It had been weeks since Lucy joined the guild, and honestly? It was everything she'd dreamed of and more. The noise, the laughter, the way everyone treated each other like family—even when they were throwing chairs at each other.
"Lucy! Over here!" Mirajane called out from behind the bar, waving her over with that warm smile that could probably stop wars.
Lucy grabbed her strawberry milkshake and made her way through the chaos, stepping carefully around where Natsu and Gray were having their daily "my magic is better than yours" argument. Some things never changed.
"Another peaceful day at Fairy Tail," Lucy said with a grin, settling onto a barstool.
"Oh, this is nothing," Mirajane laughed, wiping down a glass. "You should see what happens when Gildarts gets back from missions."
Lucy shuddered, remembering the stories. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that level of destruction."
The guild buzzed around them—Cana was challenging someone to a drinking contest, Elfman was shouting something about being manly, and Wakaba was complaining about his pipe getting frozen again. It was loud and chaotic and absolutely perfect.
But even with all this warmth surrounding her, Lucy couldn't shake that restless feeling in her chest. Her fingers drummed against the bar as her eyes swept across the guild hall for what had to be the hundredth time that day.
"Looking for someone?" Mirajane asked, tilting her head with that knowing look she got sometimes.
Lucy's cheeks flushed. "Is it that obvious?"
"Only to anyone with eyes," Levy piped up from a nearby table, not looking up from her book. "You've been scanning the guild like you're expecting someone to walk through those doors any minute."
Well, she's not wrong, Lucy thought, twirling a strand of blonde hair around her finger—a nervous habit she'd never managed to break.
"So who is it?" Cana called out, apparently eavesdropping on their conversation. "Secret boyfriend? Long-lost relative? Ooh, maybe a mysterious stranger who owes you money?"
"It's not like that!" Lucy protested, her voice going up an octave the way it always did when she was flustered. "I just... there's someone I've been hoping to meet. Someone really important."
The guild had gotten a little quieter—not silent, because nothing could make Fairy Tail completely quiet—but enough that Lucy realized more people were listening than she'd thought.
"Well, don't keep us in suspense," Ultear said with an amused smile. "Who's got our newest member so worked up?"
Lucy took a deep breath, her heart doing that fluttery thing it always did when she thought about this.
"Aiden Leonhart," she said, the name coming out almost like a whisper.
The guild went dead silent.
Then Cana nearly choked on her drink. "Wait, you're looking for Aiden?"
Lucy nodded, feeling her cheeks burn even hotter.
She fidgeted with her keys. "I was really hoping I'd get to meet him."
A few guild members exchanged glances, and Lucy caught something in their expressions—amusement? Fondness?
"Oh, you'll meet him alright," Mirajane said with a mysterious smile. "He's just been away on a mission. "
"But why do you want to meet him so badly?" Levy asked, closing her book and giving Lucy her full attention. "Are you like... a fan or something?"
Lucy nodded quickly, then caught herself. "Well, yes, but it's more than that." Her voice grew softer, more serious. "Aiden saved my mother's life."
The guild went even quieter, if that was possible.
"He came to our house when I was little," Lucy continued, her fingers unconsciously moving to touch her Heartfilia family crest. "Mama was dying, and no doctor or mage could help her. But Aiden... save her."
Mirajane's expression softened. "Lucy..."
"Because of him, I got to grow up with my mother," Lucy's voice cracked slightly. "She lived long enough to tell me stories about Fairy Tail, about how amazing this guild was. She always said that if I ever became a mage, I should try to join here." She wiped at her eyes quickly. "So yeah, I guess I am a fan, but he's also... he's the reason I had a childhood with my mama."
The silence stretched for a long moment before Cana spoke up, her usual teasing tone completely gone.
"Well, damn," she said quietly. "That's... that's really something."
"No wonder you've been looking for him," Elfman added, his voice unusually gentle. "A man who saves lives like that... that's truly manly."
"He's gonna love meeting you too," Natsu said with absolute certainty. "Aiden's always happy to see the people he's helped."
"You really think so?"
"I know so," Mirajane said warmly. "And Lucy? Your mother sounds like she was an amazing woman."
"She is," Lucy whispered, smiling through her tears. "She really is."
A small chirp caught everyone's attention. Lucy looked down to see Natsu's Charmander had wandered over to her, its bright orange head tilted curiously as it studied her with intelligent eyes.
"Oh!" Lucy gasped softly as the little fire lizard climbed right up onto her lap, settling in like it belonged there. "Hello there, little one."
"Charmander!" it replied happily, nuzzling against her stomach with surprising gentleness.
The warmth that radiated from the tiny Pokemon was incredible—not just the physical heat from its flame, but something deeper. Something that made Lucy's chest feel all fluttery and warm.
"He likes you," Natsu grinned, leaning over to watch his Pokemon. "Charmander's got good instincts about people."
Lucy carefully stroked the Charmander's smooth orange skin, marveling at how soft it felt. "Pokemon are absolutely amazing," she breathed, watching the way its tail flame danced contentedly.
According to her guildmates, Pokemon were mysterious creatures from another dimension—beings that Aiden had somehow brought back with him during his travels.
Learning about these incredible creatures filled her with wonder, but also stirred up an unexpected feeling—jealousy. She found herself daydreaming about what it would be like to have her own Pokemon companion, to form that special bond she'd heard so much about.
"I wish I could have one too," she murmured to herself, watching through the window as other guild members practiced with their Pokemon partners in the courtyard below.
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Later that night
Lucy pushed open the door to her small apartment, her shoulders sagging with exhaustion.
"Home sweet home," she murmured to herself, kicking off her boots and letting them tumble wherever they landed.
Her apartment was tiny—just a bedroom, a cramped bathroom, and what the landlord generously called a "living area" but was really just space for a small table and chair. The rent ate up most of her savings, but it was hers.
Lucy flopped onto her bed face-first, her blonde hair spreading across the pillow like spilled sunlight. The mattress was lumpy and the springs squeaked, but it beat sleeping on a bed that cost more than most people's houses yet somehow felt like lying on ice.
"Maybe I should write Mama a letter tonight," she said into her pillow, her voice muffled. "Tell her about joining Fairy Tail. She'll be so happy..."
Ever since Aiden had healed her mother all those years ago, Layla had been living quietly at their estate. The doctors said it was a miracle—one day she'd been on death's door, and the next she was completely healthy. Lucy still remembered the joy in her mother's eyes when she'd first sat up in bed, the way she'd pulled Lucy into the tightest hug.
But her father... well, that was complicated. After Mama got better, things between her parents had gotten worse somehow. Papa had become even more obsessed with work, more distant. It was like he didn't know how to handle having his wife back. Eventually, the tension had become too much, and Lucy had decided to leave to pursue her dream of becoming a mage.
Mama had supported her decision, of course. She'd even given Lucy some of her old celestial spirit keys and told her stories about Fairy Tail—about the guild that housed the man who'd saved her life.
I wonder if Mama would like to meet everyone at the guild, Lucy thought, rolling onto her back and staring at the water stain on her ceiling that vaguely resembled a dragon. She'd probably love Mirajane. And she'd definitely want to thank Aiden properly when he gets back.
A soft thud from her window made her sit up.
"What the—"
"Aye! Open up, Lucy!" came Happy's cheerful voice from outside.
Lucy scrambled to her feet and yanked open her curtains. There was Natsu, hanging upside down outside her second-story window, his scarf tangled around what looked like a drainpipe. Happy was floating beside him, wings fluttering as he tried to help untangle his friend. Charmander was perched on Natsu's stomach, looking perfectly content despite being upside down too.
"Natsu! Happy!" Lucy yanked the window open. "What are you two doing out there?"
"Hey, Lucy!" Natsu said cheerfully, as if dangling from a building was totally normal. "I was just—ow—trying to climb up to see you, and—ow—this stupid pipe is—"
"Aye! Natsu said using the front door was for weaklings!" Happy added helpfully, still tugging at the scarf. "But now he's all tangled up!"
The drainpipe gave a warning creak.
"Get in here before you both fall!" Lucy reached out and grabbed Natsu's hand, while Happy flew inside first.
Natsu tumbled through the window in a tangle of limbs and pink hair, landing in a heap on her floor. Charmander hopped off gracefully and started exploring the tiny apartment alongside Happy, who was already poking around her belongings with typical cat curiosity.
"Ooh, Lucy! You have fish in your fridge!" Happy called out, having somehow already made his way to her tiny kitchen area.
"Happy, no! Don't go through my food!" Lucy protested.
"Why didn't you just use the front door like normal people?" Lucy demanded, hands on her hips as she looked between Natsu dusting himself off and Happy, who was now eyeing her can opener with suspicious interest.
"This was faster!" Natsu said, springing to his feet. "Besides, Happy said he could help me fly up, but then he got distracted by a butterfly on the way."
"Aye! It was a really pretty butterfly!" Happy defended, finally abandoning the kitchen to float over to them. "It was all sparkly and—oh! Right! We came here for something important!"
Lucy rubbed her temples. "That's not... you know what? Never mind. Why are you two here?"
"I got us a job!" Natsu announced proudly, pulling a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. Happy flew over and perched on his shoulder, nodding enthusiastically.
"Aye! A really exciting one too!" Happy chimed in.
"A job?" Lucy's eyes lit up. She'd been hoping to go on her first official mission soon. Maybe she could even earn enough to send some money back to help Mama with the estate expenses. "What kind of job?"
Natsu smoothed out the paper with the care of someone handling precious treasure while Happy peered at it over his shoulder. "It's perfect for us! There's this massive monster called a Juggernaut that's been rampaging through the northern trade routes. It's this huge, armored beast that's basically unstoppable once it starts moving. It's been destroying merchant caravans and threatening entire towns! The Merchant Guild has put together a huge bounty to take it down!"
"Aye! And Natsu says we're gonna be rich!" Happy added, his eyes turning into little jewel symbols.
"That sounds..." Lucy squinted at the paper. "Wait, let me see that."
She snatched the job request from Natsu's hands and read it carefully. Her eyes widened.
"Natsu," she said slowly, "this is an S-Class mission."
"Yep!" He grinned proudly.
"Aye! The most dangerous kind!" Happy said cheerfully, completely missing the point.
"S-Class missions are only for S-Class wizards."
"I know!"
"We're not S-Class wizards."
"Details!"
"Aye! We're gonna be S-Class after this!" Happy declared confidently.
"These aren't details!" Lucy waved the paper at both of them frantically. "This is huge! S-Class missions are dangerous! They're for people like Aiden, or Ur, or Gildarts! This thing is described as 'nearly indestructible' and has apparently trampled through five different teams of professional mages!"
Her voice trailed off as realization dawned. "Natsu. Please tell me you didn't steal this from the second floor."
His grin got wider. "Define 'steal.'"
"Aye! He borrowed it without permission!" Happy said helpfully.
"That's literally what stealing means!" Lucy shouted.
"NATSU!"
"Look, Lucy," Natsu said, suddenly serious, while Happy nodded sagely beside him. "I've been wanting to take an S-Class mission for forever. And now I've got a partner! We're a team, right? Plus, think about all those innocent merchants and travelers! This Juggernaut is making the roads completely unsafe. People can't get supplies to their villages!"
"Aye! And Happy wants to help too!" the blue cat declared. "We're all gonna be heroes!"
Lucy's heart did a little flutter at the word 'team,' but her practical side was screaming warnings. "But what if we can't stop it? What if it tramples us into the ground? What if Master Makarov finds out? And what if something happens to us? My mother just got me back, and she's been through so much already. I can't just—"
"Hey," Natsu's voice went gentle, cutting through her spiraling thoughts, while Happy floated over and patted her arm comfortingly with his tiny paw. "Nothing's gonna happen to us. We're Fairy Tail wizards now, remember? And your mom... she'd want you to be brave, right? To help people who need it?"
"Aye! And Happy will protect you too!" the cat added earnestly.
Lucy bit her lip, thinking about her mother's encouraging smile when she'd left home. Layla had always taught her that with great power came the responsibility to help others.
"She did always say that true mages use their power to protect people who can't protect themselves," Lucy admitted quietly.
"See? And besides," Natsu's grin turned determined, "the reward is 7 million jewels! Think about what you could do with that kind of money! You could help your mom, help those merchants get back to work, and prove you're a real Fairy Tail wizard!"
"Aye! We could buy so much fish with that money!" Happy said dreamily, floating in a little circle.
"Charmander!" the little fire-type Pokemon chirped from where it was investigating her small bookshelf, as if adding its own vote of confidence.
Lucy looked at the paper again. The reward really was incredible, but more importantly, there were families suffering because trade routes were being cut off.
"I don't know, Natsu..." she said uncertainly. "A Juggernaut sounds absolutely terrifying. What if we're not strong enough to even slow it down?"
"Please?" Natsu's expression turned earnest, his dark eyes wide and hopeful, while Happy clasped his tiny paws together pleadingly. "I really want to prove I'm strong enough for S-Class missions. And I want to do it with you as my partner. Plus, think about it—if we stop this monster, your mom's gonna be so proud when she hears about her daughter taking down a legendary beast!"
"Aye! She'll probably brag to everyone!" Happy added enthusiastically.
Something warm bloomed in Lucy's chest. After a lifetime of feeling like she didn't belong anywhere, having someone want her as their partner meant everything. And the thought of actually helping people, of making a real difference...
Lucy sighed, knowing she was about to make a terrible decision.
"Fine," she said. "But if that thing flattens us like pancakes, I'm blaming both of you! And I'm writing my mother a letter first to tell her where we're going, just in case."
"We're not gonna get flattened!" Natsu laughed, throwing an arm around her shoulders while Happy did a little loop-de-loop in the air.
"Aye! We're gonna squash that big meanie!" Happy declared.
"Your mom's gonna be so proud when she hears we took down a Juggernaut!" Natsu continued with that infectious grin.
"What's the worst that could happen?" he added, while Happy nodded in agreement, both of them wearing expressions that somehow made Lucy both excited and terrified at the same time.
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