Oh? Why hello child. What are you doing here? Only those who really badly need something even think of coming here. Eh? You're lost? I'm sure your parents are looking for you, but I'm afraid they wont have a chance to look in this beautiful storm. Hm? You think it's strange to say a storm is beautiful? Well, it may be. I am slightly insane you know. There, you definitely look better with a smile on your face little one. Well, just because that was just what I needed, how would you like to hear a story while you wait for your parents? Good, I'm glad you like stories, and this one is one of my favourites…

(Lucy's POV)

"By my name, Lucy Heartfillia, I summon the gateway to the land of neither Hell, Heaven or Earth! Open!" Rays of bright light blinded Lucy as she was engulfed in a flash. She could feel her body splitting into particles, mixing and jumbling around in a pattern of randomness. Just as she was sure her lunch would be lost in the corners of space and time, the world came to a halt. She was standing on a tree stump, and instantly fell to her knees, the feeling of nausea sweeping over her.

Managing to control her stomach, she studied her surroundings, and gasped.

Although she had read about this place in books, none of them had been even close to accurate enough describing the wonder. The sky, the land, and the atmosphere were… divided. First, there was a tree stump, then grass. Up ahead was a path made from stones that split into two directions. On the left side there was lush grass, towering trees, flowers in full bloom, and it smelled like morning dew. On the right side, there was sand surrounding the path, shrubs sprouting everywhere, and it was evening.

It was if the gardener favored equality, both sides making the other more beautiful. Speaking of which, Lucy squinted, and made out two figures in the mud, planting flowers and spreading seeds. Walking toward the two through shrubs, the unwary girl walked in between the paths to greet them. Taking a deep breath and letting it go, she asked

"Did you plant these? They're beautiful" The crouching man wore an orange jumpsuit unzipped halfway down with a white sleeveless tank top, and a large sun hat. But when he stood, her heart skipped a beat. He had blond hair, lean muscles that pressed his shirt, and was a good head taller than her.

"Thanks a lot! Kei-chan and I worked hard on it!" Lucy frowned. Kei-chan? Then she felt a tug pull her pants. She looked down, and again, her heart skipped a beat. A tiny child with the darkest, shiniest, black hair she had ever seen. Wearing a simple black robe with white outline along the hems, long sleeves that covered his arms, and his hands carefully held a peculiar black rose. His eyes were closed, but the way he looked at her as if to say "Onee-chan? Could you pwease move?" sent her heart racing double time.

"Of course cutie pie!" She hopped to the side and ushered him forward. The boy gave a small bow and began to dig a small hole. When he finished, he placed the flower into the hole and pushed the dirt back. Satisfied, the child got back to his feet and wiped his hands. He gazed at Lucy, looking her up and down, as if she too were an exotic flower. Reaching into his pocket, he brought out a rose; just like the one he had planted.

"For… You…" The handsome teen walked over and exclaimed

"Oh! Kei-chan, are you sure about this?" The little boy nodded, and proceeded to walk down the left path.

"What did you say to him? Can't believe he gave you that flower so soon. But it doesn't matter I suppose. Anyway, my name's Naruto! Naruto Uzumaki. The little guy who you just met was Kei Suiro. And what about you miss?" Through sheer willpower, Lucy managed to untie her knotted tongue and stammer

"L-Lucy Heartfillia" Naruto hummed.

"Lucy-chan huh? That's a very pretty name. Tell me, what is a beautiful lady such as yourself doing in a place like this?" The compliment did no good to help her thought process.

"I-I c-came for a j-job interview f-for Heart's Desires" She cursed her mouth for failing her at such a crucial time, because in his next sentence, Naruto started to laugh. "A job interview? How interesting! Nobody has come around for a while! Well, I wish you good luck with that! Oh! Before you go, please, take this" The handsome blonde strode over to the closest bush, plucked a dainty light blue Bellflower.

"For luck my lady" He fit the flower to rest above her ear, curtsied with a sweep of his arms over his chest, and gave a polite bow. Flustered, Lucy did the same, raising skirt and dipping her legs.

"Thank you Naruto. By the way, which way should I go?" To this, Naruto could only shrug.

"Either way will take you to Heart's Desire. We already know you want to apply, so just choose a path. Oh, are you done already Kei-chan?" Lucy swiveled on her heels, facing the little boy. She bent down and patted his head. Ah… His hair was so much smoother than she had thought… No, no. Concentrate.

"Thank you Kei-chan. I'll take care of this flower, don't you worry!" Kei nodded slowly, and gestured for to lean down. When she did, the dark haired boy hugged her gently. Lucy hugged Kei back, rocking back and forth, stroking his hair.

"God you're so cute. But I have to go now. I should be getting there soon" Kei let go and the teen imagined him sniffling

"Bye bye… Lushee" Oh dear god, he was so lovable…

"I have to go now!" She forced herself to yell and ran to the left, waving and smiling at the two as they slowly faded away.

(Naruto's POV)

When the blonde beauty could no longer be seen, Naruto sighed.

"Darn. Kei-chan, are you sure you didn't cheat by charming her with your cuteness? She should have come to my side. I barely got to touch her, but you went as far as hugging her! That's not fair!" Naruto crossed his arms and pouted. Kei just turned around and continued to grow his side of the garden.

"Too… Slow… You should… have kissed her…" Naruto gave a happy sigh.

"I know! But I can't move in like that too quickly! But she was really pretty wasn't she?" Kei slowly nodded in agreement, and Naruto just kicked the ground, careful not to accidently uproot any plants.

"Why does Yin always get the pretty ones? It's not fair I tell you!" Kei simply replied

"Would you… like to swap?"

"No, I do like Hinata and Sakura-chan and—Hey! Don't change the subject mister!" Naruto whirled and stared at Kei's face, but he was too slow. Kei's face had already reverted back to his emotionless expression. It was impossible to know when Kei was mocking or genuinely sympathetic toward you.

"Yang… has pretty women too…" Naruto glared at his friend.

"Now you're just being mean. Fine, you can keep her. But it doesn't matter, I can foresee that she'll have to choose at one point. She's only decided to begin with Yin. We'll see how this goes, Kei~chan"

(Lucy's POV)

"Uwaaah. It's huge!" Looming over Lucy with a creeping shadow was a large shrine. A Torii gate stood at the center, marking the entrance to a sacred area. Lucy carefully preened brows knit together in confusion. Painted at the top of this impressive structure, was the Chinese symbol of equality and balance. But it was missing the black Yin half. Strange.

Setting aside this thought for later, Lucy strolled cheerfully in. In the large courtyard, there was a bamboo water pipe, that let the water flow into the pond when it became full, halls that had wooden paper doors, and in the back, the blonde could spot small rivers with bridges covering them.

Carefully taking note of the little details, Lucy headed for the front door. The faint tinge of incense hanging in the air. When the door slid open, it revealed a small shop of all sorts of Chinese religious merchandise. Waving cats, herbs, acupuncture needles, miniature cherry blossom tree, you name it. Whatever you think of when you think Chinese was there. The counter at the front of the store was selling little packets of Yin necklaces, bracelets and such. And the Yang? Nowhere to be found, but Lucy ignored that.

There were also a few comfy looking couches and chairs with cushions. Plopping herself into a seat, she sank into the soft leather and let her chest do the same. She could sleep in this, no need for a blanket. She WAS awfully tired from the gate summoning. Shutting her eyes, the teenage girl's mind dreamed of meeting Naruto and Kei again.

"HELLO! WELCOME TO YIN'S SIDE OF HEARTS DESIRE!" A voice, loud and squeaky cut through Lucy's at peace state. Flying off the couch, she face planted on the floor and could feel something on her head.

"What are you doing on the floor? Don't you want to be granted a wish? Not gonna get it down there y'know" Lucy sat up, massaging her aching nose. Was that a blue cat? Then who had spoken? Then the cat raised its arm and talked. As in speaking by itself. What?

"Aha! You're alive! That's good; we haven't heard your wish yet. So what's it going to be? Fame? Power? Wanna be president? Or how about a mountain of fish to eat? That's what I would wish for" Lucy stared. The cat talked. And it was talking about fish. Was she hallucinating from hitting her head? Apparently the cat was thinking the same thing.

"Hello? Did you hurt yourself? You humans can really be dumb. Hey, you remind me of Natsu. Oh I know! NATSU!" There was a loud crash, bangs, and a few chicken squawks in the background, then a boy with salmon pink hair tumbled from behind the doorway, spinning like a tornado. He hit the wall, and stopped. Lucy gaped. Was he dead? Suddenly the boy shot up and standing, and a grin spread across his face from ear to ear.

"Hahaha! Well that was fun! Hey, Happy, who's this? She's really confused" The named cat still had its hand raised.

"Ah? No idea, she hit her head, or maybe she was really just stupid in the first place?" This snapped Lucy out of her stupor.

"Hey! How dare you, you stupid cat! I oughta—" The boy laughed, stopping the string of insults about to fly from her mouth.

"See? I knew it! She's fine! You're pretty funny! What's your name?" Lucy huffed.

"My name is Lucy, thank you very much!"

"Okay Luigi!"

"IT'S LUCY DAMNIT!"

"So exactly what are you doing here?"

"That's none of your business"

"Oh, okay. Well, since your looking for someone, can you find him quick? Gramps said I had to clean the shop up before somebody arrives. Said it was kind of important" Lucy gawked at him.

"How… How… Did you… Are you saying… you… do you… work here?" Natsu saluted and Happy hopped onto his shoulders, doing the same.

"Yep! Natsu Dragneel, Rank: Orange, Contractors Name: Salamander, Factor: Yin!" Lucy had no idea what the last part meant, and no idea how good Orange rank was, but she realized that he would be able to show her to the boss so she could get signed up! Composing herself, she cleared her throat and said

"Um… of course! Right! I am Lucy Heartfillia, and I wish to become employed at Heart's Desire!" Natsu's eyes widened considerably, and Happy fell off Natsu's shoulder. Natsu started to mutter to himself, staring down at his hands as if they had just appeared there.

"She wants to apply… And I'm on duty… Gramps did say I was in charge…" Lucy sweat dropped. What was he saying?

"Just do it Natsu," The cat prompted. "I heard Grandpa say you were in charge, so it's okay!" Lucy nearly wet herself right there and then. The cat… was FLYING. IT HAD WINGS.

"So you'll be my witness huh? All right! That settles it! Luigi! Come with me! No time to be surprised!" If Lucy hadn't been so shocked, she would have beat up that pink boy half an inch to death. Obediently, she followed him, not once did her eye leave the flying cat.

(Natsu's POV)

Natsu led Lucy through a maze. There were so many doors to go through, attics to climb, and basements to descend. Lucy couldn't even figure out if half of it was really necessary. A few times already, Natsu had led her in a full circle before going through a door they had already passed.

"I know how annoying it is, I feel that way too. Master says it's to keep out strangers, but I think he just enjoys seeing us walk in his maze" Happy contentedly chewed on a scaly fish, sitting atop the pink haired boy's head. Catching her staring, he pulled his food from his mouth and held it out to Lucy.

"Want a bite?" Quickly shaking her head, Happy shrugged, "More for me" and returned his fish to his jowls. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Natsu opened another door, and inside was a table, and two mahogany chairs. Nothing else. The teen sat down, and mentioned for Lucy to do the same. When she had seated Natsu folded his arms and leaned back.

"Ah. That was a nice walk. Now, I'm going to quiz you, so don't be all nervous, just think of it as a check up. Ready?" Lucy readied herself, and responded

"Yes. Please begin"

"Start!" Happy cried.

"So, what do you know about who we are and what we do?" Well that was an easy question.

"You grant a single wish to whoever asks for it. However, they have to have the scroll of summoning and offer their own blood. And when their wish is granted, they have three choices. Choose one of the Nether Realms: Heaven, Hell, or join Hearts Desire But they can only choose Heaven if their wish was pure, and Hell for selfish reasons. Either one could join Heart's Desire" Natsu smiled.

"Correct! I think… You know your stuff. Okay then, next question! How did you find out about us?" Another simple question.

"Your scroll found me. I've been told stories about you guys as a child, and I researched legends and history about your group, as I grew older. You didn't want just anyone finding you, so you put a lot of the runes necessary to find you in children's books"

"Good job! It took Natsu years to figure it out, and somebody finally told him the answer!" Natsu swiped at the feline.

"Shut up you! Anyway, last question. Why do you want to join us?" This made Lucy hesitate. It was sort of an embarrassing secret, saying why she wished to become a member ever since she was a child…

"Well… It's because… Ever since I was young… I've always thought… I want to have super powers and use magic and stuff too!" Natsu face shadowed.

"I'm sorry, I can't let you join u" Eh? What?

"W-why not! What did I say?" A finger jabbed at Lucy's face.

"I don't like liars" Lucy reeled. Liars? She hadn't lied… had she?

"I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask you—" He tensed. Then a scroll appeared from thin air with a small pop. The seal on the top was orange, and Natsu carefully peeled it off. Unrolling the parchment, he examined it's content and put it away. His face was grim.

"Damnit. Why give me this mission? Master must have made some kind of mistake. This kind of thing should be in Yang's faction. Damnit" Lucy was at a total loss, and Natsu seemed bent on keeping her that way.

"What? What's wrong?" Waving her aside, the pink haired teen, strolled over to the empty area of the room.

"I gotta go now, just take the door on the left to get out. See ya! C'mon Happy!" The scroll of his lit up, and the magical circle that had taken Lucy here shone at the boy's feet. The light gradually became closer to blinding and somehow, it also became louder and louder till the point of deafening, but Lucy was not impressed.

"Hey! I'm not finished with you buddy!" Her hand latched onto his arm, and Natsu struggled to shake her off.

"Oi! If you do that—!" The light became too bright and loud, and the world disappeared.

…

…

…

'Huh? Ugh… Crap my head… Where… Where am I…?' Lucy slowly cracked her eyes open. She found herself standing in a cute and girly room, filled with stuffed animals, paper, pens, pencils, books and completely painted in orange. There was also a girl with wavy blue hair, sitting on the floor, hand cut, and blood rolling around the magic summons circle. The girl, who looked about Lucy's age, also wore an orange dress skirt, with stockings, glanced up, and gasped.

"Oh! Two of you? That's not what it said would happen, but I suppose it doesn't matter" Two? Lucy whirled to see Natsu beside her. He looked kind of angry, but too bad. Lucy had always been stubborn, and no matter what, she was going to get that job.

"Er… Yeah, there are two of us because… your wish is different! Yeah, that's it!" The girl stood up and gave a respectful half-bow.

"Well then, let me introduce myself. My name Levy Mcgarden, pleased to meet you" Levy held her out her hand, and returning the greeting, Lucy beamed, shook her hand, and, unable to resist, buried the girl in her chest.

"Awe, you're such a good girl! My name's Lucy Heartfillia!" Natsu weakly offered his own smile.

"I'm Salamander. So about your wish… Are you sure?" Levy succeeded in peeling her face away from Lucy.

"Yes. I'm sure. Nobody would miss me anyway" Lucy's attitude became serious.

"What do you mean by that?" Levy looked the blonde in the eye.

"I wish to die"

Slap

Lucy palm connected with Levy's face, leaving a red mark.

"Don't even joke about things like that!" Levy's face became a mask without emotion, and Natsu answered for her.

"Lucy, please don't slap her. She isn't lying" Lucy gave Levy a cold hard look.

"Is this true?" Levy slowly gave the affirmative, and Lucy had to know. "Why?" The younger girl's shoulders trembled, and the blonde could feel the depression in her voice.

"Because… I killed people… I killed my family!" Natsu put a hand on her arm.

"It's alright… I know how you feel. It'll be okay soon" Sniffling, Levy wiped away the tears that had leaked from her eyes.

"I want to have time to think over everything right before my life leaves me…" A smile that Lucy thought really didn't fit the situation lit Natsu's face.

"Wanna jump off the highest building in the world?"

"Yeah, that sounds good" Lucy couldn't take it. How could she just come up with answers so easily?

"How can you so casually just want to die—" Faster then a blink Lucy's mouth was duck taped and wrapped. Natsu surveyed his work.

"I'm sorry Lucy, but I can't let you say that. Levy, we should go now" Levy silently went over to Natsu's side, and looked back the blonde.

"Thank you… And goodbye" The glow of the transportation spell lit and the blinding flash of light returned, and they disappeared.

'DAMNIT!'

(Levy's POV)

The light faded, and Levy could see the entire city in front of her. It appeared she was on Tokyo tower, standing at the tip. The wind buffered them, trying to topple them from where they stood. But it was almost as if a gentle flame was shielding her from the elements. Natsu stood to the side, stepping off the tower. Levy gasped and held her hands to her mouth, but Natsu steadied her before she fell. A voice called through the howling gusts.
"I can fly! So don't worry Miss Orange!" A blue face of a cat popped up from behind Natsu's head. Wings sprouted from behind him, and Levy smiled sadly.

"Isn't that nice? I wonder what it feels like to fly? I suppose I'll find out what it's like to fall I guess…" Natsu bowed, and in a quiet voice that was almost lost in space, he whispered

"Thanks a lot Levy. I hope you enjoy your wish" With a solemn aura, the teen was enwrapped in flames and eaten away by them, leaving no trace a boy and cat had been flying there. Levy cast her gaze to civilization underneath her, and she fell.

'Gajeel… Mom… Dad… Baka-nii… I'm sorry… I'm coming to meet you now…" Gajeel… Her mother, father, big brother… all dead because of her… she had killed them… it was all her fault… She closed her eyes, and let the cold hands of Gravity take hold of her and drag her down. But warmth enveloped her, and her eyes snapped back open. A mess of blonde hair flooded over her face, blocking the young girl's view. She could hear tears.

"You can't even think of doing this! It's not right! Think about who will miss you! Think about who would be sad to see you go! EVEN IF NOONE ELSE MISSES YOU, I WILL!" A sudden flashback played back through Levy's mind.

(Flashback/Three days ago)

Levy and her elder brother sat side by side on the roof of their house, the stars twinkling in the sky, dancing for their spectators. Levy leaned her head on her brothers shoulder, with him leaning on hers.

"You know… Someday we all have to die" Levy lightly socked him in the head.

"Don't speak like that. You never know what might happen" He laughed.

"Your right I suppose. But still, just in case, I want to tell you something," Levy stayed silent, a sign for him to continue. "In case I die, or even if everyone else does on this planet does too, I want you to survive. Survive, and take on the world in your own way, survive, and continue my legacy. Fight the little demon inside of you. Will you do that for me?" Levy sighed and said nothing, but she squeezed her brothers hand, and that was her way of saying 'yes'.

(Flashback Over/ Present time)

"Okay… I'll live with you… Take care of me okay?" Tears still streamed down her face as Lucy smiled and said yes. The ground was approaching fast, and if they didn't act soon, in a few seconds, they would be splatters on a block.

"HEY NATSU!" The blonde screamed into the wind. I HAVEN'T MADE MY WISH YET! SO I'M GOING TO MAKE IT NOW! I WISH FOR YOU TO BRING BOTH OF US BACK TO HEART'S DESIRE!" The floor met their faces, and the world turned black.

(Lucy's POV)

"Ah man! Do you have any idea how much a summoning scroll costs!? Now I have to go buy another one!" They were back. Back in the room where Lucy had first met Happy and Natsu.

"Natsu. She doesn't want to die anymore. She wants to cancel the contract" Natsu snorted.

"I can't, and even if I could—" Levy got to her feet, turned to Natsu and bowed low.

"Please Natsu-sama" Natsu's face flushed from the highly honorary title, and he scratched his chin.

"Well… Even if you really wish not to die now… the rules…" Well now that Natsu was willing, it was a different matter to convince him.

'So easy. Men are like pudding to women'

"Well what if Levy also joins Heart's Desire, that takes care of all the problems doesn't it?" the pink headed teen paused. Lucy saw the opening at took it.

"Technically, they have to die anyway, but you give them a choice of one of the Nether Realms, or Hearts Desire. So she can join right?" Desperation swept over her. The chance was small, but it was still a chance, that the he would just say no again and take Levy back to the tower.

"Why not? Just let them in Natsu, I say they've both done more than enough to prove themselves" Walking to Natsu's side, was a short elderly man, with an orange and blue jacket, orange and blue striped hat, and orange and blue clown-like boots.

"If you say so Gramps" Letting out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding, Lucy and Levy both collapsed into each others arms in relief.

"That was very impressive, memorizing the runes of the teleportation spell and copying them. What's more, you even jumped off the tower for someone you barely knew. Very, impressive" Lucy blushed, and Levy squeezed her tight.

"And I'm lucky to know her!" Makarov nodded, but then he said

"However, by tradition and a couple annoying unbreakable rules, we still have to test you" The blonde's stomach plummeted. Not another test… No, for Levy's sake, she couldn't fail this one.

"So… Lucy Heartfillia. There's something you have to know first. Each of us employed at Heart's Desire is granted a special power. That power emanates from our eye," Makarov's iris colored red, the symbol of Yin appearing, Natsu's eyes doing the same. He continued "We can activate this power at will, at each one is unique in it's own way. We call this Isis. While the lower ranked employees can use Isis, their Isis cannot physically harm you, but more on that later. Basically, it grants them a single supernatural ability that they have to use to complete job requests. Now that all that is out of the way, here is your test. Tell me: What is Natsu's Isis?" Lucy froze. How was she supposed to answer that? She couldn't just tell on the spot? Internally frantic, she began to panic, worrying for the worst of consequences. Her mind reeled, trying to grasp for an answer somewhere in the back of her head. Was it some sort of mind control? No, that was silly, he could have used it to make sure that Lucy left the shop. What about memory loss? But she couldn't think of any memories that were out of place. What about… time control? No, none of this would ever happen, and that was way too good to be true. Wasn't it? What about—ARG! She let all the steam out of her head and calmed down. Something about Natsu changed, but the change had been so subtle, she hadn't really seen what. Curious, she stared at Natsu. There it was again. But what was it? Now excited at this small clue, she focused all her attention at Natsu. He didn't seem to mind. There it was again. His face but now there was no change. What was going on? Her energy left her, exasperated and berating herself for concentrating on something so trivial. That wasn't going to be it.

"What am I doing…?" She whispered to herself. There! AGAIN! It was his face. Her excitement rose, and she saw the change that had eluded her previously. Natsu's eye colour shifted. When did it shift? Was there some sort of time delay? It happened again. Curious. It seemed to… No way… Lucy thought back to the first time Natsu had spoken to her. How he had known what she was thinking. And all the other times, when he subtly slipped into the conversation on how he knew what was going on. It was like…

"You can read peoples emotion" Natsu's eyes flared with colour and she knew she was right. She was feeling proud of herself, and she was absolutely sure of her assumptions. This time she could confirm it. Natsu's eyes changed with her feelings. Makarov chuckled, the chuckle turning into a laugh.

"BWAHAHAHAHA! CORRECT! I knew you would get it. Good job Natsu. Way to be subtle" Natsu scratched his head and gave a smile of his own.

"Aww shucks Gramps. You gave me that little hint. Well, it should be fine to let her join now right?" Makarov grunted.

"My beard she's qualified! She recruited another member, passed the test, and in record time too! She'd better join!" Both the men joined in laughter. Lucy and Levy, hearing of their acceptance, jumped and danced together in celebration.

"Well? What are you younglings standing around for? Let's go meet the others!" Natsu ran ahead, unable to restrain himself. Makarov was polite enough to wait for Lucy and Levy, but there wasn't really much waiting to be done. The two were almost as excited as Natsu to meet the fabled Heart's Desire crew. Going round and round, circling the endless maze, Natsu finally stopped to catch his breath; Lucy, Levy, and Makarov close behind.

Click

The door unlocked, and in their haste, Natsu tripped, and the others fell over him like dominoes. Laughter vibrated the walls, and Lucy and Levy lifted their heads. It was, in two words, a pub. There were wooden tables, stairs, beer bottles, jugs, mugs, barrels, cups, and everywhere. But what stood out most to Lucy, were the people who were using all the food, utensils, and pretty much anything that wasn't nailed to the ground as weapons. It was an unruly party, but strangely, despite being raised by her family's strict standards, she didn't feel this sort of thing was barbaric in the slightest.

"HEY! HEADS UP!" Someone called; a whole table was falling in their direction, and was about to land on them. Lucy and Levy were able to get out of the way, but as the table was about to flatten Natsu, he stood up and yelled

"ALRIGHT! WHOS READY TO FI—BLEGH!" The energetic teen was knocked to the wall. Then he got back up and started to yell again.

"WHO DID THAT!?" Lucy could barely hear out a snicker from the brawl.

"Me, flame brain. What of it?" Standing beside a wooden beam, was a spiky black haired pervert with a silver pendant hanging around his neck. Why was he a pervert? He wore no clothing. None.

"Huh? Who are those two?" His face darkened and an evil look placed his face. "Their Yang aren't they" All other activity stopped as they heard the accusing words, tension thickening the air. Natsu scoffed, folding his arms.

"Stupid Icicle! Course not! These two are the newest members of Yin!" Everyone started to laugh.

"There's no way you could have done that Natsu. We all know how hard—GUEH" A gorgeous woman with rose hair, armour over her chest, and a blue skirt, felt her fist connect with the naked man's gut.

"That's enough. Gray. Put some pants on at least"

"Yes ma'am…" The woman looked at Lucy, she and Levy immediately jumping to attention. Their female intuition screaming not to anger this person. Even Natsu was visibly subdued.

"Natsu, is what your saying true?" She glared at the pink teen, and he slowly nodded, breaths abate. The girl nodded, trusting the boy.

"You speak the truth. If that is true, THEN IT IS TIME TO CELEBRATE!" Roaring the last part, the rest of the people answered her call. Everyone got up to meet the two, introducing themselves, laughing, and name's blurred together. Levy wasn't shy in the slightest, greeting everyone with a respectful bow. Lucy thought she could see… what were those two names again…? Jet? Doy? Anyway, they were trying to hide the fact they were staring, but refused to go over and meet her. Lucy smirked mischievously.

"Hey, Levy"

"Hm?"

"Those two haven't said hi yet" She pointed, and Levy's smile widened.

"Well then, they will now!" She walked over to the pair, the two of them trying to act calm and not look directly in her eyes. Lucy giggled into her hand. Levy was such a cutie. An iron grip, clamped her shoulder.

"So you're Lucy? I have heard from Natsu what transpired. You are a very courageous girl, and what you did was amazing. I am thoroughly impressed" Many gasps and cheers were heard. Apparently it was hard to achieve recognition from this woman.

"Thank you…"

"Erza. Erza Scarlet. Now come, I must show you someone" Quite literally dragging her off, Erza ushered her to what seemed to be the bar table.

"Arah. Hello there Ms. Heartfillia. Your quite a celebrity now, recruiting someone else before even signing up," The person who had spoken was a beautiful woman standing behind the counter, with long silver hair, a sleeveless magenta dress with pink frills, and a bright smile that lit the room. She offered her hand and Lucy took it.

"Please, call me Lucy" The girl winked.

"And polite to boot. Hard to believe you were 'recruited' by Natsu. I'm Mirajane, the waitress of Yin. Would you like something to eat? You must be hungry after all this attention" On cue, the blonde's stomach begged for food in as loud a voice it could muster. Lucy looked down, face burning.

"I'll take that as a yes," Placing a plate of curry in front of her, Mirajane smiled and said "Enjoy, I made it myself" Lucy completely devoured the meal, overflowing spoonfuls traveling from her mouth back to the plate in seconds. The rest of her night was all about celebrating, getting a bit drunk at the end, dancing, fighting, singing, and enjoying her time with her new friends. A few tears left her eyes. So this was what enjoying herself felt like. She could do this everyday.

(Levy's POV)

The next morning, Levy and Lucy meeting in the dorms before they headed to the food hall. Natsu was waiting for the both of them.

"Alright! Today is the first official morning that since you have joined Yin! How does it feel?" The blue haired girl jumped and squealed in excitement.
"It feels great Natsu! Thanks a bunch!" Lucy was just as excited as her friend, deciding to keep it inside, but still allowing it to show on her face.

"By the way, why do you keep saying Yin? Isn't it Hearts Desire?"

"I shall answer that, as Natsu's explanation is overly simple," Erza appeared beside Natsu, her hand gripping Natsu's shoulder. His face was enough to convey how he felt.

"It's like this. There are two factors: Yin, that's us, and Yang, the… darker, side of Heart's Desire. We also have our own private names. We like to call ourselves Fairy Tail. They call themselves Konoha. Are you with me so far?" Levy and Lucy both nodded. "Good. Both of us make up Heart's Desire. We have a choice. We can either join Fairy Tail, or Konoha. You two have already shown that you both want to join Fairy Tail, with your will to live, save, and protect another's life" The rest of the members smiled at the girls. A similar smile forming on her own lips, Erza continued.

"And you two have already been accepted by us. But it's not like Konoha is pure evil. They have their own version of honor, justice, and rules," Most of the others looked like they wanted to say otherwise, but they were all smarter than that. No way they would speak of such things in front of Erza. "They also take the work that we would… hesitate to take up willingly. Such as Levy's case… of suicide" The knight glanced at the blue haired girl, but her face was determined. "It's rather strange… that the master decided to give Natsu such a mission" A frown formed, but ceased just as fast.

"But then again, both of you joined Fairy Tail, so we should be happy with that. Oh, I haven't said these things in a while; it's been so long since anyone has joined the family. What else is there… oh! Yes, of course, rank. Mira! Could you explain to our newest members about the rank of Fairy Tail?" Mirajane glanced up, waving.

"Sure. Come over here you two! Reedus, could I borrow your pen? Thank you" The bar maid began to write in the air, not spotting the surprised look in the newest member's faces. "So, here's how it goes. There are 7 levels of Rank, from worst to best. There's Blue, Yellow, Orange, Red, Purple, Grey, and Black or White. You two would be Blue, but I'm sure that'll change sooner or later. You will be automatically drafted to at least Yellow when you achieve an Isis" Lucy hit her palm with her fist.

"Natsu said he was Orange" Mirajane giggled.

"That's right. And he's your senior, he'll show you the ropes. Just to make this official, you girls do still want to join us right?"

"OF COURSE" Mirajane beamed.

"Glad to hear it! So, where do you want your tattoos?" The two girls stared blankly.

"Huh?" If Mirajane hadn't seemed so kind, Lucy would have swore she was mocking them.

"To show you guys are part of Fairy Tail, then we give you a stamp anywhere on your body. And, if you want to, you can have a code name. You can use the codename however you want. Remember, to anyone inside Fairy Tail, it's fine to say your real name. But never to anyone else. Understood?" The two girls swallowed, and shook their heads up and down. Stepping forward, the blue haired teen said

"I'd like my tattoo on my back on the left somewhere, if that's okay, and for my codename… I think… Aquaden would fit nicely" Lucy followed suit, holding out the back of her hand.

"Mine on my hand, and… for me, I'll take Lupen" Mirajane raises a playful eyebrow.

"You two have thought about this a lot already huh?" The two grinned, not denying the accusation.

Blot

And it was done. Those who had been watching screamed and whistled their approval. Cherishing the moment for a while longer, Lucy closed her eyes. Levy did the same. When the cheering finally calmed down, Lucy asked

"So what happens now?" Putting her hands together, Mirajane walked to the back, grabbed two scrolls and handed them to Lucy and Levy.

"Now, the perfect starting missions will come to you. Master will choose and decide, so have no worries. Politely ask the scrolls to give you a mission. They like to be respected" Her smile and optimistic attitude was still there, so Lucy decided to trust her and do what she said. Levy tried first

"Umm… I'd really appreciate if you gave me the perfect challenge"

Flash

Rolling the parchment apart, there was a summary for the mission Levy would take, with a blue seal at the bottom. Mirajane gave it a quick look over.

"Oh, a translation job. Are you a bit of a bookworm?" Levy gave a small blush.

"A bit"

Lucy curiously observed Levy's ritual, and decided she wanted a bit of flare in hers. Concentrating, she said in a steady voice.

"Please, you who watches from afar, grant me an adventure to start off my life!"

Flash

Lucy peeked from her closed eyes. Everyone was staring at her.
"What?" She demanded. "What's wrong?" She scanned her scroll. gardening, backyard, beautiful garden, yada yada yada. What was so…? There. The colour of the seal, the rank of the mission, was orange.

(Erza's POV)

"Oh. Looks like there's a been a mistake" All eyes were trained on her, mouths agape and unable to move. Lucy, having not been there long, could not, understandably, realize the significance of what had just occurred.

"This kind of thing should be impossible. The only thing close was the record Mirajane set with two missions, then she became a Yellow. After two more missions, she became orange. A year later, Red. She became purple nine years later, last year" Lucy stared at the barmaid with newfound respect. Mirajane smiled, and waved her hand as if to wave away the credit.

"Erza was with me every step of the way, she's just as accomplished" Erza blushed, unable to handle the awed look on Lucy's face.

"Yeah," Someone in the guild spoke up "Those two are at the top of the guild, two of the three purple Fairies"

"Who's the third?" Inquired Levy. Erza shrugged.

"His name is Mystogun, but he's super mysterious. He's always hiding his face, and he has certain tools that help him accomplish his jobs" Lucy tightened her fist with renewed passion. She couldn't wait to become just like Mirajane and Erza!

"But we're missing the point," Another person called. "What about Lucy's first job?" Lucy stretched her scroll open again, this time carefully reading the description.

Undo Rean hobby is garden, and he wishes to have his backyard become the most beautiful in the world, known and visited by everyone

That was it. Nothing more, nothing less.

"So, what happens now?" She asked awkwardly. Makarov shrugged.

"There's not much choice is there? You can't reject your first mission. You're just going to have to do it. I suppose Natsu could go with you if you'd like, as Levy has her own job" Lucy was relieved, but then she saw the freighted look on the younger girl's face, and quickly said

"No, no, it's okay. Natsu, you go with Levy okay? I'm fine, it's just a bit of gardening, and I have more experience than Levy"

'No much,' She thought 'But I can't let Levy fail. I'll figure it out myself' Levy gratefully looked at Lucy in silent thanks, and the elder just shrugged.

"Okay, if you say so" But the naked boy raised his hand.

"Old man, can I go with her? I wanna see how she operates" Makarov raised an eyebrow, but saw no reason to refuse his request.

"As long as Lucy's fine with it" Lucy nodded, glad for the assistance, but that feeling was replaced by doubt when Gray then said

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to help. I just wanna make sure you're genuine" Genuine? Genuinely what?

"…Sure" She stood there, now unsure of what to do, but Erza swooped to her rescue.

"So, what you do first, is just to acknowledge that you accept the mission. Simply sign the paper with your name, and it will automatically transport you to the drawn summoning circle by this Undo Rean person" Lucy shot Natsu a look, but talked to Erza.

"Is this free?" Mirajane laughed, and Erza tilted her head in confusion.

"Of course. Why?"

"Because," The blonde accused venomously, "Natsu over here was whining about how expensive a summoning scroll was" Erza nodded sagely.

"Yes they are. But since this is for a message, it's free of charge. I believe Natsu complained because of the fact that transporting you and Levy was in fact not part of the mission" Lucy's face reddened.

"Oh. Right. Thanks Natsu" She mumbled, but Natsu just shrugged.

"Meh, at least we have new family now. Do your best, and remember not to fail!" The teen nodded, and Mirajane handed her a pen.

"Good luck" Lucy scribbled her signature on the parchment, handed the pen to Gray who did the same, and with a familiar flash she was gone.

(Gray's POV)

The usual nausea washed over him, and he fought it off. He would never get used to it. Before him was a fragile looking boy, with brown hair, white buttoned work transparent shirt, and brown pants, somewhat covered by a gardener's apron. The new girl was clinging onto him, and he felt a twang of sympathy. Her first time being summoned, and it didn't get ANY better.

"Thank you for summoning me. I'm Gray Fullbuster, and this is Lucy Heartfilia. We are in your service" he supported Lucy and together managed to pull of a bow that didn't send them both tumbling over.

"I am Undo Rean. Thank you for coming. Please, this way" The boy lead them around another maze, and Lucy's mind wailed in protest.

'Not again!'

They reached a large set of doors with gold knobs, and Undo pushed them open with relative ease. Either they were lighter than they looked, or the boy was stronger than he seemed. But any thoughts of suspicion were blown away when she say the Eden that lay ahead. It was truly spectacular, with roses, wildflowers, daises, even a few dandelions. It rivaled the one she'd seen when she'd first met Naruto and Kei.

"So, about my request," He leaned forward and placed his hands on the table. "Is it possible?" Gray nodded.

"Of course. To make your garden famous right?" The boy grinned.

"Yes! And I hope you can help" Lucy turned to Undo.

"Why would you need our help? You're garden's already wonderful" Undo's grin stretched further.

"You really think so? Thanks! But my problem is not really my flowers… Sorta…" His eyes dart around, scanning the background as if afraid someone would jump out and destroy his plants. "But you see, I have the paperwork and stuff already, and I've already had a few opening nights" Gray raised an eyebrow and Lucy sat forward.

"A few?"

"Yes, multiple times. But every time, before anyone could see, my flowers just wilted and died the day before, and it's had to be cancelled. The same thing happened twice in a row after, and I just stopped. It took me years for me to cultivate them back to what you see now" He leaned back and sighed.

"I tested the dirt, and it was perfectly fine. No sort of bacteria or weed killer, nothing. They just died. But after the second time, I put up a couple of cameras hidden some flowers. Almost all of them were destroyed, but one did manage to get some footage and audio. That's probably cause I put it by a really smelly Venus flytrap. But it's really weird" He rings a bell, and a maid comes out of a servant's door, bringing with her a small laptop. She offers it to him, as he gratefully takes it from her, uttering a word of thanks. The maid turned around, leaving them. Displaying the screen, he plays a video.

'He was right, what bad quality' It was dark, in the night, and there was a constant and low buzzing noise like an insect for the duration of the video. He skims ahead, then stops.

"Here. This is where he comes in" When he hears no response, he looks up. Gray was staring at where the maid had come from.

'But not Lucy' He noted.

"Dude! You're freaking rich!" Despite his efforts to look calm and brooding, he failed gloriously. Undo blushed.

"Yeah, I have some great friends, they introduced me to some people. One of them was really nice too, I liked him a lot, he showed me all sorts of new things I'd never even thought about. Oh, crap, I forget his name though. Anyway, so watch this" They huddled closer, craning to get a better view.

The buzzing grew louder, and all of a sudden, it became pitch black.

"Oh… right. That was the flytrap catching food" Lucy grimaced.

"Right" Through the cracks, they could barely make out a figure. He approached a single tree, stared, stood there for a moment, then turned around. He did the same thing multiple times to all the trees indiscriminately. Then he turned around and left.

"Is that it?" Lucy couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. "But that guy didn't even do anything. He just stood there. It's not really proof he did anything" Undo pointed at Lucy, agreeing with her.

"Exactly! That's why I can't even use this as proof my flowers were being sabotaged. But after this guys leaves," He skips hours ahead, daytime brightening the dark garden, enhancing all the little details by a bit. "There. Look. All the plants are dead" He was right. Grey decay infected everything they could see, and even the flytrap was killed. The camera had fallen from the mouth, lying tilted on the floor. Undo placed the computer on the floor. Gray's head was ringing bells, and it hurt to think.

"So, despite seeing that, do you still believe me? Will you still take the job?" Lucy was about to answer with a whole hearted yes, when Lucy's advisor firmly clasped his hand on her shoulder.

"Please excuse us, we need a moment to confer" They disappeared in a cloud of dust, and Gray plopped her down out of earshot behind a tree.

"What are you doing?" Lucy hissed, I thought we were going to take the job?" Gray was still cautiously keeping guard, but he replied in a curt tone

"Because, this job has just gotten MUCH more complicated" Lucy folded her arms, expecting an explanation.

"Look, you saw the guy in the video right?" Lucy made a 'go on' gesture with her hand. "Yeah, and that guy is part of Yang. I forget his name, but he's around Natsu and my level at… completing jobs… Better even," he admitted "But that's just cause they have better powers!"

"What does that mean?"

"Okay, so you know about the Isis right? Yeah, they don't have those" Lucy's eyebrows wiggled up.

"So how would that make them better?" Gray jabbed a thumb at himself.
"The difference between us and him is that Natsu and my Isis can't physically harm you. They're like illusions, but that guy, his can't be seen, but they have some sort of relation with nature. Some can even control elements to some degree" Gray remarked bitterly. "Because for some reason, their master is more powerful" Absorbing this, Lucy could see the conflict between the two factions was more hated than she thought.

"So what do you want me to do, can I just cancel the job?" The dark haired teen stretched his hands.

"If you like, but it's going to look bad on you record" Lucy squeezed her fingers, a habit she needed to get rid of.

"No. I can't. Even a single failed one will hinder my goal" Gray didn't push it further, but he knew what she meant.

"Just saying, but even Erza and Mirajane failed a couple times" Lucy shook her head.

"Still, I'm going to try" A small speck of respect crawled out of his heart, then he pushed it back down.

"If you say so" Returning to Undo, who was fidgeting in his seat, nervously wondering what horrible things they'd said behind his back, sat straight up as if a pole had replaced his spine.

"So?" He squeaked. Lucy gave the smile she'd seen Natsu give to Levy the other day.

"Thank you for waiting! Yes, of course we'll take the job" The pretty boy's lungs deflated in relief, and he looked almost ready to cry.

"Thank you so much…" He wiped away his tears, his smile returning to it's rightful place on his face. "Anyway, the sun's setting, you guys can start tomorrow!"

(Lucy's POV)

'Ugh. Sometimes having a big house sucks so much. Where's the bathroom?' The moon was in its half waning stage, and lit the grounds with a special light. She didn't want to disturb any of the others on such a beautiful night, but if she didn't find a toilet soon…

Gurgle…

"Ooooohhhh…" She clutched her stomach and took a couple quick torturous breaths. Forget it, there was no way she could hold it anymore. Rushing to the nearest tree, she pulled of the nightgown given to her from the maids and relieved herself.

"Thank God…" Upon finishing, she redid the belt on her light dress, and headed—

Rustle, rustle

Her body became rigid and as cold as ice, her heart thumping it's beat within her head at a rapid rate. She was already facing the direction of the sound, and panic spread through her. What should she do? Attack? Run? Talk it out with the monster? Why—

Woosh

Screeching, Lucy swung a random punch, and she could feel it connecting with something. Leaving a slit of her eyes open, she saw a body on the floor, twitching and groaning.

"Oh my gosh Gray! I'm so sorry!" He gasped, and waved his hand, indicating he was okay.

"What are you doing out here?" He put a finger to his lips, and cupped a hand to his ear. "Is there something out there?" His finger pressed harder against his lips, indicating how important it was to shut up, then patted the ground beside him. Lucy sat down beside him, also tuning in to the air. She could hear someone… Somebody calling… calling her name?

"Lucy… Lucy!"

'Wait a minute. That was Gray's voice'

"Is there a clone out there that sounds like you?" Gray nodded. "Okay, how do I tell you guys apart?" Gray tapped his left arm. Around it was a white cloth.

"How about we make a test question? Like—"

"LUCY! It's a trap! The clone is out there somewhere! RUN!" A nagging suspicion started to itch.

"Hang on a sec… Hey, Gray. Prove to me it's you" He stared at her blankly. "What were Makarov's last words to—" The Gray in front of her shot forward, pressing his hands to her mouth, hushing her.

"Gotcha"

Well, I hope you enjoyed that. I know I did. It's so nice to share stories with others around a warm fire in the night of a storm. I hope you find out what this feels like one day. Was there a mistake you ask? I don't know, maybe it was, and maybe it wasn't. More? Already? So you really liked it did you? Glad to hear it. Very well. So you see this is where Lucy started her journey…

Currently searching for BetaReader. Please PM me if you can

- Justin, Lover of anime, enemy of haters, and family to all my otaku brothers and sisters. Welcome to my world! XD