girl didn't recognize her.

She turned back to Lucy, a slight fury in her eyes. "What did you do to Miss Poppy?"

"Wait, I didn't do anything…!" Lucy said, waving her hands in front of her. "She seems to have lost her memory, and she came to me with your Key asking for my help!"

"It's true. I don't remember anything, other than those Keys are important and that I needed to find Lucy." Poppy confirmed, looking at the Spirit. "We summoned you to ask you some questions, but I guess you already answered one."

"…you really don't remember…?" the Spirit asked slowly, studying Poppy's blank expression. The orange-haired girl nodded, frowning slightly at the Spirit's worried expression. "What do you remember…?"

"My name - Poppy Sojourner. I'm eighteen years old, I think; but I don't know or remember anything else. I just woke up in this strange crystal two weeks ago with only one objective - get these Gate Keys to Lucy Heartfilia." The Rabbit Spirit sighed, a sorrowful look in her eyes.

"It is worse than I've feared then; if Miss Poppy does not remember anything, then all hope is lost."

The three women looked at each other warily, before turning back to the despairing Spirit. However, she said nothing more, only shaking her head and disappearing. Lucy tried summoning her again, but she could feel the Spirit's push back against her. Additionally, since Lucy was not the owner of the Key, she couldn't enforce her magic to open the gate - only Poppy could. She thought about asking the orange-haired woman to give it a try, but one glance at her showed she was already overwhelmed with the new knowledge that she was a mage, and the true owner of the strange Gate Keys. The blonde mage released a sigh through her nose, scratching at her head slightly and turned to the watching trio.

"Well. We've got one answer to our questions - Poppy really is the owner of the Keys," Lucy started, still holding the crystal-like Key. "But it seems we've got another set of questions that need answering…"

"This might take a while," Levy said, humming a bit. She turned to Poppy, one finger on her cheek as she tilted her head. "Pops, do you have a place to stay? I don't think this is a problem we'll be able to solve in one day."

"Well… I-" Poppy started, an embarrassed flush coming across her dark cheeks. She had used the rest of whatever little funds she'd managed to gather on getting her last ticket from Daffilda to Magnolia. All she had eaten today was half a two-day old sandwich she'd specifically saved for when she made it to her destination. In her rush, she hadn't even considered what might happen if her plan fell through, and now she cursed her recklessness - she had no money, no more clean clothes, and nothing to help her for another day…! "I, um… No, I.. don't. I didn't… think I'd still be here."

"Since you're a new member, you could rent a room in Fairy Hills!" Levy chirped excitedly, bouncing on her feet. "I think you'd love it, it has a great view of the guild and of Magnolia! Oh, but…" she stopped bouncing, her smile dimming as a thought occurred to her, "do you think you could pay the room rental fee? It's 100,000 Jewels for one room."

"O-One hundred thousand?!" Poppy gasped, her jaw dropping. "I-I don't think I've ever seen that much money in my life! How could I afford that…?!"

"Ah, then yeah, that might be a problem…" Levy let out an awkward giggle, waving a hand slightly as the other scratched at her head. "I might've gotten too excited there, sorry!"

"Well, can't the Carrot Top just stay with the Cheerleader?" Gajeel suggested, leaning back in his chair. "They both use the same magic, maybe something will happen then."

"Carrot Top…?" Poppy mumbled patting her knotted, braided hair self-consciously, while Lucy nodded along slowly, a smile growing wide on her face.

"Yes, yes! That's a great idea Gajeel!" She grabbed both of her hands, unable to hide her excitement. "You can stay with me, Poppy! And you can stay as long as you need - and I'll help you figure out how to use your magic too!"

Poppy couldn't help but to catch some of Lucy's excitement, letting a small - but welcoming - smile bloomed across her face. "Y-yeah, I think it'll be… nice."

"Then, first things first-!"

Before the blonde Celestial Spirit Wizard could continue, a loud growl interrupted her. Three sets of eyes swiveled towards Poppy, who hiccuped at the sudden attention and covered her blushing face. "S-sorry, I didn't, um, eat m-much today…!"

Lucy let out a short laugh, letting go of Poppy's right wrist and leading her towards the bar. "First things first: 'Getting Poppy a Decent Meal!' I know just the thing to suit you…"

And as Lucy and Levy began showing her around and getting her settled, Poppy felt her shoulders relax bit by bit with every passing hour. By the time she and Lucy were completing their bedtime routines, all of the tension had left her body. While waiting for Lucy to finish in the bathroom, she sat, watching the window as a new feeling settled where the tension had been, not too long ago:

Safety.

But, had the girl continued looking through the window for a moment more, she would have noticed the shadowy and hooded figure watching her, before silently making its way down the street and to a secluded alleyway. At the end, there was another person, who held a small object in their right hand. The first hooded figure bowed, keeping their head lowered.

"I've completed the mission you assigned," the hooded person said. Their voice was deep and gravelly, carrying the tone of someone who'd led a life of hardships and survival of the fittest. "I can confirm what others have been saying for weeks - it's her, Mistress."

"I see," the second figure said, its lilting voice much higher pitched, and carrying a soft, almost sing-songy tone. "And, did she seem… different?"

"Well… It seems like she's lost her memory, Mistress," the hooded man answered, only shifting to glance up at his mistress slightly. All that could be seen was bright grey eyes that gazed into the distance, while her hand ran over the small object - a key, it looked like. "I… don't believe she remembers anything, and yet-"

"She still managed to find her way to the Heartfilia girl." the hooded woman finished, holding the key up to her eyes.

In the light that filtered from the alley's entrance, the key was able to be clearly seen. It didn't seem like it was made to unlock anything, as the bottom was shaped in the form of an arrow. On the head of the key was a symbol, that looked like a bow and gun creating an X-shape. And above all, the key didn't seem to be made of metal. In fact, it looked translucent… like it was made of some crystal.

"No matter… Our plans can proceed. And," the woman gripped the key tightly, lowering her hand and smiling, "we'll make sure to prepare them a gift, should they try to interfere."

The man nodded, before leaving the woman standing in the alley alone. The woman waited a few moments, lost in thought. She was sure that girl died, so how did she manage to reappear now, of all times? And where had she been all this time, while her plans had gone forward smoothly? Now that everything was almost complete, a new obstacle appeared…! Shaking her head, she began walking out of the alley, keeping her hood low as she blended with the night time crowd. Like she instructed earlier, if that girl and the Heartfilia child tried to get in her way… Well. She had a way to keep them occupied… The grey-eyed woman held another key up - this one nearly black. Her smile grew a little more malicious at the sight of the murky color.

What better way to keep pests away than with a Dog?

Author's Note:

(Note 07/03: Kagami's name was changed to "Poppy Sojourner"!)

This is another story that I've been working on for a long, looong time (almost as long as A Witch's Tale!). The idea came about as I was doing research on constellations for my OC, Poppy, and realized the constellations get grouped into families! So of course, my next thought was, "What if the Celestial Spirits used to be in 'families' too?!" - and thus, began my 6-7 years long work on One Key Two Key. I don't plan to drag this out like a Witch's Tale, so I do hope you enjoy the story!