This story was made for the HC-Bingo on LJ! The Prompt was "Fall from Grace". If you guys like it, I might consider making a sequel (:

Disclaimer: FT belongs to Mashima!

The Thirteen Keys

When Lucy understood what she should do to save all his friends, she didn't hesitate. The idea of all the consequences troubled her mind, scared her about her future, but saving all Fairy Tail, all Magnolia, was worth it.

"Yukino, would you lend me your keys?"

They had read the journal together. They knew what it would take to stop the dragons and future Rogue.

"I can't let you do this alone, Lucy-sama."

"And I won't let you ruin your future."

Yukino approached her, taking Lucy's hands on hers.

"We are the last Stellar Mages on Magnolia, Lucy-sama, if you are doing this, it'll be much better if we do this together."

Lucy let some tears fall from her brown eyes. She didn't want such a future to Yukino, but she had to admit that the perspective of not being alone was really comforting.

"Thank you, Yukino."

Yukino smiled and nodded to her.

Lucy took her ten golden keys from the chain. She could feel their weight on her hands, the warmth her beloved spirits were sending to her from their realm.

"What are you two planning to do?" it was Jellal's voice asking.

He and the news he brought were part of why she made the decision. Jellal was broken when he got near the portal. All mages had listened to his desperate scream, and those who knew them, knew very well there was only one thing that could break Jellal Fernandez. Erza's death.

The sight of a death Erza made Lucy's heart bleed. That was wrong. Too wrong. And it wasn't an option either.

"We will destroy this portal." Yukino answered.

"How?" he asked in a sceptical voice.

"Using the thirteen keys of Zodiac to make time go back to the point of our choice." This time, it was Lucy who answered.

"Thirteen? But I thought there was only twelve."

"Opphidicus was banned from the Zodiac, but he has the same amount of power as any of them. With all of their strength, we will be able to do this. The spirit of the Southern Cross himself told me this."

Lucy watched as glimpse of hope was born on his yellowish eyes.

"Don't you worry, Jellal. I'll stop Urtear from being torn away from her mother. So, when you and Erza are ready to escape the tower, you'll all be together."

The glimpse of hope was replaced by alarm.

"What? Lucy, what are you saying? You will change the past? But you just said you would destroy the portal."

The smile she showed him was one he had never seeing on her face before. He hadn't known Lucy for long, but he knew her as an optimistic and happy girl, the only one Natsu Dragneel was able to love – even though he was sure the Dragon Slayer hadn't noticed yet.

"We have to enter the portal. And we will be trapped forever. Our time will be still forever. That's the price of everyone's life." She explained.

"You can't do that!"

To everyone's shock, it wasn't Jellal's voice on the answer, but Natsu's.

The Dragneel came running to them, as his sharp ears had heard the entire conversation.

"You can't do that, Lucy!" he insisted.

Lucy just looked at him and smiled. She had hoped she wouldn't have to see him before putting her plan into action. Just the sight of him made her heart waver. For the Zodiacs, she didn't want to leave him. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, how much she had loved him since they first met.

But she had lost that opportunity. It wouldn't make any sense to tell him this now.

"Don't you worry, Natsu. I will make sure Lisanna won't be sucked by the anima. In this new time, you won't lose her. You will be able to fulfil her dreams."

For some reason, that statement enraged him. He approached her angrily, stopping inches away from her, their noses almost touching.

"Are you an idiot or something? All that mattered was that she was alive all this time. It was always enough to me. I hated to lose her because she was my friend, and no one likes to attend the funeral of friends!"

She smiled gently at him.

"It's okay, Natsu. You can admit now. She loved you, it's only natural that you would love her back. Who wouldn't love Lisanna, after all?"

"I do love her, but not this way. She used to be my closest friend, we know each other since we are little. And that's all. The only one I do love, is you, Lucy."

Lucy would never be able to explain how she felt on that moment. She was so happy! But it only made everything even worse. She had something important to do, and she couldn't let her feelings interfere.

"You're the idiot, you stupid dragon! You had lots of opportunities to say that to me, why only now?"

"'Cause I'm not good with this stuff, you know that!"

Lucy could only cry. But Erza was dead, Gajeel was dead and Gray was dead. And with their deaths, Jellal was broken, Levy was completely paralyzed by the pain and Juvia was destroying everything and everyone who was stupid enough to be on the way of her grief.

"I love you too, Natsu, but I have to do this anyway."

He held her by the wrist.

"Please, don't."

"No, I am the one who gets to say 'please' to you! Don't do this to me! It's killing me, okay? Erza and Gray and Gajeel are dead. Have you seen Levy? The poor girl can't move, so great is her pain and I can't bear the sight of it, Natsu! Levy loved him to an extent none of us will ever understand, because she found this love even after everything he did to Shadow Gear! I have to change this! This can't be the reality of Fairy Tail!"

Natsu was silent for a minute.

"Then, let me go with you."

"You can't. You're not a Stellar Mage."

A tear left Natsu's eyes, and it broke Lucy's heart to see it. She placed her hands on his cheeks, wiping the tear away.

"You won't recognize me anymore, but I promise I'll show up in Fairy Tail when you reach this age again."

"You better." He told her, but there was no humour on his voice.

They kissed. Their first kiss was a goodbye one.

Lucy got back to Yukino's side and held her hand tightly. The white haired girl understood she needed the support, and smiled reassuringly at her.

"We'll save everyone, Lucy-sama."

"Yes, we will."

Gathering all the magic they had, the two Stellar Mages invoked the Thirteen Spirits of the Zodiac: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpios, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces and Opphidicus.

With their power, the Eclipse gate was destroyed forever, and the two mages were sucked in the void, controlling how much they wanted to go back in time, until everything was just endless black.

When Ur, Gray's master, entered the hospital, Lucy was there, ready to tell her everything.

"Don't trust your child to them." She warned.

"What? What am I supposed to do? My daughter will die if they don't treat her."

"I can help you, Ur-san, and I can help Urtear."

Ur was shocked to hear their names coming from the mouth of that stranger, but she knew enough of the magic world to understand there was an explanation for everything.

"How…?"

Lucy showed her Fairy Tail tattoo.

"I come from the future, and I know what will happen to your daughter if you trust the people here. They'll lie to you, tell her she is dead just so they can use her power."

"And you can cure her? In my house?"

"Yes."

Ur nodded and took Lucy to her home. Following Cruxis orientations, Lucy used her magic to heal the baby.

Ur was beyond happiness when she noticed the fever has left her beloved daughter.

"Thank you! How can I ever repay you?"

Lucy smiled to her.

"When Gray Fullbuster comes to your life, don't let his demon take you away from him, and when the time is right, lead him to Fairy Tail."

Ur looked at her, completely puzzled.

"Who is Gray Fullbuster?"

"Your third child."

And that was all Lucy answered before she got up and left the cosy home of Ur.

"Did you save her?" Yukino asked.

"Yes." Lucy answered. "Everything will be alright."