FT: The Mistress of the Universe

by Her Pretty Smile

Synopsis: Lucy Heartfilia runs away from home after discovering that she has the most powerful magic ever known. She stumbles upon Natsu Dragneel and he brings her to Fairy Tail, the place where her adventures begin. However, the end of the world is fast approaching, and only she, the mistress of the universe, can stop it. Eventual NaLu; Lucy-centric.

Warning: This is unbeta-ed. There may be errors evident. Additionally, if there are those who oppose to Lucy being some kind of powerful protagonist, I'm going to have to inform you that this is my aim, but just a little different from what you are expecting. She is not perfect. Every powerful magic has its own flaws and curses. I intend not to make her a Mary Sue, because that would not be very preferable.

Authoress' Note: All optical phenomenon described and explained here in this story were researched by me and if there are any flaws or errors made, then perhaps my references were not that trustworthy. Also, the genres are romance, drama, angst, friendship, and a bit of family. Also, if there are some who are expecting Gruvia, I'm sorry, but I'm not a fan of this pairing. There will be Gruvia, but it will be completely one-sided.

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail solely belongs to Hiro Mashima. I, an amateur writer, am only borrowing his characters and a part of his storyline.

FOREWORD

—I hereby state the fact that this work of fiction that I have presented here is not a way of implying that I am dissatisfied with the plot of the original series Fairy Tail. I made this fanfic for entertainment purposes and also for me to share it with others. Even if it is imperfect and has the possibility of having technical and logical errors, I do hope that all of you will enjoy.

DEDICATIONS

To "angel", who has always been the one I admire.

To "baby", who has given me what I do not deserve.

To daiisuki-chan, who has been there for me for four years.

To ajm08, who has given me a bird's-eye view on what is real or not.

To FallingStars15, who has been supportive of me and is just a little too updated on my account.

And to "straw", who has always been so close yet seems so far out of my reach.

Episode 1: Encounter

I was seventeen when I ran away from home, clutching Mama's journal tightly in my arms. Tears were streaming down my face in rivulets as the horrible, life-changing reality of my true role in this world came crashing down on me with a large impact I had never known existed. It's the hugest burden a person had to carry; you just had to make sure that you aren't discovered by anyone.

And everything depends on me. Everything.

The train I was riding on suddenly stopped and I was thrown forward. Luckily, I had a seatbelt on, therefore preventing me from getting my head hit.

But it didn't stop me from shaking in fear and denial. How could Mama not tell me about this? If I'd known earlier, would it have made a difference? Would I have sought help from her, sought guidance from her before she—

"Miss," a heavyset man wearing a blue knitted uniform said flatly, "this is the last stop."

I snapped out of my reverie and looked at him in apprehension. "Where are we?" I asked, biting my lower lip slightly.

"You're in the port town of Hargeon, Magnolia."

"Oh." I stood up slowly, placing Mama's journal inside the handbag I was carrying. The other contents consisted of my wallet with all of my savings in it and some apple slices inside a small plastic. I was a nut for fruit.

As I made my way towards the exit, I pondered about what I would do now that I was in a place far away.

What I have to do first is to find a job to support myself. Since I'm a mage with preferences, I think it's better to join a guild that isn't too flashy for my tastes. I allowed a sad frown to appear on my face. I just need to get away first and forget about the somewhat normal life I once had.

As I stepped out of the train, numerous girls swept past me, knocking me down to the ground, hard. Muttering a curse under my breath, I picked myself up, dusting off layers of dirt that were visible on the fabric of my dress. Fortunately, I'd worn the exquisite black cocktail dress my Mama had always said to me that I should always wear whenever I go out or spar with her so that the dirt that would gradually appear on it wouldn't be greatly noticeable. She'd originally made it as battle wear, but I never got the chance to wear it back then.

She made it for me so that my enemies would underestimate me since mages wearing dresses are usually weak and vain.

Underneath the dress, I'd put on dark-blue shorts (just in case) and a black tube with intricate designs. I'd also worn the silver necklace my Mama had given to me for my seventh birthday and also the immortal blood-red rose she'd made for me. I always used it to tie up my hair into a bun.

Mama once said to me that the necklace and the rose were going to be my trademark when I'd decided to give up on being her normal daughter.

I hadn't known what she'd meant by that, but after knowing the truth, I understood.

From now on, I wasn't going to be Lucy Heartfilia, the daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Fiore. I was going to be just Lucy, an average mage.

Not the mistress of the universe.

—×ו××—

I went inside a Magic Store and checked out some weapons and keys that I could use.

After a few minutes, I selected a rare whip, a silver key which contained the Celestial Spirit Nikola, a special pair of black boots, and eight thick training books. I, unfortunately, had very low stamina and physical strength, so I needed these books to survive.

"I'll take these, please," I said to the man behind the counter.

He looked at me in lewd appreciation, and I flinched mentally. I'd forgotten how the male population always looked at me and how many troubles I'd gotten into when I'd fallen right into their trap.

"That'll be 450,000 jewels," the man said, leering at me. "But I'll give you a big discount if you'll give me some fun."

I narrowed my eyes while getting the exact amount from my wallet. "No, thank you," I said as politely as I could.

In my mind, I was calculating the money I had left. My savings were a full 100,000,000 jewels thanks to my huge allowance and secret side-jobs. Not to mention that sometimes otou-san would triple up my allowance if I did something he wanted, so it was a huge plus.

So if I added 450,000 for my supplies, 700,000 for the down payment for a comfortable-looking apartment that I'd seen on the Weekly Sorcerer Magazine, 500,000 for necessary furniture, 600,000 for necessities, 800,000 for clothes, and another 500,000 for a full stock of food, I'd have 96,450,000 jewels left. But I knew that despite the riches I had, it would all be gone if I didn't get a decent job. Not to mention that even if the monthly rent was going to be only 80,000 jewels (a bargain!), it'd be really hard for me. Food was also going to be a problem. I was going to have to get used to not eating luxurious foods from now on.

"Here," I said to the man absently, giving him the money. He took it slowly and placed my newly-bought things in a paper bag, his eyes never leaving me.

Maybe I should also include some nice bath products and cosmetics…

"Hey, you've got a ton of cash there," the man remarked, gaping at my wallet. I instantly saw the hungry look in his eyes and knew that I was starting to get in trouble. "You must be some kind of rich young lady for you to have this insane amount of money!"

I immediately closed my handbag. "I only saved up for ten years, and it had gotten bigger," I said calmly.

Suddenly he produced a magic knife and pointed it at my neck. "You're out of luck, girlie. Give me all that money, and I'll be sure to spare you!"

I looked at him, blinking in slight confusion. "What are you doing?"

He continued on as if he didn't hear me, "This shop's remote-controlled, so I've closed all the windows and doors. You've got no way out of here!"

Using my lightning-quick reflexes, I took the rare whip from the paper bag he'd placed it in and enveloped it with golden flames. Looks like the price is worth it! Then, acting fast, I caught his arm holding the knife with it and he screamed out in pain.

"You bitch!" he cursed.

I took the paper bag using my free hand. "I'll be going now," I said to him composedly. "I know that this place isn't remote-controlled. Your bluff isn't going to work if it's used against me."

I released him from the whip's grip and glared at him. He backed away in fright.

"If you ever do the same thing to other people again, I'll make sure you'll never see the light of day." And I walked out of the store, feeling triumphant.

Hah! Take that, stupid!

—×ו××—

I walked around for a while, savouring the sights of Magnolia. It was a nice place, and it was pretty peaceful.

That is, until I heard shrill screams that nearly made my eardrums explode.

"How dare you insult Salamander-sama!"

"Go away!"

"What the heck?" I turned to the source and saw a boy my age with spiky pink hair and slanted onyx eyes being kicked around by a crowd of girls. Feeling instant sympathy, I marched over to him.

"Hey, what are you all doing?" I said to the angry mob of girls. "What has he done wrong?"

The boy looked at me inquisitively.

"He insulted Salamander-sama!" one girl said, her face red in anger. But there was something in her eyes that made me stare.

Are those… hearts? And the name Salamander just seems too familiar… I was thoughtful for a moment before the memory came back to me. Oh, it's the famous fire mage from Fairy Tail.

I saw a man not too far away looking at the scene with amusement. After a quick deduction, I presumed that he was the Salamander the girls were going crazy for.

But then I noticed the ring he wore.

A charm spell, I realized. What a fraud. I bet he's not the real one.

"What do we have here?" Fake Salamander approached me with interest. "What is such a beautiful girl like you doing here, helping a stranger?"

I narrowed my eyes. He was using charm on me. Well, it won't work.

He seemed to be puzzled by this, too, but regained his composure in a matter of seconds. "Would you like to come for a dinner party at my boat tonight?" he asked.

"No, thank you," I said immediately.

His face seemed to fall at my reply. "All right then. I'm inviting you all, too!" He gestured to his 'fans'. "Be sure to be there." He winked and disappeared using his magic.

I scoffed silently at his display and turned to the boy. "Hey, are you all right?" I asked him.

He looked at me with a hint of wariness in his eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine." He stood up from the ground.

A blue cat came hovering above him. "Where can we find him, Natsu?" it asked worriedly.

A talking cat… right.

"Igneel must be here somewhere," the boy, Natsu, muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "Boy, I'm hungry. What about you, Happy?"

The cat, Happy, nodded.

I decided to intervene. "Hey…" I said hesitatingly. "I'd like to treat you guys. Is that all right?"

They both looked at me as if they were seeing me for the first time.

—×ו××—

"You're such a nice person!" Natsu commented as he scarfed down his food like he hadn't eaten for days.

"Yeah!" Happy agreed enthusiastically while eating in the same manner as Natsu.

I stared at them, thanking the heavens that I still had some money left to pay for their huge meal.

"So…" I drawled, trying to initiate a conversation. "My name is Lucy. Do you know of any guilds here in Magnolia?" I didn't mention Fairy Tail to them since that guild was too flashy for me.

But boy, would it be nice to actually join... if it weren't for my predicament, that is.

They seemed like they didn't hear me due to their incessant eating. I sweatdropped, wondering how much of an appetite the two of them had.

But then Natsu surprised me by saying, "You look like you're not some average person in Magnolia." He was gesturing at the dress I wore.

I was a bit taken aback by his remark. "Oh, uh… My okaa-san made this for me." I was shifting uncomfortable in my seat. "I'm kind of new to Magnolia, and since I'm probably going to run out of money in the next few weeks, I'll need to join a guild to do some jobs. I'm a mage, actually."

"You seem like a quiet person, Lucy," Happy commented, pausing in wolfing down his fish.

I started to tell them that I wasn't a quiet person, but stopped. I didn't want to tell them my true personality in fear that they'd know who I was. So I kept my mouth shut and smiled.

"Yes, people tell me that sometimes," I said politely.

Natsu grinned at me, and I blinked in surprise.

"You have a nice smile," Natsu commented. "You should smile more often!"

Unknowingly, I blushed in embarrassment. "Th—Thanks…" I mumbled. Then, to change the subject, I asked, "So who are you two looking for?"

"We're looking for Igneel," Natsu replied while munching down on a chicken.

"Igneel? Who's that? Is he someone I know? A mage, perhaps?" I was going to try to help them find him, whoever he was. They seemed very friendly, so I felt compelled to get to know them more.

Natsu and Happy paused in their eating to look at me.

"Igneel isn't a person," Natsu informed me. "Igneel's a dragon."

My jaw dropped in astonishment. A—A dragon? "H—Hey! You'll never find something like that in a place like this!"

They stared at me for a long moment before the realization began to sink in.

"Don't tell me you just realized it!"

—×ו××—

After a few minutes, they finally finished their meal and thanked me so many times that I thought I had to shut them up using my magic. However, I thought that they were really nice people, and I was glad to have met them.

I walked around the park for a while, breathing in fresh air. Then I spotted a bench from not too far away and sat on it while staring at the sky.

Mama… I thought wistfully. Are you up there? Are you watching me?

But then my peaceful thoughts were interrupted when a voice said from behind me, "Miss?"

I turned my head towards the source and Fake Salamander's face appeared right in front of me, startling me greatly.

"You again?" I said once I caught my breath.

"It's because you interest me, ojou-san." He grinned, showing straight white teeth. "My real name is Bora. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

I nodded warily. "And in what way exactly do I interest you, Bora-san?"

Why is he telling me his real name? Has he figured out that I know he isn't the infamous Salamander?

"Well, I was just wondering why such a beautiful lady like you who seem obviously rich is here in Hargeon."

"I'm looking for a guild," I said. "And I'm not rich. I'm just an average mage."

"Oh, so you're a mage, then?" Bora looked thoughtful for a moment. "Then perhaps if you come to the dinner party at my boat tonight, I shall send word to my guild, Fairy Tail, about you."

Well, it seems that he hasn't figured it out yet and thinks I have no information whatsoever pertaining to Magnolia. What an idiot. "Sorry, I'm afraid I cannot take you up on your offer," I said to him monotonously, watching his reaction with amusement.

"But Fairy Tail is the guild where any mage would want to join in!" Bora sounded astonished. "And I had a feeling that you are new to this mage business. Was I wrong?"

"Yes, I'm new." I let out a sigh. "But Fairy Tail seems too flashy for me, so I'm afraid I cannot say yes."

He stared at me incredulously for a moment. But after a moment, I saw a flash of recognition in his eyes, and I braced myself for what might happen.

"That way of speaking… That rare blonde hair… Those familiar brown eyes… That manner of elegance and poise… There's no doubt about it. You're Lucy Heartfilia, the famous daughter of Jude Heartfilia, one of the wealthiest men in Fiore!" Bora exclaimed.

I tried my best not to flinch. "Hey, not so loud!" I whispered to him, noticing some people staring at us.

"Then it's true?" he whispered back almost conspiratorially.

"No!" I hissed. Then, in decided resignation, I added, "Look, I'll go to your dinner party tonight. But you have to promise me not to tell anyone!"

Iwasn't about to let otou-san know where I was.

He looked enthusiastic. "Of course, of course, Heartfilia-sama!"

I groaned mentally. What a day.

—×ו××—

After getting my apartment, a comfortable-looking two-story near the canal with a nice kitchen, a master bedroom, a guest room, a lavish bathroom, a large living room, and homey furnishing, I immediately splurged on new clothes, cosmetics, bath products, necessities, furniture, and groceries. By the time I reached my apartment, I was dragging a huge cart with all of the things I bought. It was really heavy, but I managed thanks to a little tinkering of my Storage Magic.

I hadn't finished placing my apartment in order until night fell. I looked at the clock. 6:30PM. The dinner party was going to be held at 8:00 PM. I still had time.

I went inside the bathroom and had a refreshing cold shower. I had been sweating horribly while arranging the furniture. I really needed to work on my stamina.

After showering, I dried myself off and slipped into my signature dress. Then I wore a maroon gown and hid the straps of my black dress with a fur coat. I made sure not to forget my newly-bought whip, making it disappear into space with my magic and placing it into storage with my keys.

I was going to kick that Fake Salamander's ass to the next planet.

—×ו××—

"You look absolutely spectacular, Heartfilia-sama." Bora held up his glass of champagne as a toast. "I expect nothing less from the heir of the Heartfilia Konzern."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Now tell me what your purpose is," I said in a commanding tone.

"Oh, whatever made you say that, Heartfilia-sama?" There was mischief in his eyes.

"You cannot fool me. I know you're not a mage of Fairy Tail."

"Very perceptive of you."

Suddenly three men were holding me in place, and I couldn't move.

"I'm going to take you somewhere, Heartfilia-sama," Bora said cheerfully.

I paid no attention to him and instead concentrated on channeling my magic. Flames engulfed my body the next moment, and the goons who were holding me backed off in pain.

Unfortunately, I didn't know any offensive fire attacks, and this was the only fire casting spell I knew, and it was a defense-type.

So, resorting to my next best move, I immediately got out an ivory key I got from my Mama's collection from the depths of space. "Open, Angel of Dawn, Tammy!"

A bright light engulfed the room, and a silhouette of a slender woman appeared. When it was all clear, Tammy could be seen; she was an angel with the customary halo above her head and a pair of bright wings protruding from her back. She had long, flowing blonde hair and the gentlest blue eyes I'd ever seen.

"Oh my, pleased to meet you, daughter of Layla," she said melodiously, looking happy to see me.

"I—I'm sorry for calling you out so suddenly without a contract between us," I stammered, feeling a bit foolish in summoning her.

Fortunately, Tammy was an angel; she was kind. "You don't have anything to be sorry about," she admonished gently. "Now, what do you want me to do, new Master?"

"Can you take care of these men?"

"Of course." Tammy turned to the goons.

They gulped.

"O, Light of Dawn, shine upon me and give me your strength," Tammy chanted, clasping her hands together.

Without warning, a ray of light shot through the roof, blinding everyone temporarily. In the blink of an eye, all of Bora's men were unconscious on the ground.

Bora was watching the scene, dumbstruck. "W—What kind of Celestial Mage are you?" he sputtered. "I've never seen a Spirit like this before! Y—Y—You can summon angels?"

"Of course I can." I lifted Tammy's ivory key in the air. "Tammy, you can go now. Thank you for your help."

"My pleasure, Master."

I smiled at her. "You can call me Lucy."

She had a knowing look on her face before disappearing into her world.

Before I could turn around to confront Bora again, the roof suddenly crashed, and I frantically waved my hand in a circular motion, channeling my magic power through my fingertips as I chanted, "Shield Magic: Defense!"

An invisible barrier enveloped me and protected me from the large chunks of wood that came falling down from above.

I blinked, then I saw a familiar tuft of pink hair.

"Natsu!" I said, bewildered. "W—What are you doing here?"

He had a serious, almost murderous look on his face. I backed away from him slightly, fear of what he might do starting to seep through my body.

"Natsu?" I whispered. "What's wrong?"

He didn't seem to hear me.

Fortunately Happy flew by my side, dissloving my uncertainty slightly. "Lucy?" he said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

I was about to reply to his question when Natsu suddenly collapsed to the ground.

"Natsu!" I ran over to him in concern.

Happy was calm. "Don't worry about him," he said. "He just has—"

"Ooomph…" Natsu's face was a dark-purple as he tried to cover his mouth.

"—motion sickness," Happy finished.

"Then what did you come here for?" I said exasperatedly, the thought of smacking him right on the head entertaining me for about a nanosecond.

I heard a chuckle and lifted my head. Bora had a cunning look on his face as he scrutinized the three of us.

"You're the lad I met back then," he remarked. "What brings you here, huh?"

Natsu didn't — rather, couldn't — reply.

Happy let out a sigh. "You're really hopeless, Natsu…"

I turned to Bora. "You said that you were giving a dinner party, right? Where are the girls you've invited?" I demanded.

He smirked. "They've been taken care of… Heartfilia-sama."

My heart jumped in my chest.

Happy looked confused. "Heartfilia… sama…?"

"You jerk," I spat. "You told me you wouldn't tell anyone."

He had the audacity to look smug. "Well, promises are made to be broken."

I forced myself to stay calm. "And just what are you going to the girls you've taken care of?"

"I'll be taking them somewhere, of course," he said nonchalantly.

Happy looked horrified. "You're going to sell them?"

Bora flushed. "N—"

I didn't wait for him to finish. I conjured up a gold key and lifted it up.

"Open, Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius!"

"Whoa, wait." Bora looked shocked. "For all I know, that Spirit should be summoned in wat—" He was cut off when a soft, golden light enveloped the gold key in my hand and a magic circle was conjured.

Aquarius appeared; she was a woman with long light-blue hair, dark-blue eyes, a long blue fish-tail, and a bikini top. She had two gold armlets and wore a jewel circlet. She wielded her signature urn, and she had an annoyed expression on her face.

"Aquarius, can you make the waves wash this boat ashore?" I asked her quietly.

Somewhat surprised by the aura I was giving off, she obeyed, but not before saying, "I'm going on a date with my boyfriend after this. Don't bother me." She smirked. "Got it? My boyfriend."

My left eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "I know, I know!" I grumbled.

Aquarius sailed out the window, and not long after, I was thrown sidewards, and water splashed inside the boat, interrupting my breathing.

"Lucy!" Happy exclaimed.

Natsu made a gurgling sound.

"Natsu!" Happy looked torn between the two of us.

"Happy! Go save Natsu!" I ordered, managing to go up to the surface. Seeing the hesitant look in his eyes, I gave him a wink. "Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

"Okay!" He activated his wings and hauled Natsu to the surface.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on disturbing the water molecules around me using my magic. Little by little, they began to back off, and when I opened my eyes, I'd managed to clear the water around me in a circular shape.

Mama's journal sure came in handy.

Bora gaped at me. "What are you?" he sputtered.

I grinned at him. "I thought you already knew."

Not long after, I was pushed to the side, and when the impact hit me with such a force, I knew that the boat had already been washed ashore.

"Thank you, Aquarius," I whispered.

Now I'm going to take care of this man and turn him over to the authorities.

But just as I turned towards Bora's direction, I saw Natsu being plopped down to the ground by Happy. He stood up, and a dark look came upon his face.

I shivered slightly.

"You…" Natsu said quietly. "You say that you're from Fairy Tail, right?"

Bora let out a nervous chuckle, slowly and inconspicuously stepping away from the furious vibes Natsu was giving off. "O—Of course! I'm Fairy Tail's Salaman—"

He didn't get to finish his sentence when he saw Natsu igniting his hands into flames.

I was staring at the scene in shock. "Wait, what? Natsu's a mage, too?"

Happy nodded. "You just knew this, Lucy?"

"Oh yeah? Well, too bad for you, because I'm from Fairy Tail, and I've never seen you before!" Natsu roared.

"EEHH?!" To say that I was shocked would be an understatement.

—×ו××—

I was still in a trancelike state even after Natsu had beaten Bora up, and Happy had to yell my name for about six times before I realized that he was calling me. Basically, because of the fight, Natsu had promptly broken down a few private properties, and apparently, some military soldiers were after us. I was still so dazed that I hadn't even realized that Natsu had grabbed my hand and that we were running for our lives.

"Hey," Natsu called out to me.

I looked at him inquisitively, but my mind was still wandering to the fact that I had met a Fairy Tail wizard and had gotten myself in trouble just because of the aforementioned person. "Yeah?"

"I saw that."

"Huh?"

"I saw your magic," he clarified. "It was pretty neat."

I blinked dazedly. "But I thought you were motion-sick at that time."

"That doesn't mean that I wasn't conscious."

"…" I turned away from him. I hadn't wanted anyone to see my magic, but I used it anyway because I felt that it was necessary. If they found out who—or rather, what—I really was, then I was going to be d—

"Come with me!" he said suddenly.

"Huh?" I stared at him almost dumbly.

"Wanna join my guild?" he offered, giving me the brightest grin I'd ever seen.

"What?" I said, incredulous.

"You heard me."

I didn't know why I'd let myself get dragged towards Fairy Tail by someone I'd recently met, but what I did know was that the moment I saw his guileless face and his disarming smile, I knew that I had made my decision and that there was no way out of it.

END of EPISODE 1

Next time: Episode 2—Midnight Sun

A/N: I know that the details aren't flawless and that Lucy just seems so… perfect, but that will be fixed in the later chapters. Also, as to why Lucy has a kind of different attitude compared to the one she has in canon, I just slanted it a bit, but I assure you, parts of her normal self will come out sooner or later. Spoiler: It's like Lucy is Fairy Heart itself, huh? Haha!

Note: Since I am the author and I can modify some scenes or the plot itself to make the story more interesting, then I assume that there will be no trouble for me to alter the arcs given in the anime (I'm not basing the Fairy Tail plot here in the manga, but in the anime). I'm sure that some of you will notice that I am trying to create a perfect Fairy Tail universe with happy endings and such, but no, that is not my aim. There will be character deaths, there will be angst, there will be tragedies befalling the protagonists, there will be limits, there will be conditions, there will be imperfections, and there will come a time when all of them will lose hope. I believe in balance. Where there is good, there is bad. Therefore, where there are happy moments, there are sad moments. Where there is light, there is dark. And where there is a life saved, there is a life lost.