THE MISSING PRINCESS (rewrite ver. as of 2015)

Author's Note:

To the old readers: I have rewritten the entire story and made many changes to it, the plot is no longer similar, you may still encounter similar scenes from the old one though.

To the new readers: The reason why this was rewritten was because the previous version was written in 2011 (i was fourteen, ugh) and found it utterly horrifying. I still hope you enjoy this despite the massive changes about to take place! ily :D

To all: Some characters are kinda ooc in this chapter. sorry

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, if I did, Nalu and Gruvia would be having babies already.

/chapter one

The card magic wizard clenched both her eyes as her pallid hands inched towards the table watchfully. Her hands hovered above a tarot card, her expression stiffening when her palm finally rested on the back of the glistening, diamond speckled surface. Cana was the only serene and seated one as her fellow guild members, with an inquisitive mind, worn expressions of concern and nervousness.

She flipped it open, hands slapping the table raucously as she did so. Her eyes widened, allured by her own curiosity. However, had not expect herself to find a baffling picture of a moon on a unicycle.

"What the hell was that?" Queried one from amongst the crowd.

"I don't know, Cana hasn't said anything yet!" Said another.

"Hush! Would you guys keep it down and listen to what she has to say?"

"Yeah! Would you keep it low, like really low?"

"Quiet!" Cana put a finger to her lips, immensely nettled by the abrupt fuss made by the group around her. Her cheeks, ruddy from perusing oracle guides. But still made no movement to silence the horde with her focus fixed onto the card before her.

Her gaze stuck, and her mind began to drift to the many oracle books she had read. She would know its meaning by now. But this time the result she needed was profounder than what she had expected.

"I think," She began, facing the sea of boggled mages and their questioning eyes, "this is the symbol of 'gone'."

"Gone?" The females prattled on with their aggravating inquiries again and all Cana had for them was an answer they didn't want.

"There's no winner," Cana attempted to put it meekly, "Or maybe the winners aren't the winners at all. It's just this oracle thing where they go…" She flailed her arms for emphasis, "they jumble things up a little and make reality complicated. Extremely quaint stuff."

"I don't get it?"

"We don't."

"Fine, but just wait until the real results arrive, will ya?" The card wizard folded her arms in exasperation, gathering the cards from the table back into a full deck, "Don't come to me in the future if you don't speak tarot."

The crowd began to disperse and the women started ticking down time before the men would come back from their own 'strength test'. They were also taking a wary note of their own time before their own form of 'test' begins.

The guild had requested for two different mages, each of different genders to complete a three million jewel quest. However, the selection process would require each gender to go through a strenuous 'test of capability' before the guild master is able to select. It was the talk of the week, and unceasing chatters among the guild members were no doubt, about the selection.

Mira jane, for one will be sitting this one out, for she would be elated enough just to assist master with the preparations of the test as well as keep the racket, the women in the guild were making, to a minimum.

"What do you think our test will be about?" Wendy asked Charle, her azure head slumped onto the bar counter.

"Why don't you ask the bartender? She's right there." The female exceed replied, apathetic about the commotion. She couldn't comprehend how the mere mention of money could lead to such disorderly human conduct.

"Alright, five more minutes, guys!" Mira jane averted her attention from the wine glass she was cleaning in her hand.

"Neh, Mira-nee…" Lisanna smiled at her sister heartily, "Won't you tell me? I can keep a secret."

"Well…" The bartender murmured, "I'm sorry, Lisanna. I can't."

"Well, at least you could tell me," Evergreen appeared next to the elder sister, "You know, to prep us."

"I would," Mira jane sighed, "But when the test stays confidential, it will stay confidential until maybe five minutes later?"

Evergreen stalked away, apparently miffed. Being constantly rebuffed wasn't what she needed right at the moment.

"Attention!" A bellowing voice resonated into the tiny guild. Eyes began darting around in search for the source of the voice. When it finally came into light, a stout figure was now standing in the middle of the table where the deck of tarot cards once stood.

"Are you girls ready to take the test?" Master Makarov grinned at their astonished faces before an incessant string of inquiries began to bombard the poor aged guild master.

"How are they?"

"Strength test for the males, really? What about us, huh?"

"Has anyone died?"

"No, silly!"

"Okay, then are we gonna die?"

"Argh!"

"Enough with all the questions!" The old man boomed and then lowering his voice, "Fret not! The men are fine, and they are all on their way back! Natsu refused to take the carriage home, so they will all be having a joyous stroll to the guild with him."

"All the way from Tenrou?"

"Damn, they must be pissed with him."

"Ah, the women will be tested on something different this time," Master announced, "Your test will be on… thun thun thun thun thun…" He began singing for greater emphasis.

"Intelligence." Mira jane proceeded on, deadpanned.

In the midst of the female crowd, Erza Scarlet stood with her hands gripping her abdomen, her features baring a shade of putrid green whereas her guild mates' assurance could do nothing to alleviate her frenetic state.

"Mira!" Makarov's face fell, "How could you ruin the surprise?"

"Well since Master had already done roll call and what not," The white haired bartender fished out a huge stack of papers from behind her back, ignoring the stout man entirely, "We will get this test over and done with."

Lucy Heartfilia pondered on, apprehension clouding her confidence. But giving herself a pep talk for it definitely wouldn't hurt – Lucy didn't mind intelligence tests as long as it doesn't turn out into a strength test and it without question that she would die if she gets paired up with Erza in one. The blonde had aced in reading, math or even IQ questions all her life. I can absolutely do this! Okay. Pep talk over. She inhaled, pumped by her attempt to reassure herself. The fog enclosing her confidence vanished with immediate effect.

"Oh yes, and no forms of magic are allowed to be used in this test!" Master said merrily, "Or risk disqualification!"

Everyone groaned.

-x-

It's been a couple of days ever since the men left for Tenroujima and the celestial mage herself surmised that Master would not be picking the winner anytime soon. She found the arrangement peculiar, since the three million jewel quest was to be due by tomorrow. Yet, Master hadn't quite progress forward to pick a winner. Perhaps the tarots were right after all? Maybe their guild just wasn't equipped with the right kind of abilities for it.

"Dammit Natsu!" Gray bellow in rage, "Return my pants to me!"

"You want it?" The fire dragon slayer taunted the ice mage, "Well, let's see you fly across to get it!" He flung the piece of fabric towards the blue exceed who was readily drifting a few metres from the ground.

"Got it!" Happy caught it with ease, but dropped his pants in intimidation when his eyes met the ice mage's incensed ones.

Freed and Bickslow waded through the slight ruckus the guild was making towards the bartender. So far, no one had dared gone for any quests of their own before the announcement. Lucy made a mental reminder when Freed came up to Mira jane with a quest poster in his hands that wasn't three million in value. Mira jane simply nodded in acknowledgement before sending the two Raijinsyuu members off.

"Is everyone giving up on the announcement already?" Lucy huffed, "I mean, it's three million jewels! I could wait a year for all I care."

Wendy padded across the guild with a quest poster in her petite hands. Mira jane gave her an acknowledgment before she could even open her mouth to ask.

"Oh! Wendy, would you be a dear and bring Romeo along?" The bartender beamed at the azure head, "He's been moping around jobless, perhaps some fresh air could do him a favour?"

"Tsk," Charles rolled her eyes, "Wendy could do it without help, you know."

Mira jane narrowed her eyes at the white exceed in disdain, "Did I mention that Romeo would be assisting Wendy in anyway? I simply requested her to bring him along too."

Charles crossed her arms without a word, rolling her eyes again at Wendy's attempt to appease the two livid members. Romeo tagged along, both hands in his pockets and the trio disappeared behind the swinging doors of the guild.

"Well, that was the second group of mages to give up."

"That's it!" The celestial mage pounded the counter with her fists as she got up from her stool, "I'm done waiting."

She tore off a quest poster off the quest board, "Natsu, Happy! Get going! We're the third group to 'give up waiting'!"

"Stop interrupting when I am trying to settle a score with this mental ice block here!"

"You're the stinkin' flame brain!"

"Says the one stark naked!"

"What! Where the hell did my pants go!"

The crystal ball on the counter began to illuminate faintly into a soft still glow, that only the bartender would notice. She eyed it dubiously, before her eyes made out a familiar wrinkled grin on the crystal ball's glistening façade.

"Mira, would you please send Lucy to my office?"

-x-

Lucy wambled down the labyrinth of doors, her eyes darting around lethargically while locating Master's office. Mira's austere expression had got her pretty shaken up. And an extremely – or so Mira claims – confidential message from Makarov will not assuage her anxiety in any way. The blonde couldn't help but recall all her blunders. Perhaps Master was asking for her so that he could reprimand her for being such a weakling in battle? No. Never. Master was not like that. Ah! She thought. What if she had been chosen for the quest? She beamed widely, surely not! If she did, then it would be one of her greatest achievements in her eighteen years of existence.

She'd finally found herself in front of a lofty, rectangular door after ten minutes of stumbling around aimlessly. Her fingers encircled the gilded knocker, pounding the door firmly before Master's response was audible enough for her to make an entrance.

"Master, you were looking for me?" Lucy asked in disquietude, with hints of quavers evident in her voice. She stepped in, stifling any surplus questions bubbling inside of her. She scanned the spacious room in front of her eyes, spotting the vintage frames that suspended from navy, speckled walls, while floral, mauve draperies obscured the room from the rays of the afternoon sun. The celestial visitor too couldn't help but notice that the candles on Master's office table were flickering repeatedly.

"Ah, yes." Master Makarov remained seated behind his desk, creases forming on his forehead as his focus lingered on the crumpled piece of paper in his hands. Master was bizarrely unkempt that day. Tufts of his hair were dishevelled, his nails were unclipped and the wrinkles under his eyes indicated that he had kept vigil all night.

"Master?" Lucy couldn't help but enquire in concern, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes- I am."

"Alright."

"Oh, Lucy?" Makarov swiftly took note of her presence, "What are you here for- oh, right. I was silly to ask." He was clearly preoccupied by something.

"Master?"

"It's fine-" The aged man cleared the bile in his throat, "I'm fine. Don't concern yourself over me."

Silence. Then, the sound of ripping paper ensued, followed by the sound of crumpling paper as it then landed into a bin at the nook of the room.

"Lucy, would you keep this extremely confidential secret of mine?"

Lucy answered that with immense hesitancy, "Sure, but why? What's wrong?"

"It's the three million jewel quest that I am talking about," He flicked more papers into the bin, definitely stressed about whatever this was about. Was he kicking her out of the guild because she failed the intelligence test? The worst came across Lucy's mind, "You are going to Heron for the three million jewel quest."

This came out soft and firm from the stout man's trembling lips. The incessant string of worries in Lucy's mind halted, "Really, Master-"

However, Makarov hadn't made the effort to even smile at her for her accomplishment. Being chosen meant she scored well for the test right? But why didn't he seem so glad that she did?

"You can go now."

"Master, is there anything in your mind?"

"No. Nothing. Get going. Prepare for your trip. It's going to be long." The aged man spoke brusquely in concise sentences. Lucy wouldn't take that as a command to budge from her spot. She could detect Master's negative aura, and it hindered her tremendously.

"Master. There is something wrong with the results, am I right?" The blonde wouldn't restrain the questions she had any longer, "Or do you wish to believe it so?"

Silence engulfed the entire room.

"You have a secret to keep, Lucy." Makarov sighed.

"I promise."

"The results arrived last night," The words left his mouth, "There was a tie-in between two people, and thus, I had to choose between you or Levy for this mission."

"It wasn't your fault, Master."

"It certainly isn't." Said the elder man dismally, "It's both of your faults for scoring the same points."

"That's a little-" Lucy gave him a blank expression, "But can I ask why, Master?"

"Ah, yes. Cana told me how you used my clue to solve the grave test, seven years ago at Tenroujima. Now that was what I found so impressive, I'd decided to speak to you if I ever get stuck in the middle of newspaper Sudoku puzzles."

A vein popped in Lucy's head, "I'D PUNCHED YOU IF YOU WEREN'T THE GUILD'S MASTER!"

"But I trust you enough not to leak the information out to Levy, or to anyone else for that matter."

"Yes, Master."

The stout man's lips tugged upwards into a smile, "Very well, please take care of Natsu."

"What!" Lucy took a step forward, "Natsu's the male representative?" She felt slightly relieved inside, for she wanted to be comfortable with whoever her partner would be, and Natsu was just the right one for her to complain, confide and cry to, – if anything like that ever happened – she hoped not, but a girl could do so much with her best friend around.

"Yes, and you leave by boat by midnight."

The celestial mage, however was still absorbed in her own thoughts, "I m-mean Natsu won the strength challenge? How could he? What about Laxus or Free-"

"Lucy. Natsu engulfed the entire island in flames. It took Gray and Elfman a week to douse them in ice and sea water."

Sweat trickled down Lucy's forehead, "Alright." Best friend or not, I hope he does not bury me under his flames.

"I have a portable fire extinguisher that you might find useful."

"STOP SCREWING AROUND!"

"The mass of Heron's population are non-magic users, it would be prudent to keep your magic usage at a minimum."

Lucy nodded, her mind intent on scrawling his 'useful' advice – or so he claims – down on a piece of paper that Makarov had offered to her.

Just as Lucy was about to leave, she could feel the weight of Makarov's hands tugging her shoulders as he tried to hold her back. From the corner of her eye, she could see specks of tears brimming his'.

"I must admit it was irresponsible of me not to learn more about this quest, so you have to promise me to make the call, that is, if you find something wrong with it, and return home safely."

"I promise, Master." Lucy patted his hand, "I will return and make Fairy Tail proud."

Makarov cleared his throat, "And tell uh… Natsu not to puke too much on the boat," He scratched his stubbly chin, "Whack him unconscious if he does."

Author's Note: It might seem a little draggy in the first chapter, but it gets better in the second! Please review! Thanks so much :D