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through-a-blackhole · 5 days

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golden

Summary: All Natsu knew when he met her for the first time was that Lucy was the weirdo with golden hair, golden keys, and golden smile.

The first time Natsu Dragneel meets her, the first thought that enters his mind is the fact that she is the weirdest girl he has ever met,

He sees some guy with puny flames pretend to be a mage from Fairy Tail, even going as far as to use Natsu's identity as the Salamander, and immediately his world is turned upside down.

There is a blonde girl who thanks him and Natsu is confused. He broke the spell, the girl explains, and he doesn't care. Igneel isn't in this town and all Natsu wants to do is go back to the guild, fish with Happy, or start a brawl with Gray. But then the weird girl tells him that she'll treat them to a nice meal and Natsu never says no to food so this time it's him who's thankful.

The weird blonde girl becomes the nice blonde girl and Natsu is hooked. Yeah, she's nice but she's so loud. She's vain and loud and talks so much but then she mentions being a mage and wanting to join Fairy Tail.

And the first thing that enters his mind is there is no way on Earthland that this princess will ever fit in with his guild. One look at her and Natsu knows she's royalty; she has probably never even seen struggle her whole life.

For the first time in all his life, Natsu has never been proved wrong multiple times in such a short period.

The blonde girl, Lucy, can fight. She causes a wreckage that ruins the entire port of Hargeon and before he knows it, he's taking her hand and bringing her to his guild.

"Come with me," he says but what she really does is enter his heart.

They become teammates, and then best friends, and he wonders when he ever had this much fun in life.

Lucy is a wonder and she surprises him day by day. She yells and kicks him out of her apartment, but then he knows she secretly loves having them over when she doubles her groceries and never leaves her window unlocked. She gets mad when he sleeps in her bed yet he notices the spare pillow on her bed cover.

So Natsu keeps these little discoveries to himself and treasures Lucy like how she treasures her spirits. And slowly, she infiltrates not just his mind but also his heart.

It is impossible to not think about her, Natsu decides. The more he gets to know Lucy, the more he wants to keep her to himself.

Natsu has never been this exhilarated before. Love, he thinks, is silly.

He learns of her departure and hightails it to her home, and she's shocked that they came to get her. He feels the fear leave his body when she tells him that she just wanted to say goodbye one last time, and she walks back with them to Fairy Tail.

The estate and the garden (which they all mistook as a village) serve as a reminder of how Lucy Heartfilia grew up with wealth and power, and the way she sighs at a high-paying job reminds him that she left all of it for him.

His heart jumps. She left her comfortable life the moment he told her to come with him on an adventure. And Natsu gives her adventures as he promised. But new adventures come with new scars. Soon, her skin is peppered with small streaks of scars, new and old, and his heart feels heavier whenever he sees them.

She jumps off a tower blindly just because she knows he will catch her. And he does.

His body is crushed under rubble and Lucy is getting beaten right before his very eyes, and he begs her to run, but she stays because it's more fun when we're together, she says.

She is beaten black and blue against Sabertooth, unconscious and bleeding, and she has the thought to apologize how she didn't win first place for Fairy Tail.

Her body starts merging with the infinity clock and Natsu's blood is frozen in fear but she finds the courage to laugh. I'm a Fairy Tail wizard. It's almost a reminder to him. And then the entire ship explodes and he sprints across the entire field just to catch her and he does.

She turns invisible and the entire guild forgets her, but Natsu remembers her with his heart and not just his brain, so he says her name out of habit and love more than memory, and she is visible again.

It is the time for viewing cherry blossoms and playing games with his guild and he can't even enjoy it when the person he wants to be with most is stuck at home with a cold. So he uproots the biggest, brightest tree he can find, sails it down a river, and hopes that Lucy won't feel left out.

He doesn't know when or how it starts, but soon it's not just his mind and heart that's full of Lucy. His home is littered with memories of them: their first job together, rubble from the fight where he asked her to run away with him, Lucy's maid outfit, the fake Salamnder signature.

She's golden, he thinks. Everything about her is bright and precious and he must protect her. This nice weirdo who bought him a meal and rewrote his entire life to save him.

Natsu Dragneel is in love with Lucy Heartfilia, he decides. And he doesn't know what to do, so he tells her honestly.

"We'll always be together from now on." I'll always be with you. You'll never be alone again. I'm in love with you.

end

Thank you for reading this short story! :') I missed writing, kinda rusty but I hope you liked it! I love Nalu so tell me if there are any prompts you'd like me to do <3

#fairy tail #nalu #lucy heartfilia #natsu dragneel #natsu x lucy #ft #fairy tail fanfic #fairy tail fanfiction #nalu fanfiction #natsu thoughts on lucy

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keishara-korianthil · 4 months

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Fairy Tail

It doesn’t matter how many people criticize Fairy Tail, I will always love this anime with all my heart and all my soul. You can say it is one of the worst animes you have seen, but I think it is the best. And if you think I’m wrong, okay, I see you’re not prepared to accept that it is a beautiful and wholesome anime.

You want to see proves that it is an incredible anime?

Okay, I have them:

1. The music. Look me in the eyes and tell me Yasuharu Takanashi isn’t one of the best or the best japanese composer. I dare you. There isn’t another composer of Anime OST like Yasuharu Takanashi, because all the soundtrack of Fairy Tail is beautiful, wholesome, emotional, epic… and he makes you feel emotions that no one else can make you feel.

2. The animation. Maybe people will disagree with me on this, but for me, the art style of Hiro Mashima is one of the best (alongside Kōhei Horikoshi, Natsuki Kizu and Masashi Kishimoto). I just love his characters designs and the backgrounds. For me the way he draws the hair, the eyes, the body and everything else is great.

3. The couples. Hiro Mashima is the only mangaka that made me ship the canon/semi-canon ships (like Nalu, Gruvia, Gale, Elfever, Jerza) more that the fanon ships (like Gratsu, Graylu, Stingue…) and I think that says a lot about the couples of the mangas created by other mangakas. In Fairy Tail there isn’t one single ship toxic or forced or that doesn't make sense. Not a single one. (And I could give examples of ships from other animes that are toxic, forced or senseless, but I would never finish).

4. The girls. All of the female characters of Fairy Tail are awesome, badass and incredible. Fairy Tail is the only anime that made me love all of the female characters (like Erza, Lucy, Lisanna, Levy, Mirajane, Evergreen, Cana, Juvia, Wendy, Kinana, Yukino) and again, that says a lot. And if you don’t like (or hate) some of the girls (like Lisanna or Lucy), shame. All of them are strong, brave, kind and they don’t deserve your hate.

5. The villains. There’s nothing I love more than a villain getting a second chance, or a villain redemption, and this anime has it. Fairy Tail is a great guild that redeemed a villain (or a group of villains) in each arc, and I think that’s beautiful. That’s what Fairy Tail does, bring out the best in people (like Kageyama, Lyon and his mates, Gajeel, Juvia, Milliana, Jellal, Erza Knightwalker, Edolas Royal Army, Ultear, Meredy, Legion Corps, Flare Corona, Sabertooth, Oracion Seis, some members of the Alvarez Empire…).

6. The world. The world where Fairy Tail takes place is wonderful. It is a world where magic and wizards exist. You can join a guild that can be -is- your family and will help you every time you need it. Besides, the magic that the mages of Fairy Tail have is amazing: the Dragon Slayer magic, the Celestial Spirit magic (which is very original), the Requip magic, the Ice-Make magic…

7. The plot. Fairy Tail tells the story of a member of the Fairy Tail guild, Natsu Dragneel, that wants to find the dragon Igneel who taught him the Dragon Slayer magic. In some point he goes to the Hargeon Town where she meets Lucy. Then the story follows the adventures of Lucy, Natsu, Happy, Gray, Erza, and the rest of members of the Fairy Tail Guild. I fell in love with the anime from the beginning, but if you get bored don’t stop watching it. It would get better. I promise. You just have to wait to get to the Galuna Arc, Phantom Lord Arc or Oracion Seis Arc.

8. The humor. Fairy Tail can be serious when it has to, but it is also funny, and it brings a smile to your face even if you’re angry or sad. (Trust me, I know because it happened to me).

9. The emotions. Fairy Tail can make you feel a lot of emotions. When the characters cry, you feel sad, when the characters are angry, you are angry too, when the characters are happy, you smile thanks to them… And when the Fairy Tail guild wins, your heart fills with pride and joy (at least mine does). If there’s anything that feels better than Fairy Tail’s victories, tell me, I’ll wait for it.

10. The meaning. This is related to number 5. Fairy Tail is a kind, empathetic and compassionate guild. They try to understand the villains instead of just assuming the worst of them. They try to change the villains instead of letting them become worse persons. And even with the most evil villains, like Acnologia, they don’t talk with hate, or anger. Natsu said something (I don’t remember the exact words) to Acnologia with pity and sympathy. That just proves how human are the members of Fairy Tail. And I think Hiro Mashima wanted to show that in his manga/anime. That nobody is pure evil or irredeemable. That every character needs a second chance. That every character is capable of being good. And that the good in people is what will make a better world.

For this, and for more, Fairy Tail is, to me, the best anime. And to me, these are the reasons why Fairy Tail doesn't deserve the hate it gets.

Edit: If you hate Fairy Tail, then you are totally missing the moral of this story. It is an anime with kind, compassionate and empathetic characters that are capable of forgive villains for their bad actions and characters that are almost incapable of hate someone. Characters that sees the best in people. But after you watch that anime you criticize it? It seems like you didn't understand at all what Fairy Tail wants to teach you.

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enbylucy · 1 year

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something to be said about natsu and lucy consistently circling each other throughout their lives without knowing it. the heartfilia’s affiliation with the dragons and the gate, lucy’s ancestor knitting natsu’s scarf, lucy wanting to join fairytail all her life, natsu breaking the love spell in hargeon. there was so much love intertwining them before they even met

#natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #nalu

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theguildawards · 5 months

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Term 2 Fanfiction Winners!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the first term 2023 hosted by The Guild Awards! The mod-team is excited to see so much amazing fanwork and their creators recognized, as well as the love shown for this fandom!

Without further delay, here we are!

Click here for the Fanart Winners

Fanfiction Winners of The Guild Awards for Term 2 2023!

Best Action/Adventure Fiction: "The Other Four Idiots, Plus a Cat" by @thehylianidiot Best Alternate Universe/Reality Fiction: "Fairies After Dark" by shelbyshoe (AO3) Best Canon Fiction: "Episode One: Hargeon" by @genavere Best Angst Fiction: "Arcane" by @classysassy9791 Best Dark Fiction: "The Colosseum" by @kiliinstinct / Rougescribe (AO3) Best Drama Fiction: "Bring Back What Once Was Mine" by Winged_Capybara (AO3) Best Humor/Parody Fiction: "glowstick mode, activate" by @grayseyebrowscar / lilyntlrs (AO3) Best Oneshot: "the long road home" by @sunslants Best Character Portrayal: "Feline Senses" (Loke/Leo) by Pokedash55 (AO3) Best Romance Fiction: "epiphany" by thetr1ckster (AO3) Best LGBTQ+ Romance Fiction: "In Your Love" by @sandwitchstories Best Serial Fiction: "Tra'viin Tome'mir" by GemmaRose (AO3) Best Ficlet: "Whumptober2023 1: How many Fingers am I Holding Up?" by @thehylianidiot Best Classic Fiction: "I Leave You, My Pride" by @wildrhov / Rhov (AO3)

Congratulations to all the winners! Your awards are ready! Please send one of the mods or our ask box your preferred email address so we can send them to you!

And thank you to those who voted for the Roulette Category for next term! The Roulette category for next term will be: Best Friendship Portrayal. This is defined as: Stories that depict platonic relationships among two or more characters. Must include which characters for the friendship in the nomination.

As this term comes to a close, The Guild Awards will be taking a short hiatus. This time is always spent reviewing the process and seeing what can be revamped for the next term. We also love hearing from the fandom (ie: YOU!) for suggestions regarding any changes or additions.

We will officially be back in full swing on March 1st! We will still be around in case you have questions or concerns, but please take this time to read new fanfiction and find new fanart.

Want to stay immersed in all things Fairy Tail? Join our Discord! It's open to everyone!

As the day gets closer to the start of the next term, we will be keeping everyone in the loop when it comes to changes and updates. We wish you a wonderful holiday season and new year! Thank you again for making this such a fun experience! See you soon!

~ The Guild Awards

#fairy tail #theguildawards #ft awards #tgat22023 #winners

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tokkias · 9 months

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my lonely days are gone ship: natsu dragneel x lucy heartfilia summary: A little trip through Hargeon wouldn't be complete without a few tears shed in the name of nostalgia. ao3

Nalu Week 2023 Day 6: Nostalgia @allaboutnalu @thenaluarchive

The salty sea breeze was a welcome change from the stuffy train carriage that brought them here. It felt great against Lucy’s skin and went in easy as she stretched out her arms and inhaled a deep breath.

She was certain Natsu would feel the same way, once he finally managed to pull himself together, that was.

He let out a gurgled moan as he hobbled behind her, his head still spinning from what seemed to be a particularly hard train ride for him.

Lucy stopped for a few seconds while she waited for him to catch up to her pace, and once he did, she let her hand rest on his back, rubbing comforting circles into his back to try and sooth him. It seemed it worked a little, as he stopped retching as often and managed to take a few deep breaths.

"I’m never riding a train again," he grumbled. "Never."

Lucy merely rolled her eyes at the all-too-familiar declaration that she was certain she would hear again the next time they boarded one.

"You say that every time," she pointed out.

"I’m serious about it this time," he groaned, resting one hand on his stomach to try and settle it.

Rather predictably, their conversation was interrupted by a loud gurgle from his stomach, indicating Natsu’s impending need for food.

"Yes, fine," she answered to his unspoken question. "We can find somewhere to eat, and then we have to head out to meet our client."

Any ailments he had immediately left him, and his eyes lit up at the prospect of a meal. Lucy found herself unsurprised by his sudden recovery and the subsequent increase in his pace as he grabbed her hand and dragged her through the streets in search of food.

It had been a long time since they had been in Hargeon, and while the streets carried a sense of familiarity with them, some of it felt like they were seeing these streets for the first time all over again.

Even though it had been more than a decade since they had been here, not much about it had changed, like it had stayed stuck in time as they continued on with their lives, going on new journeys and adventures every day. She vaguely recognised the stores they walked past from the first time she had come here, though one in particular that she had been acutely familiar with from her time here was now vacant, with a for sale sign hung up in the window, no doubt due to the dwindling base of magic users in the town.

"Hmph, serves him right," Lucy huffed as she felt the taste of bitterness lingering on the tip of her tongue, still not over the grudge she held for that measly 1,000 jewel discount.

"Geez, what’d this place ever do to you?" Natsu asked, confused by her sudden hostility towards a random vacant lot.

"I don’t want to talk about it," she grumbled back in reply.

That little reminder of that fateful day sparked something in her heart that had her feeling sentimental.

This small port town had been a little out of the way of where she was supposed to be headed, but once that now-defunct magic store came on her radar, she had made sure to go out of her way to make the detour.

Instinctively, her hand moved to her keys, running a finger across the silver key of Canis Minor, and suddenly she wondered if maybe she should summon him, just for a while.

Never in her life would she have imagined that that trip to a small-town magic shop would change her life into what it is today. She was the person she had become, all thanks to Natsu.

He had saved her that day, and from then on, he would save her again and again and again, in more ways than one, and she, in time, would return the favour.

She had to bite back tears as they walked, her heart completely and utterly overwhelmed with gratitude to have Natsu in her life, but just when she thought things couldn’t get more nostalgic, she suddenly noticed where they were passing by.

She stopped in her tracks, eyes stuck on the edge of the town square, as Natsu kept walking, not noticing she was gone until a few feet later.

"Lucy?" He called out, turning towards her to see why she had stopped. "Everything okay?"

Lucy didn’t reply immediately; instead, she walked over to the spot that had caught her attention before coming to a stop as her heart began to race and she felt herself reliving that fateful moment all over again.

"This is where we first met," she breathed out. "I was standing here, and you were over there."

She pointed to the ground where he had been sitting when she first introduced herself to him. Part of her wondered what would have happened had she never thanked him for breaking out of that spell, but another part didn’t want to think about it.

A life without Natsu was inconceivable to her now. She had known the pain and heartache of their separation and was unwilling to think about a life without him by her side.

Thankfully, she knew she never had to.

He had promised that they would always be together, and she had faith that he was going to follow through on that promise until the very end.

She didn’t have to look up to know that Natsu had returned to her side, joining her in her nostalgia.

"Do you remember that?" She asked, lifting her gaze up to meet his.

"Course I remember that, weirdo," he grinned down at her. "Cause that was the day I met my best friend."

He tossed an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close, and in that moment, a feeling of indescribable happiness washed over her.

Natsu had a lot of people in his life, all of whom he cared for deeply, but none of whom held the coveted title of his best friend. No one but her.

She was his best friend, and he was hers. They were an inseparable duo, seemingly bound together by the red string of fate, destined to encounter each other, again and again and again.

Lucy wouldn’t have it any other way.

Her heart began to thump quick and loud in her chest, and suddenly there was no holding back the tears that began to form in her eyes and they began to run down her cheeks.

What had just begun as a silent stream of tears had quickly devolved into choked up sobs, and Lucy had to bury her face in Natsu’s chest to hide herself from the stares that she was beginning to attract. She wrapped her arms around his chest, and he responded in turn by holding her close, resting one hand on the back of her head, cradling her as she sobbed.

"I’m s-so happy you’re here," she choked out between tears, her voice muffled as she buried her face in his chest, but she didn’t care too much, knowing he could still hear her despite it. "I’m so glad th- hic -that every day I wake up and I get to be with you. I’ll always be grateful that I got to meet you."

"I’m real glad I got to meet you too, Lucy."

Overwhelmed with emotion and with no words to adequately express her emotions, Lucy squeezed her arms around him, and as if taking it as a challenge, Natsu replied by squeezing her even tighter. That didn’t stop the tears from falling, however, and the two continued to stand there as Lucy cried, holding each other in their arms.

At some point, Natsu realised that they probably weren’t about to leave any time soon, so he rested his cheek against the crown of her head, nuzzling his nose against her hair, letting the familiar scent of her shampoo sooth him.

Lucy didn’t need to look around to know that people were staring. She had certainly caused a little bit of a scene, but she didn’t care. If her love for her best friend was a spectacle, so be it. She would never find herself embarrassed by the feelings she had for those she cared about.

When her sobs began to subside and she finally began to collect herself, Lucy shifted slightly in his arms, causing him to raise his head and loosen his grip.

Wiping away her tears, Lucy looked up at him and found him looking back down at her, grinning from ear to ear as he looked down at her.

"You’re making fun of me!" She whined, sticking her lips out in a pout.

"I’m not makin’ fun of you! I didn’t say anything!" He defended, not keen to take on her false accusation.

"You’re making fun of me in your head!"

Natsu chortled at her words and the pathetic-looking pout on her face.

"I’m not making fun of you," he assured. "I’m thinkin’ about how awesome my life is now that I have you in it."

Lucy couldn’t argue with that, so instead, overwhelmed with emotion, she shoved her face back into his chest, eliciting another laugh from Natsu.

"I love you," she mumbled into his shirt.

"I love you too," he replied.

They stood there together in their embrace for perhaps a few moments too many before Lucy finally stepped away, wiping away any stray tears that may have fallen since earlier. She looked over at Natsu, who was still grinning down at her, and she couldn’t do anything but smile back.

"Now how about you buy me lunch again?" Natsu tried, a smile plastered across his face from ear to ear. "Y’know, for old time’s sake?"

"Oh yeah? What’d you do to deserve it this time?" Lucy replied, arms crossed over her chest and eyebrows raised, not feeling nearly as generous as she was the first time they met.

"Being the greatest best friend ever?"

She couldn’t deny that one, but if she was buying him lunch for that every time he tried to use that excuse, she’d be sufficiently broke.

"Not a chance," she shot back, only feeling a little bit bad about his dejected expression. "Maybe you should buy me lunch, just so we’re even."

Natsu grumbled something that she couldn’t quite catch, seemingly unhappy with his unsuccessful attempt at getting a free meal out of her, which she took as a rejection of her idea.

That was fine.

After all, he had a whole lifetime to repay that favour.

#nalu #fairy tail #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #naluweek2023 #fan fiction #fanfiction #mya writes things

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genavere · 1 month

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Fairy Tail - RE:Script

Episode One: Hargeon

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Chapter 6

“Stupid…stupid!” Lucy berated in hard sobs. Chains above her rattled and clanked. Cradled against her chest, the hand she managed to free. The skin around the broken bone already had darkened, a mixture of red and blue from the damage and the bruising. The torn skin from being cut into by the manacle bled freely over her already soaked top.

Even as the air grew warmer, every nerve and muscle in her body screamed and shook from the pain. It hurt…by the grace of the Celestial King, did it hurt! Even the sight of the thumb—out of place, joint limp against the middle of her hand—sent a fresh wave of tremors through her.

And as the tremors hit, so did the pain. It shot from her hand to every nerve of her arm. Muscles spasmed and sent another wave of pain. A vicious cycle that she could not contain. Breathing became a chore with each gasp and sob of agony.

Tears blurred her vision. A headache assaulted her senses, each heartbeat in her chest urging another blinding stab of misery. None of it kept the reality of her situation from overwhelming her. A harsh truth she could see no escape from.

Even if she managed to get her other hand out—dislocating or breaking her thumb as she had on her left one—then that still left the cage. It had been opened by magic on the bracers the crew wore. Unlike keys, bracers would be impossible to steal without being caught. Attempting to do so would leave her enduring another beating.

Each breath she took warned that another beating would lead to injuries she could not afford to have. Running would be near impossible if the opportunity arrived, and it would leave her weakened beyond the ability to fight back. Salamander would be able to do whatever he wanted to her, and that was without the threat of what he would do to her keys.

A different form of fear crept up like the bile at the back of her throat. Clenching her right hand, she remembered the stories that those she worked with through the years had told her. Injuries to their bodies happened more often than not, and the aches their bones felt when the weather changed had made her heart ache for them. Broken bones never healed properly, and the pain would remain with her for the rest of her life.

Could she risk damaging her dominate hand without a clear way to escape? The one that held her keys as she summoned her friends, the whip she used to fight beside them, the sword and bow she used to have before needing to sell them for a bit of jewel. The hand she used to write her stories.

Would her thumb heal correctly and only minimum pain ghost her for the rest of her life? If it did not heal right, it could be too painful to do anything.

Her lip trembled. Everything that she had done to escape—to stay hidden and just be her own person—had it all truly been for nothing? While she had learned much since running away, and the only course of action she could act on was to remain free as long as possible, there were so many more adventures that she had wanted to experience. Things she had never tried.

“If you ever find yourself stuck,” her mother’s voice echoed in her mind, “remember these fairy tales. They will be your salvation, my little star.”

“They won’t,” she sobbed, gripping the chain in her right hand and letting her body sag. “They were nothing but stories!”

Soft words spoken under starlight and the glow of a fire; every night had been spent cuddled into her mother’s chest as the words of stories danced around them. Daring sword fights, brave adventurers, loyal friends, and creatures long forgotten by normal folk. A book would be chosen and they would read it together, but every so often, her mother would slip out a particular book and lift a finger to her lips.

“Shh,” a smile would grace her lips, “this book is our secret.”

Between those pages, a different sort of tales filled the night. In hushed whispered when her father was off on trips, tales of past wars, dragons who sought the end of humanity and those who stood with them, and people selected by the very gods of their religions fought against others. Even the stars above helped, granting celestial keys to the world and connect the two realms.

“Remember, my star,” her mama’s voice trembled those nights. Very tight and cautious. “Your father would not take too well to know of these stories. That is why we keep them from him.”

“But Mama,” she cuddled against her mother’s chest, feeling the bone-thing body press against her cheek as they huddled under blankets on the couch. “I miss papa.”

“I know, my dearest.” A kiss to her head signaled the start of the next story.

The stories allowed beyond the hush of nightfall were the simple fairy tales that had been a nightly ritual for them. In the beginning, all three of them would cuddle under woolen forts with pillows and chairs that helped keep the structure up. Her parents would laugh as she acted out scenes from the stories.

Some of the stories were of dragons befriending heroes, who later would turn on the poor beast. Others of mice helping women fulfill impossible tasks. Her personal favorites usually had princesses, and when they befriended the dragons who hid in the mountains all alone, her tiny body would jump and cheer.

“Everyone needs a friend, mama!” she’d cry, relieved when the story ended with friendship.

“Yes, my dearest, everyone needs a friend.”

It had taken running away from the only place she had known to realize why her mama had looked so sad when she said those words. The pull of her lips in a smile that cried without the use of tears. A look given to a child who unknowingly had no friends besides a doll named Gonzales with a lovely nickname of Michelle.

Child-like innocence had hidden much of what life had tried to pin her with.

Metal of the ship groaned. Vibrations rippled through the chains down her arm. The air around her paused, and she felt her breath catch at the pressure.

Heat erupted through the darkness and lit it up in an explosion of oranges, reds, and yellows. Pain pierced her eyes at the change of lighting. Clenching them, she pressed her face into her chilled arm and tried to listen beyond the ringing.

Voices loud enough to sound their distress caught her attention, then shouting from people she could only guess were the crew. Had the military become suspicious? When had they entered the hull of the ship? Maybe she had fallen unconscious from her beating or breaking her hand. Whoever had attacked were not pulling their punches, that she knew as another rumble went through the ship and her cage.

Voices crying out and screaming filled the silence the ringing had provided. Some were the frightened calls for help from women. Others full of pain that continued for several minutes or abruptly ended.

Like the winds of a desert, heat pulsed through the bars and swirled through the darkness. It from a relief from the chill of the air that she desperately wished to cling to. If the military were attacking, then they would be providing help to those like her. The moment she could get free and get back to land, she would find a way to slip away.

But her keys, and her bag…her heart clenched at the thought of being completely alone without her spirits. How would she be able to find them?

Something flickered in the space of the cages. A bit of white flashed through again, and her eyes widened. “Happy?” The word caught in her throat, and came out rasped. With nothing to wet her lips, she pressed herself forward, the word less than a wisp of air. “Happy!”

Frantic that the cat would not hear her, she pushed through the pain and numbness that had set into her limbs, and started to clang the chain again the bars above. A loud reverberation traveled down her arm and rang in her ears, but it did exactly what she needed.

“Lu-shee?” Happy halted midair at the new sound. Looking around, he noted that most of the cages in this area were empty compared to the other side, but there had to be someone here. Deciding to investigate the noise instead of wandering mindlessly for a clue where Lucy could be, a large smile lit up his face when he finally saw a cage with someone in it.

“Lucy!” He got right up to the bars and pressed his face in to look through them at her. “Where are your clothes? It’s chilly down where without Natsu!”

She choked back a sob that escaped with her relieved laughter and heaved a sigh of relief. Heat built up behind her eyes and his concerned blue face blurred. “You have…n-no idea how happy I am to see you, Happy!” A well of happiness flooded through her and she wanted to reach out and hug the cat to her.

“We came looking for you when Natsu found your hat!” Placing her pack on the ground, he looked at the lock on the door and tried shaking it open. Nothing rattled or shook. It felt like the door was fused with the rest of the bars and left no clear way to get out. A twinge of fear crept up her spine at the thought of what would have happened if the ship sunk.

Pushing the thought and fear down, she focused on the here and now. That meant getting out of the chains and cage. If Happy could find Salamander and somehow get his bracer from him…a frown pulled at her lips.

No, that would be too tricky and dangerous for him. There were too many variables that could put him at risk. What if Salamander used his charm magic? Could that affect a creature like Happy? She could not be certain, and sometimes even knowing the usage, those rings could pose a serious threat.

Glancing down at the bag below Happy, a striking familiarity caught her by surprise. Each rip, patch, and stitch down to the mismatched buttons stood out to her. Even the thick leather she had managed to barter for after the bottom of the bag fell out on her. “You found my bag?”

“Of course, we did!” he said with a hiccup of a laugh.

Something glinted on the far edge of the bag and drew her attention away from what he was saying. Scents and Salamander, or something along those lines. Tilting her head for a better look at the items, a hoarse cry fell from her lips. “My keys! Happy, you found my keys!”

Happiness flowed through her like the heat of the sun. The keys her mother had cherished, the only thing she had left besides a journal and her looks, the friends who had stood by her in her need to escape.

Warmth spilled over onto her cheeks and she reached her broken hand out for them. “Please, can you hand me the golden one that looks like an axe?” The urge to request all of them filled her mouth and nearly spilled out. What use would it be to attempt to hold all of them in her broken hand? Enough pain from the beating earlier kept her from reaching out further—a twinge ran down her back from bruises.

Her mind rushed, figuring out what she would need to do to summon her spirit. If she did it in the cage, both of them might be stuck, or her spirit might accidentally hurt her. The spirit with the golden axe happened to be on the larger side.

But—she realized that while the front of the cage happened to be further away from her, that meant the back was closer. Pulling her arm back, another sting of pain shot down her side and into the top part of her thigh, she thrusted her arm out of the bars and held her hand open. “Put it in my hand, and I can get us help!”

There were no objections or words to question her on what she planned, Happy just gathered the keyring in his hand and sorted through silvers and golds until he found one that looked like a weapon once welded by a guildmate.

A warm, familiar hum of magic pulsed up her arm and sent goosebumps over her skin the moment the celestial metal touched her skin. Tears blurred her vision at the soothing nature of each of her spirits pushed through to her. Resolve strengthened, her grip on the key tightened and every ounce of her magical energy pushed toward it.

“Taurus! I call upon thee!”

Along the docks and rows of buildings in Hargeon, crowds gathered to watch the smoking ship just further out of the bay. Concern for those of their community who had gone to party with the Salamander rose. Had something gone wrong with the ship? Would the ship be able to limp back in? Without clearance to bring their ships into bay, or even close to the ship, all the sailors beached that night discussed what they could do to help.

Discussions drifted to faint murmurings above, as a young child stared wide-eyed out the window of their apartment. His mother stood above him, worrying at her nails about her sister’s health who had gone on the party cruise. Only the commotion and the woman’s worry allowed for the young the child to be up so late. In awe, he watched the sky far above and pointed upward, “Mommy! Look at that!”

Heavenly bodies shifted and twisted around the blanket of midnight. Stars radiated and dimmed, pulling some back into the void and others forward toward the earth. Their cosmic dance captivated many onlookers until a constellation gleamed, one out of season and should not be visible for a few months.

The stars that formed above flew together, shattering and shimmering downward. Glitter reflected in the child’s eyes and they watched it seem to touch the ship so many eyes were on before everything settled to normal. A fantastical story only those who had witnessed it would believe.

Within the bowels of the ship, a gust of wind snapped Lucy’s hair around the cage that Happy clung to. A curtain of shimmers stepped forward from the air and heavy hooves sounded on the metal floor. The wind settled and from the shattered stars, strong, fur covered hands grabbed onto the bars of the cage.

Muscles bulged along his arms and chest, both covered by a harness of leather and chain, as he pulled the bars away from each other. Even the muscles in his legs, covered by tight pants that went down to just above where the haunches of his hooves began, flexed with his strength. When one area had been widened, he moved further down until enough space had been made for Lucy to get out, and him to get to her.

Pressing forward, a large, hair covered snout entered the cage and caught sight of Lucy’s form. A snort of anger pushed the large nose ring forward from his snout and his eyes narrowed. “Who do I need to gorge with my horns, Miss Lucy?”

He reached inside, large hands carefully gripping the chain of the remaining cuff and snapped the links apart. Those same furred hands kept her steady and helped her step from the cage onto the floor that bit at her feet.

She pulled in a gasp, hopping between the balls of her feet. Daggers stabbed outwardly, and harsh chills inward. Looking up at Taurus, glancing upon the rack of two large horns swept out on each side of his head—it had always amazed her how they never caught on things—she noticed his own stare over her and remembered her state of dress. Arms crossed over her chest, pushing her breasts inward and her legs clenched together.

His eyes narrowed further. “Where is the bag you carried?”

“Over there,” she pointed to the other side of the cage.

Rivets popped with a loud hiss and metal screeched right into her ear cavity. Before she could register where the noise had come from, Taurus had already torn the cage she had been in from the ground and threw it behind them with a single, uninterested toss. Thunder rattled her bones where hooves met the floor beneath until he snatched the bag��and the cat attached to it—from the floor.

Kneeling down, he picked her up and set her on his knee so her feet would no longer be on the freezing ground. Even with strength that could bend steel apart, every action he made from moving her to opening her bag were careful. An egg could have been inside the bag, and it never would have cracked due to him. He held the bag to her, revealing the clothes she had inside. “You’ll catch a cold if you don’t get something on.”

Worrying her lower lip, she managed to find a large tee-shirt and the cloth pants she wore to bed, “I can wear these.” With a bit of help to keep her feet from touching the ground, both articles of clothing were tugged into place.

Happy landed on her head, staring down into the bag, “What about shoes?”

“I only had the one pair,” she answered, twisting her feet together anxiously.

Taurus and Happy shared a look. Neither seemed keen on letting her walk on her own without some form of protection. Further injury and illness could set in with her current state, and from the blood and bruises that covered her, both understood the risks were higher.

Eyes narrowed in on the other, silently challenging the other. As the air between them grew taunt, Lucy felt the oppressive energy press downward on her. “Could we please talk this out, what ever the issue may be.” Much to her chagrin, neither uttered a word when each put a fist forward and shook them in quick session.

Both hands went flat in the air at the same time. The slowly formed their fists again and shook them in another quick session. The fists stayed, but she suddenly understood what they were doing.

They were settling a decision between boulder, parchment, shears.

Another set of fist shakes, and finally, Happy celebrated his victory with shears defeating Taurus’ parchment. She shook her head and zipped her bag closed. It seemed attracting strange people really was a talent of hers. At least Happy and Natsu seemed to be on her side.

With Happy’s help, the bag slipped over her arms and settled on her shoulders. He came around her front and mumbled something before gathering up what was left of the straps and tied them together across her chest. Little paws worked diligently to make a firm knot that he pulled on until he was satisfied.

“That will keep you from falling out of the straps while I carry you,” he answered her voiceless question and spread his wings wide. “Hold on tight!”

He grabbed the top handle of the bag and flew up easily, lifting her up from Taurus’ leg and keeping her feet from touching the ground. Able to stand again, the bull stood tall and called out his axe from the celestial realm.

“Follow me,” he said and looked at Happy. “No one will get passed my axe or touch Miss Lucy.” A heated snort pushed his nose ring forward, and the amount of muscles that bulged from his muscles made Happy float back a bit. He could not say for sure if anyone he knew had muscles upon muscles.

“Is he always so angry and large?” he asked Lucy in a muted tone.

“He is a bull,” she groaned, wrapping her arms around her sore middle where the straps dug in. “And he is very protective.”

“Then I am glad he’s on our side!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note:

This chapter has been written and gone over for awhile, I just have been struggling with anxiety regarding posting for this fandom for a bit. Not sure why, but I am working on pushing through it to make sure I keep this series up and finish the other stories I have written.

Also, I plan to get to all the reviews that I haven't replied to on AO3 since all of this has taken hold. I appreciate each and every one of you who has left comments and kudos. They make my day when I see them, and if anyone tells you that comments don't mean anything, that is a big fat lie. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Along with everything, as well, a deep thank you to @theguildawards discord server and everyone I have made friends with there. They are truly some of the most amazing people.

Links: AO3 (Is locked to registered AO3 users) | FF.net

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

#fairy tail #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #writing #fanfiction #fairy tail fanfiction #rewrite #episode 1 #Bora #zeref dragneel #fairy tail zeref #igneel #taurus #aquarius #capricorn #RE:Script #Genavere

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katana-no-neko · 5 months

Text

Call Me By My Name

Chapter 5 | ao3

"Natsu, Lucy!" a waitress greeted as the two entered Fairy Tail.

"Lisanna!" Lucy ran to sit and chat with the girl, the younger sister of Mira. "Natsu brought me to Hargeon the other day, like you suggested. I had no idea it was by the ocean!" Natsu sat down next to her and grinned at the way Lucy's eyes lit up as she chattered to Lisanna about her first time seeing the ocean. "I mean, I'd read about it, I knew the ocean was big, but wow! The water just went on forever!"

"I'm so glad you enjoyed it!" Lisanna responded, happy her suggestion had gone over so well. "What's on the agenda for today?"

"I thought I'd show Lucy this waterfall out a ways!" Natsu replied, excited to see Lucy's reaction to the enormous feature. "Looks really cool, I think you'd like it!" he told Lucy.

The front door slammed open, interrupting Lucy's response.

"HEY FLAME BRAIN!"

Lucy jerked at the shout and watched someone enter and stomp over to Natsu. The man was shirtless, she realized with a blush, with some kind of dark marking covering his arm and much of his torso. When he reached the place she and Natsu sat, Lucy shivered as a cold chill filled the air.

"Ugh, whaddya want, Ice Prick!?" Natsu shouted back, standing up and greeting the newcomer with the same fierceness, his heat ramping up to rival the other man's cold.

"You been trying to blow me off!? I haven't seen you in ages!" the dark haired man yelled, fist raised. "What, realize you can't ever beat me?"

"Ha! As if! Just didn't wanna see your ugly mug!" Natsu laughed, fire bursting from his fists. "Had a better person to hang out with than your dumb ass!" He pulled Lucy up, clutching her to his side. "This is Lucy, she's my best friend and she's awesome!"

"Uh... Hi," Lucy hesitated. Her eyes were wide, trying to make sense of this situation.

The man raised an eyebrow at the way Natsu held her, but said "Hello," in acknowledgement. Bringing his attention back to the dragon, he started yelling again. "Now you're using a girl as a shield? Real low for you!"

Natsu carefully sat Lucy back down in her chair before punching the other man across the room. He tumbled into several tables before crashing into a wall, the restaurant patrons laughing as if this was normal. "What were you saying!?" Natsu shouted again with a grin before his opponent launched himself at Natsu, punching him in the jaw. And with bursts of fire and ice, the two continued fighting, throwing the restaurant into disarray.

Lucy looked to Lisanna in concern. The woman laughed. "That's Gray. Half-demon. This happens most of the times they're both here, ever since we were kids. He and Natsu try to deny it but they're actually pretty good friends."

"Seems like it," Lucy deadpanned as she watched them fight. Natsu was tossed against another table, this one falling apart with a loud 'crack'. A door in the back slammed open, and a tiny elderly man that Lucy had come to learn was the restaurant owner named Makarov stomped out, kicking the boys out the front door.

"COME BACK WHEN YOU CAN CALM DOWN!" Makarov shouted, slamming the door behind them and grumbling back to his office.

"I should..." Lucy started, moving to leave her stool.

"Ah, he'll be fine," Lisanna smiled. "He and Gray have been kicked out before, they'll find something to do. Besides, you and I never get to talk alone! Natsu is always stuck to your side when you're here!"

Lucy chuckled. "I suppose you're right."

~~~

"Good going, moron, now I can't see Lucy!" Natsu growled to the ice demon as he picked himself up off the ground.

Gray rolled his eyes. "Oh no, you can't see your girlfriend," he replied mockingly.

Natsu flushed. "Why does everyone assume that!? She's just a friend, my best friend, it's not like we're dating!"

"Really?" Gray quirked an eyebrow. "I guess that makes sense, she was too pretty to be dating you."

"Hey, that's not true!" Natsu growled.

Gray smirked. "What, you don't think she's pretty?"

The dragon seethed, steam coming from his nostrils in his frustration. "Are you blind!? Of course she's pretty! She has hair the color of sunshine and gold, and adorable sparkling eyes, and a gorgeous laugh, and her smile is the prettiest thing in the world!" Natsu's frown became a smile and his tone lightened as he described her. "But she's not just pretty, she's so nice and fun and I wanna be with her all the time, which you prevented!" he punctuated with a glare to the ice demon.

Gray burst out laughing. "Wow, I was joking before but you really are smitten."

"For fuck's sake, I already told you, we're friends."

"If you say so," Gray laughed again, this time interrupted by a punch in the jaw. "Hey, don't get mad at me because you don't know you like a girl!" Gray growled.

"Obviously I like her, she's my best friend!" Natsu shouted, exasperated and confuddled.

"Not the 'like' I meant, idiot."

"Tch, whatever," Natsu grumbled. "I'm going back inside. I got stuff to do with Lucy. And no, it's not a date!"

Gray raised his hands up innocently. "I didn't say a word," he snickered.

~~~

"Natsu really set Gray's hair on fire!?"

Lisanna nodded with a giggle. "Yup, Gray was completely bald. And completely pissed."

"I can't believe he did that!" Lucy laughed. "Well, no, I can." Natsu was somewhat careful and less impulsive when it was just the two of them, but Lucy had been with him around other people plenty enough to see how wild he could get.

"Mhm, and I've got a thousand more stories like it," Lisanna grinned. "Erza, Mira, Elfman, and I were all raised in Makarov's family, and Makarov is friends with Natsu's parents and Gray's mom, so we all spent a lot of time together as kids."

"Yeah, Natsu mentioned something about that," Lucy commented. "It must've been great having so much family."

Lisanna rubbed Lucy's hand in comfort. "And now you're here, too," she smiled. "I'm speaking for all of us when I say it's been so nice getting to know you."

"Thanks, I needed to hear that," Lucy grinned. "When I ran away from the fae territory, I was terrified of going anywhere, meeting anyone, accidentally learning their name... I only ever spoke to others when I had to. I didn't think anyone would ever be so friendly with me..." She admitted. "But then I met Natsu and he just pushed all those fears away. He insisted on being my friend, he brought me to meet you guys, and he's shown me all sorts of things I could only dream about cooped up at home." Lucy smiled bright as her heart swelled. "I'm just so happy to have met him."

"Happy to have met who?" Natsu questioned innocently as he strolled back in, but the smile on his face told Lucy he had heard her perfectly. Lucy jumped and flushed brightly as he sat down next to her, grasping her hand and squeezing it. "I'm really happy I met you, too," he told her, grinning widely while his heart thumped loudly.

#nalu #nalu fanfiction #fanfiction #call me by my name

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