Lucy sighed, stretching her arms high until she heard a satisfying crack. She just couldn't find any words to write to her late mother today.

Not when Lady Yui's words were now repeating over and over in her head.

"She opened the gate."

What gate had her mother opened and when did she open it? Was this gate somehow related to her mother's death?

Lucy was told that her mother died due to illness. Something she had never believed because her mother was always healthy. A few years ago, Lucy had suspected her mother's death to be caused by a magical drain that her mother couldn't sustain. She had never found anything that could prove her theory right and had ultimately discarded it when Aquarius had yelled at her to drop it and let Layla rest in peace.

The blonde however never made peace with her mother's death. It was, after all, the catalyst to her and her father's strainedrelationship.

She would have to find this Lynus person and find out what he knew. She had to know the truth about her mother's death so she could finally leave the past in the past. So she could find out what was more important than her and her father, because as much as she loved Layla a small part of her resented the woman for leaving and then coming back practically half dead.

"You worked with Kakuzu? He tried to kill the Shodaime!"

"The Leader chose him. Kakuzu's someone even I would consider choosing if I ever wanted to take over the world."

"He's dangerous! He has a grudge on Konoha-nin!"

The hissing noises of her kittens startled Lucy out of her thoughts. She turned around in her chair to see Spiky hissing at Noir while Jewels was hissing at-

"I never got his name..." Lucy realized, staring intently at the cat that had grey fur and purple eyes.

"I'd name him Jashin's dog or Blood Fetish if I was you," Fluffy meowed, sounding somehow amused and exasperated.

Lucy hummed, picking Fluffy up and placing him in her lap. She absently started patting the kitten who purred in delight.

"I hate you being around Kakuzu and Hidan. Itachi and Shisui are too attached to you to hurt you without reason, but them..." Fluffy kept meowing and Lucy could almost swear the cat sounded worried.

"What do you mean we have to fucking stay with the Bimbo?" The unnamed cat was meowing.

Jewels flicked his tail before meowing back. "Idiot, we can't fend for ourselves as cat. Furthermore, do you expect Itachi and his two...friends..to part with the girl?"

"Plue? No, doesn't suit him..."

Lucy scrunched up her nose, digging deeper inside herself for a name that would suit the cat that still looked like royalty somehow.

It clicked in Lucy's head.

"What about Prince?"

Fluffy meowed, "He'll hate it for sure Lucy. I love it."

With a content smile Lucy gently placed Fluffy down and stood up.

Unknowingly her sudden movement grabbed their attention. She grabbed a silver key, Vulpecula the little vixen. A part of her felt nostalgic, remembering the first time she summoned Aquarius and formed a contract with the stubborn mermaid.

The mage took in a deep breath, slowly pouring her magic into the key. She was used to summoning gold keys that required more magic, so she wasn't sure of the exact amount yet.

"I am linked to the path to the world of Celestial Spirits, now! O spirit, answer my call and pass through the gate! Vulpecula!"

Nothing happened.

"Of course we get stuck with a fucking failure," Prince meowed.

"Hey! Lucy's not a failure!" Fluffy hissed, sounding oddly protective.

"Lucy's new to this, okay? Cut her some slack." Spikey meowed.

Noir meowed, but never looked away from her. "Also, she's accustomed to gold keys."

"Those are harder than silver ones from what I gathered..." Jewels meowed quietly.

Lucy pursed her lips, closing her eyes. She was almost there. She felt it. Vulpecula's gate. She just needed a little more to actually open it.

Pouring a bit more magic, she tried again.

"I am linked to the path to the world of Celestial Spirits, now! O spirit, answer my call and pass through the gate! Vulpecula!"

Fluffy's excited meows made her open her eyes. She blinked as she met the orange gaze of a little girl wearing a fox onesie.

"Hello~!" The spirit chirped. "Yuyu told me about ya! Vulpecula's a mouthful and sounds too uptight, so just call me Vixie."

"Holy fuck, the bitch actually did it. This is weird," Prince meowed.

"It resembles a summoning jutsu of some sort," Jewels meowed, eyes boring into Vixie.

Spikey meowed, but Lucy barely heard it. "It's magic. We shouldn't compare it to chakra because they have different rules from what I've seen."

Lucy offered Vixie her hand. "My name's Lucy. I hope we can become good friends!"

If possible, Vixie's smile widened as she took Lucy's hand. "Same here Luxie!"

After shaking Vixie's hand, Lucy took out a notepad. She had Aquarius and Cancer's information memorized but she was going to need some time to memorize her new friend's.

"Mondays?"

Vixie shook her head, "I hate Mondays."

"Tuesdays?"

Vixie nodded.

"Wendsdays?"

Another nod.

"This is rather mundane," Jewels seemed to hiss.

Prince meowed. "Shouldn't she be able to summon them whenever she wants? They're her slaves for fucks sake."

"Thursdays?"

"I have to look after some spirits then."

"Fridays?"

"Sometimes? When I don't have plans. But I can on Saturday! Sundays I can't because I have library duties 'cause of some punishment."

Lucy nodded, mentally noting to ask more about Vixie's punishmemt once they became closer.

Vixie twirled around. "As for my ability, I'm a trickster! I play with what people see. I can show you your greatest desires."

Lucy blinked as she was suddenly surrounded by golden and silver keys.

"Your greatest fears."

The keys all broke and Lucy was thrown into darkness. "Vixie! Aquarius! Cancer!" Lucy cried, reaching out towards the broken keys she had recognized.

"I can even show you what you miss the most."

Lucy's eyes shone with tears as she saw her mother and father smiling at her.

The blonde mage reached out towards them and they opened their arms to hug her. Before she could touch them, they disappeared.

Lucy was back at the Inn's room she had rented for the night.

"Mama, papa..." Lucy quietly murmured, absently noting that her kittens seemed distressed or uncomfortable as well.

A pair of arms wrapped around her waist, finally bringing Lucy back to reality as she looked down to see Vixie smiling sadly at her.

"My magic is as strong as your mind and magic are Luxie. But the thing about my magic is that it can't physically hurt you and in my experience physical wounds aren't the worse and heal easier."

Oh.

Vixie was warning her about Illusion based magic. Lucy took the warning to heart.

"I'm sorry."

The blonde mage relaxed and returned her spirit's hug. "It's okay."

"Like fuck it is!" Prince hissed loudly, the only cat to have shaken away the discomfort.

Maybe illusionary magic had a weird affect on kittens?

Once Vixie broke the hug, Lucy noticed Vixie's eyes shone with tears.

"Vixie?"

"I'm happy."

"Huh?"

"You're kind of weird for a Celestial Spirit Mage Luxie. Never change, alright?"

Still confused, Lucy nodded.

Vixie then turned to look at the kittens with a confused look. "These cats of yours have this weird energy Luxie. I don't know why."

Lucy frowned in confusion. "Weird energy?"

Vixie shook her head. "Dunno, maybe it's nothing. Anyway, I'll see ya around Luxie~!" With a salute, Vixie disappeared.

"She sensed our chakra?" Spikey meowed.

Lucy stared intently at the cats, wondering what the weird energy was.

"Lucy! Two more keys to go!" Fluffy meowed pawing at Lucy.

The blonde mage noticed that Fluffy was looking at her keys and seemed to be anticipating something.

Maybe Fuffy wanted to see the other two keys as well?

Smiling softly, Lucy dispelled any doubts about her cats for now and took out Lyra's key.

.o0o.o0o.

Itachi wondered if that was how people felt when they were under his Genjutsu.

If they were fooled by their greatest desires.

(His parents were alive, Shisui was captain of the Uchiha Police, the Uchiha clan weren't separated from the village anymore and Sasuke was happy.)

By their greatest fears.

(Sasuke was deaddeaddead and everything had been for nothing.)

Perhaps by what they missed the most.

("Aniki, wanna play ninja?")

Itachi exhaled a shuddering breath as the images repeated in his head. Now that his mind was calmer, he theorized that Magic based illusions couldn't be dispelled like Genjutsu. Or perhaps there was a way, but he had no way of knowing.

It was ironic that he who could invade someone's mind felt violated when another did the very same he had done to countless others before him. He had never enjoyed his Sharingan's abilities, but now the self disgust felt worse.

What most puzzled the Uchiha was how the blonde girl could remain so levelheaded after being exposed to her own desires, fears and longing. How could the girl not get angry at the spirit?

If there was one thing positive from the whole ordeal, Itachi supposed it was that he found that perhaps he and miss Lucy had more in common that meets the eyes.

He could clearly remember the girl whispering mama and papa.

The girl obviously valued her family a lot. Something Itachi could relate to, despite how many would disagree.

"Here you go Fluffy, Noir, Spikey." Lucy smiled, pushing a bowl filled with milk towards him and the mentioned cats.

Then the girl repeated the motion with another bowl, but towards Kakuzu and Hidan. "Here Jewels, Prince."

"Prince?" Shisui chuckled, purring in amusement.

Obito was also hiding his snickers and Itachi could swear he saw Kakuzu's lips twitch in bemusement. Itachi was also amused.

Hidan however started hissing at Lucy.

"What the fuck? Prince is the crappiest name ever! It's only a little less crappy than Catmeat!"

Shisui was fullblown laughing now and Obito had no qualms of joining the other.

Itachi noticed that Lucy hadn't noticed Hidan's hissing as she sat down and started writing a letter.

To whom, Itachi could only wonder.

In the far off future, Itachi would realize that it was at this moment that he started to truly get attached to the blonde mage.

.o0o.o0o.

Obito already knew his desires, fears and what, or rather who, he missed the most.

He desired to go back to when he was a newly minted ninja. In a team with Rin and Kakashi. Under Minato. With Kushina married to the man and Naruto as everyone's surrogate little brother.

He feared Rin hating him.

He missed Rin the most.

Yet, that didn't mean he could have fight back the joy he felt at his desire being shown to him. At believing it was actually happening. Or the sadness he felt at Rin looking utterly disgusted at him. Most importantly, it didn't stop the ache in his heart at seeing Rin's smiling.

"We miss those that are gone," Lucy quietly said.

Obito startled, believing at first that Lucy was talking to him. Then he realized she was writing and mumbling the words.

"But in the end, we live on with their memories. We live fully for their sakes. We hope that in the end, when we join them they will be proud of us. That we'll have lots to tell them."

Something in Obito felt lighter at Lucy's words for some reason. It felt as if since the moment he woke up in this strange world he needed to hear something like what Lucy was saying.

Something to drive him forward.

Lucy wasn't Rin.

He knew that.

Lucy didn't have to be Rin either. She was now becoming important to him either way. Has been since the moment he saw her eyes that shone with kindness like Rin's and a desire to prove herself that used to be in his eyes.

"I hope you're proud of me mama and I hope one day papa will be too. Love, Lucy," Obito read the last of Lucy's letter quietly to himself.

One day he'd like to ask the girl more about her mother.

Lucy patted his head, an automatic reaction when he meowed near her.

Being more gentle than usual, Obito leaned into the touch.

Quietly, he purred out: "I'm sorry for your loss."
It was late.

Who knows how many years late, but Lucy was obviously still grieving.

Just like him, she was still learning how to let go of a loved one. Maybe one day they'll get there.

.o0o.o0o.

If Hidan had to pick which of the bimbo's spirits he liked more, the weird fox costume wearing brat would probably be at the bottom of the list even though Hidan had yet to see the two golden keys the bimbo already had.

He fucking hated that brat for tricking him into seeing the fucking world burning underneath his feet, the smell of blood and ashes lingering in the air in a masterful combination.

He wanted to gut that brat for showing him as a weakling without immortality.

But, the joke was on the brat. He didn't give a fuck about anyone. So, of course he didn't see anyone but himself as a little kid for some reason.

The second to last on his spirit favorite list at the moment was that cow humanoid that was annoying and obsessed with the bimbo's tits. Not that Hidan could blame the spirit for the latter because fuck the bimbo had some racks on her.

On top of his favorite list was that music playing spirit he supposed. If only because that spirit was the least obnoxious and hadn't stayed out long.

Thank Jashin.

Hidan glared at Fluffy, whatever the fuck his real name was, as he cat stood in front of the bathroom door like some kind of watch dog.

Fuck. They were all shinobi here, not horny brats.

Sure, bimbo witch had a body that could fuck anyone up, but Hidan wasn't Jiraya.

With a scoff, Hidan bounded away.

.o0o.o0o.

Lucy let out a content sigh as she leaned her back against the tub, letting the hot water sooth her skin. Making a contract with three spirits in a day was exhausting, but Lucy was overjoyed at having gathered three new keys so early into her journey. The tiredness was worth having new nakama.

Not only that, but the blonde mage now had a lead to what her mother was up to before she died.

Lynus.

"He's near Oak Town," Lucy mumbled aloud, already having memorized her possible informant's address.

Though Lucy didn't want to pass near a guild so soon in her journey, she had no choice.

She'd have to pass through Oak Town before she reached Lynus.

The town in which Phantom Lord was located. Former strongest guild of Fiore before Fairy Tail.

Lucy smiled. If she had time, she'd take a look at the guild. See how much she'd have to train if she wanted to join Fairy Tail.

The Heartfilia Estate was like a cage to her after her mother's death.

So far, the young mage was loving the world beyond her cage.

.o0o.o0o.

Chapter End

.o0o.o0o.

A/N: Ha! You all thought this story was never gonna get updated huh? So did I! Here's the thing, when I first started writing this story I was writing a cliche story where the human-turned-cats-turned-humans magically cares and loves the one who adopted them as cats. I hated that and refused to write it like that. And even though this story is still a harem, there's actual plot and more characater development as you can see. And I also added some foreshadowing in this chapter XD

Questions:

1. Which cat's your favorite right now and what do you think Lucy will name her next cats?

2. What do you think Lucy thinks of her cats at the moment?