Fairy Tail OVA:

Once Upon a Time

A/N: So this is my first Fairy Tail fanfic :) I hope you guys enjoy!

All credit for the concept goes to Hiro Mashima. And my sister, who came up with this idea!

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who was famed across the Kingdom of Fiore for her charm and sex appeal. She was the daughter of King Jude the Jerk, and was lovely beyond comparison. All who beheld her could not help could not help but love her, and she came to be the pride and joy of the entire land of Magnolia.

In fact, this princess, who was called Lucy, was so beautiful she charmed even the most hardened of hearts with a single smile. And a handsome prince named Loke traveled far from his Celestial Kingdom to ask for her hand in marriage.

"I love your daughter," he proclaimed to the King. "And she has brought me from the deepest winter of my discontent to the most glorious summer of loving grace with nothing but a mere glance of her face. I beg of you, O King, allow me to take her back with me to my Celestial Kingdom that we may be wed and live as husband and wife until the end of time. "

"What shall you give me in return?" asked the King, for he was a greedy man and never made a bargain unless he would benefit from the terms.

"I shall grant you whatever your favor desires," the handsome Prince cried passionately.

"Hear my request," answered the King. "Our Kingdom has been plagued by a dragon of sorts – Well, no, it's actually a real dragon – that of late hath been consuming all the fires that keep my people and my castle warm. Go, O Prince, and slay this monster, that has gotten himself all fired up over what is rightfully ours. Then, my daughter will be yours."

"I shall obey," Loke responded earnestly. "I will conquer the beast with my lion's strength, and return your Kingdom to its former peace."

No sooner had he spoken when the doors to the throne room burst open and hellish flames seared across the marble, scorching everything they touched. The Prince dived towards King Judd and shielded him from the heat in a heroic act of bravery. Through the smoke, a figure appeared; the form of a man with a scarf wrapped around his neck. In his arms was the limp body of a curvaceous woman, none other than the beauteous Princess Lucy.

"I am kidnapping the Princess!" Roared the man, and as he spoke, flames flew from his mouth. It was the dragon, who went by the name Natsu of Dragneel. "And you will never know why!"

The court stared at him with open mouths, at the same time cowering in fear of his rage. With one last mighty huff, the dragon turned and marched out of the castle, heading straight for his own Castle of Flames far on the other side of the kingdom.

"Your Majesty!" cried a voice, and a young woman stepped out into the middle of the court. "Allow me to gather my army and march on the castle for you! We will surely rescue the Princess from the terrible Natsu of Dragneel!"

"Thank you, General Erza," said the King. "But instead of an army, you yourself will accompany Prince Loke to the Castle of Flames, and fight by his side to win back my daughter. You may bring the Ice Lord Gray with you on your quest."

"Fine," came a voice from the corner. They turned to see a shirtless man leaning on a post with his arms crossed. "That dragon has had it coming ever since he gave me those stink eyes. He'll be no match for me."

Prince Loke, General Erza, and Lord Gray set off immediately, moving at top speed through the forest where the dragon reigned. General Erza, the greatest warrior Earthland had ever seen, sliced a path through the thicket for them, having come equipped with a large assembly of swords and weaponry. Lord Gray hadn't much use for his ice magic, so he walked along beside the Prince with an aura of finesse and apathy. Loke busied himself with tracking the path Natsu had taken towards his castle, which wasn't hard because of all the burned trees he had left behind.

But their journey there was long and wearisome, and needn't be described in detail. Here's a short summary: The trio was attacked by a group of bandits that called themselves Phantom Lord, and for some reason Lord Gray decided to save one of the women, who was about to fall off a cliff. This woman, named Juvia, fell so in love with him in just one glance that she used her water magic to capture him and bring him back to her den, where he remained prisoner and lover evermore. General Erza slayed every beast in the forest that came their way, earning the thanks of a local woodsman, whose wife was so grateful she insisted on baking her a cake. The General, so entranced by the wafting smells of frosting and sugar, assured Prince Loke that it would be fine if he went ahead, because she'd catch up with him later (which she didn't, btw). And so the brave Prince was left alone on his quest, and when he reached the Castle of Flames where the dragon resided, he felt a stir of fear in his lion's heart.

Meanwhile, up in the highest tower of the castle, Natsu the dragon and Princess Lucy were having a blast.

Lucy had woken up in a strange room, messy beyond belief, and feeling her fingers twitch with irritation, decided to clean it out. Natsu walked in, holding a blue cat, and watched in amazement as she blew through the room, throwing garbage out the window, hanging up clothes, making the bed, vacuuming the rug, scrubbing the floor, etc, etc. She didn't even take notice of his presence until she was done.

"Hey!" she cried. "I don't know who you are, but you can't just climb into somebody's room through the window!"

"What are you talking about!" Natsu yelled back. "This is my house! I get to come in how I want!"

"Oh, so you're the one who kidnapped me," Lucy exclaimed. "You don't look like a dragon at all."

Natsu went red in the face. "What?!" he bellowed, his eyes going dark. "Of course I'm a dragon! Look what I can do!" And he opened his mouth wide and let out a long jet of red-hot flames.

"Alright, alright, sheesh!" she yelled, ducking down. "Watch where you aim that stuff, you'll burn my hair off!"

The dragon began to feel himself getting all fired up, but then he took a second look at the Princess's pretty face and curvaceous body, making him take a moment to process her next question.

"So if you can eat fire," she was saying thoughtfully. "Does that mean that when you spit it back through your mouth like that, you're throwing it up?"

Lucy ended up enjoying herself very much at the dragon's Castle of Flames. She found out that the blue cat could talk, and a very inconvenient discovery it was, because Happy (the cat's name) had a habit of pointing out things that were better left unsaid.

"You liiiiiiiike each other," he would gasp, and she'd feel herself go red.

Probably because it was true. Well, for her at least.

It all started with that time Natsu had saved her from a nasty fall. She had decided to place a flower on the highest shelf, about two stories up, and was standing on the top of a very rickety ladder, having been too lazy to find a good one. Unfortunately, the ladder wasn't very good at what it did, and gave a huge wobble that sent her flying off and soaring through the air.

"Natsuuuuuu!" the Princess screamed, closing her eyes for the crash. It never came, however, because she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her waist and knock her to the side, where they crash-landed into the wall.

"Geez, Lucy, why are you so heavy?" mumbled the dragon. "Why'd you jump off that ladder anyways?"

"What? I didn't jump off," she said, sulking (nobody had ever called her fat before). "That ladder was trying to kill me."

"You had me worried!" Natsu said, grinning. "Don't you go hurting yourself, Luce – I don't know what I'd do without you." He ruffled her hair and walked away, leaving her utterly baffled by what he'd just said.

She spent the rest of the week going through an emotional amusement park. First she was confused – It was totally out of character for him to say that. And then she was happy; Natsu never complimented anybody like that! Ever! And then be felt guilty, because she'd never said anything good about him, and there were plenty of good things about Natsu. The she grew afraid…did the dragon have feelings for her? Could he possibly have fallen in love with her? And finally she was mad. Scary mad. Who was this man to made her go up and down all these emotional roller coasters, and confuse the heck out of her? Who was he to call her fat and then tell her he couldn't live without her? But, every time he smiled at her, or threw his arms around her in an embrace, her heart would speed up and she felt like she couldn't breathe. So Lucy decided to do something about it.

"Natsu," the Princess said timidly, coming up to him one day. "I want to tell you something. Something important."

"Yeah, sure, what?" the dragon mumbled, occupied by the huge pile of food in front of him.

"I just wanted to let you know that – I wouldn't mind staying here - with you," she mumbled, biting her lip. "Forever, I mean."

"Forever?" The dragon said, frowning, and turned around to face her. His eyes were serious. "That's a really long time, Lucy."

"No!" Lucy cried, letting her face fall into her hands. "I want to stay here with you, and never go back to my father's castle! Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Her face turned red as she formed her next sentence. "I want to be your partner – for life!"

There was a ringing silence, in which they stared at each other intensely, and Lucy was beginning to think she saw realization forming on Natsu's face, and he opened his mouth and gave her a huge grin.

"Sure thing, Luce!" he said cheerfully. "I'll let you hang around!"

Lucy felt her face fall. "Oh – um – okay!" she said, her heart sinking. She forced an enormous smile onto her face. "Thanks, Natsu! Bye!" The Princess turned to go, but found her path obstructed by the flying blue cat, Happy.

"Does this mean you guys are gonna get married?" he asked innocently, and Lucy froze, feeling the world shatter around her.

Natsu stood up and laughed heartily. "OH! IS THAT WHAT YOU MEANT LUCY? HAHAHAHAHA! YEAH, OF COURSE! YOU CAN BE MY WIFE FROM NOW ON, HOW 'BOUT THAT?"

"Wha-? No! I mean- uh…well-" Lucy stammered, backing up as he advanced towards her. "That is to say-"

"Don't worry, it'll be great!" Natsu exclaimed, grabbing her hands in both of his. "It'd be totally awesome having somebody I love by my side forever."

The Princess's heart melted. "Yeah!" she agreed. "Good idea!"

Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and the doors to Lucy's room flew open to reveal Prince Loke standing there, panting, gripping a sword in his hand and staring at them intently.

"Foul beast," he addressed the dragon. "Thou hast…a lot…of stairs."

"Loke!" exclaimed the Princess, breaking away from Natsu and turning to the handsome Prince in disguise. "What are you doing here?"

"My Princess," Loke announced, straightening up and puffing out his chest. He brought his hand to his heart and sunk into a bow. "I have traveled far and wide searching for your place of captivity, thus braving many dangers and conquering many enemies. It was all for you, my Lady," he said, his voice lowering as he gazed at her over his glasses with longing eyes. "All for the love of you, for you have touched my heart and created a ripple of light upon it, thus elevating my darkest soul from its place of despair in an ocean of night, and bringing it up to the light of the sun, which I liken to thy glorious face."

The dragon gave a mighty roar and lunged forward, grabbing the Prince's shirt collar and glaring him in the face. "Don't talk to my fiancée like that!" he spat.

"Natsu!" gasped Princess Lucy, overjoyed to see him jealous.

"She's not smart enough to understand what you're saying – you're gonna give her a headache!"

Lucy's smile froze. Really, it had to be Natsu of all people.

Suddenly the doors burst open, and the Ice Lord Gray walked in, somewhat inhibited by the blue-haired nymph upon his ankle.

"Get off, I said!" Lord Gray exclaimed, shaking his leg and rattling her around quite thoroughly. "How am I supposed to fight this stinkin' dragon if you're hanging on to me like a leech?"

"Don't leave Juvia, Lord Gray!" she wailed, clasping on tighter. "Juvia does not want you to be hurt!"

They were interrupted by a loud whooshing-sound, and then an earsplitting crash when the a woman broke a hole through the roof, her red hair flying, her armor shining, and hundreds of sharp blades jutting out from every part of her body. She landed in a crouch, then stood up slowly as the dust cleared, a small breeze blowing her hair around her face, her piercing eyes searching.

"General Erza!" Loke and Gray exclaimed simultaneously. Erza clapped her hand to her chest and bowed.

"Forgive my tardiness, Great Prince, but I was taken off course by…well, I kind of just wanted to have some more cake," she said proudly, raising her chin. A surprised silence greeted her words.

"Erza!" cried a voice, and a blue-haired man with a strange tattoo on his face climbed in from the window, panting. He was holding a pink cardboard box.

"Jellal!" she said, surprised.

He ran over and lowered onto one knee, lifting the box up to her as if it was a sacred treasure. "Erza…I've brought you some more cake. "

Erza's jaw dropped and she fell to her knees. "Jellal," she whispered, reaching for the box and grasping it lightly. "I – I love cake."

Jellal's next words were cut off by a huge, looming shape appearing in the door. Natsu bristled and rushed over, roaring, "Gajeel! I thought I told you to never set foot in my castle again!"

The man named Gajeel shrugged. "I heard there was a fight here," he said in a rumbling voice. "I haven't had any action since last year, it's about time I had a good battle!"

"You're not welcome here," Natsu growled, a scowl forming on his face. "Get out before I make you!"

"Gajeel!" came a small, clear voice, and Gajeel stiffened, his beady eyes widening. A small girl ran in, panting, and holding bandages in both her tiny hands. "Gajeel, wait! I'm not done putting your bandages on yet!"

"I ain't got no time for that!" Gajeel muttered, turning red. "Bandages are for wussies."

"But Gajeel," she said, breathing hard. "You still haven't recovered from your last fight with Natsu!"

Gajeel growled and whirled around to shout at her. "Hey, c'mon Levy! Why you gotta be sayin' stuff like that in front of him?"

In the meanwhile, Happy (the talking blue cat) had grown very bored watching people banter back and forth. I should go get Carla, he thought to himself, and turned, sprouted a pair of wings, and flew out to window. As it so happened, he managed to return just as Gajeel was scolding Levy.

"What's the matter, Carla?" he asked, taking note of his sweetheart's sour face. "You aren't happy to be spending time with me?"

"Why would I be happy to spend time with you?" she snapped, and he sulked.

"Carla?" said a young girl, dropping down from the hole in the roof Erza had created. "What are you doing here? What's going on?"

"Wendy!" cried Lucy, relieved to see an old friend. "Wendy, over here!"

"What's happening?" Wendy asked, walking over to Lucy and watching everybody fighting. "Is there a fight or something?"

"Yeah there is!" Natsu yelled, and punched Lord Gray in the face.

"Hey!" he yelled, and sent a blast of ice straight at Natsu's head. Natsu ducked, and the ice hit Levy straight in the stomach, knocking her down. Gajeel let out a furious roar and charged at Gray, effectively hitting him upside the head and sending him flying across the room. Juvia screamed and slapped Gajeel with a wave of water she produced from out of the blue. Unfortunately, that wave of water washed across the floor and knocked over General Erza and Jellal, and her cake landed in a puddle with a loud splash.

"THAT'S IT!" she roared, and grabbed Jellal, pulling him into the fray. In a very short time all they looked like was a blur of magic, weapons, and fire, and the shouts and roars they were emitting sent echoes crashing around the room. Lucy, Wendy, and Levy watched in shock.

"So…," Levy said casually, turning to Lucy. "What's new with you, Princess?"

"Oh, I just got engaged!" Lucy said cheerfully, grabbing her hands. "I'm going to marry Natsu!"

"Natsu! The dragon?" Wendy and Levy gasped, and Lucy nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh, wow!" Wendy said softly.

"How sweet!" Levy laughed. "To fall in love with a dragon! Oh, that's so romantic. I wish that would happen to me!" she sighed and looked over at Gajeel, who was furiously headlocking Lord Gray,

"Congratulations!" Wendy told her earnestly, and they turned to continue watching the fight.

In the end it was General Erza who won, having pinned them all to the ground by the dead skin around their nails. She walked off haughtily, had in hand with Jellal, muttering something about buying herself more cake. Gray was next to leave, and it was rather quickly too, for he was chased off by a worried Juvia, who kept badgering him about his wounds. Next, Gajeel flew off, accompanied by Levy, who chastised him the entire way out about picking fights he was bound to lose. Wendy and Carla went with them, seeing as they lived right next door. Happy chased after them, shouting something to Carla about "Doing this again some other time."

Finally Natsu, Loke, and Lucy were left all alone.

"Are you okay, Natsu?" she asked, very concerned about the swelling bruises and bleeding cuts all across his body. "Those look like they hurt!"

"Pain doesn't hurt me!" he exclaimed haughtily, puffing out his chest. "It'll take more than that to break me down!"

Loke stood steadfast, holding out his arms wide and crying out, "Well, Princess, it seems as though you do not need my services after all. If you ever do change your mind about this dragon - beast, say the word and I'll come to take you away and make you Queen of my Celestial Kingdom!" And with that, he burst into a brilliant light and then was gone.

"Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought," Lucy said, surprised. "I thought I was going to have to let him down easy!"

"Hey, Lucy," Natsu said huskily. Lucy turned and saw him staring into her eyes; it sent her heart fluttering. "You know what?"

"What is it, Natsu?" she said faintly, hardly daring to breathe.

"Look at this cut on my stomach, more blood squeezes out of it every time I clench my muscles, look!" And he flexed his abs back and forth, and sure enough, a fountain of blood came pouring out with each pumping.

"Okay, okay, stop it!" she yelled, and she grabbed his hands, yanking them away from his middle. "That's enough, Natsu!"

This time she really did feel her head go light as they stared at each other in silence.

Natsu was the first one to break it.

"Hey Lucy," he started, sounding thoughtful. "I was snooping through your stuff the other day-"

"You were what!?"

"Yeah, and I found this really pretty ring," he said, pulling out a huge glittering diamond. "I was wondering if maybe you wanted it?"

Lucy's face softened. "This was my mother's wedding ring," she told him, and held out her hand for it. Instead of placing it on her palm, however, he slipped it onto her finger. "She died a long time ago, but she said I could have it when I got married."

"Oh, good," Natsu said, grinning broadly. "Because I really didn't have any money to buy you a ring myself."

"…Natsu!"

And they all lived happily ever after.

The End.