Author's Note:

I present to you my first ever Fairytail fic. This is going to be a series, and I'm planning on writing around 20 chapters. So if you like this chapter, hit that follow button and stay tuned in.

Disclaimer: None of these fictional characters or places belong to me. I'm simply borrowing them. :)

August

It was the only place in town that Lucy could get information on... people like her. On the surface, the shop was one of those hokey places to get your fortune told. It was dark and mysterious, an atmosphere that almost made you believe in crystal balls and palm readings. She sat, impatient, at the velvet covered table as the "prophet" moved to sit down. She was an older woman with skin like leather, and the superfluous embellishments that adorned her outfit jingled with her every movement. She sat across from Lucy and gave her a stern look.

"You want fortune," The woman said in a thick accent. "I give you fortune. You are pretty girl. Money must be no issue. Maybe advice about men? Or advice about-"

"I need a different kind of advice. The kind I can only get here, if you catch my drift," Lucy interrupted, giving the fortune teller a meaningful look.

"I have no clue what you talk about. I suggest you take fortune or leave."

A tense moment passed, and Lucy refused to say anything more. The gypsy glared at her before brusquely rising from the table. Panic started to flood Lucy's system, and she flailed to find something to say. In desperation, she cried out to the woman's back.

"Wait! Please, I- I need help. I have no idea what's happening to me, but I heard that I can get some answers here. There was some kind of code I was supposed to remember? 'Bring to light those who dwell in the dark'? Or was it 'in the shadows'? Oh, God. I can't get anything right. At this rate, I'm-"

"Jesus Christ, do you ever shut up? I'll help you," the woman snapped, accent miraculously gone. Lucy gave a confused whimper as the woman brushed past the silk curtains, leaving her alone in the dark room. The clock ticked to count the seconds that passed as Lucy sat in the rickety chair, watching the white condensation spill out of the fog machine and wrap around her legs. Suddenly, the lights flicked on. The curtain was yanked back to reveal an old man.

"Sorry about my wife, sweetie. She's got a bit of a temper. You're supposed to say the code first thing, y'know?"

"My apologies," Lucy said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm a mess lately. Since, well…"

"Let's get to the root of this, shall we? Why do you feel that you have a supernatural affliction?"

"It started three weeks ago," Lucy began. "I was walking home…"

It was a nice night. The kind with fresh air and a breeze that rustled the trees and made wind chimes sing. Lucy had been walking home from the celebration her friends had thrown for her seventeenth birthday. She just had to make it down the driveway and-

Lucy fell to the ground with a gasp, clutching her shirt. Her heart was beating so hard, and her lungs didn't want to fill up with air. Was she having a heart attack? Was she dying? She was too young to die! This couldn't be the end. She just-

A zing of electricity zipped down her spine all the way to the balls of her feet. She clawed at the gravel, trying to find purchase as her back arched off the ground. She groaned, tangling her fingers in her own hair just so she had something to hold onto. Her toes curled before all the strength left her body. She panted, wondering what had just happened- and why she was suddenly so hungry. An ache like never before tore at her gut even though she had eaten less than an hour ago. Lucy picked herself back up, writing what just happened off as a freak asthma attack. She'd grown out of her asthma when she was seven, but it was the only excuse she could muster.

After entering the house, she promptly made her way to the kitchen and scarfed down all the food she could get her hands on. But the hunger did not cease, and Lucy began to feel sick. She spent the rest of the night hunched over a toilet, regretting having ever eaten anything in her life. She passed her food sickness off as the result of bad Indian food, but deep down she knew that it was something bigger. Two days later, her fears were confirmed.

Lucy had been dreading the town fair for weeks. She had been chosen as one of the girls to man the kissing booth by popular vote. Lucy, a rather inexperienced kisser, was sure to ruin the whole thing with her lack of know-how. But that first kiss had left her customer literally breathless, and word soon became that Lucy Heartfilia was the best kisser in the history of ever. This resulted in a line a mile long of boys that would pay good money to kiss her. Normally, this would fill Lucy with panic and chagrin. She didn't want to kiss a dozen guys in the span of the half-hour she was assigned kissing booth duty. But strangely enough, she was thrilled by the prospect.

Kissing these boys brought her an intense rush that was unparalleled to anything she'd ever felt before. It was only after kissing these boys that she wasn't aching with the hunger pangs that'd been distracting her these past two days. But it soon became apparent that something was very, very wrong.

There was a little shit that had made his way back to Lucy's booth several times. He was cute enough, but never satisfied with the lingering peck that Lucy gave her customers. On his fifth visit, she decided to give him one good kiss. A deep one that would hopefully keep this fucker satisfied for a while. She leaned in, cupping his jaw as she brushed her lips against his. It was when she opened her mouth that everything went to shit.

He gasped, gripping the table as her tongue caressed his. His eyelids fluttered as he moved to kiss her back with equal passion. But after a few more seconds passed, he fainted. Like, literally passed out. Stone cold. While everyone flocked around him, Lucy stared in shock. Her fingers reached up to trace her lips, feeling the buzz of energy that electrified the sensitive skin. Most girls would not pick up on the magnitude of what had just happened, but Lucy Heartfilia was not most girls. She had felt the change, had known that something life-altering had just occurred.

"I tried to tell my dad, but he just flipped out. Said something about accepting one of the marriage offers sent my way in order for me to 'settle down'. So I ran away. I think- I know that he passed out because of me. I felt it. I took something from him. Some kind of energy. After that kiss, I felt the best I'd felt in days. I had this bounce in my step that stuck around for a while. It wasn't until a couple days later that the hunger came back. No matter what food I eat, it won't go away. And most of the time I puke my meals back up anyways, so I just stopped trying," Lucy looked up at the old man with glassy eyes, lip quivering.

"I don't know what to do. My sense of smell has been all over the place. I swear, I can smell someone peeling an orange from a dozen yards away. I'm hungry all the time, and I'm afraid I'll hurt someone by accident. I've been on my own for a month, and I can't tell anyone what's going on with me without them thinking I'm a nutcase. I just, I have to know what I am," she pleaded. "Because I don't think it's human, not anymore. I'm something else now; I can feel it in my gut."

The old man gave a Lucy a hard look before patting her hand in a reassuring manner and smiling at her. She sighed in relief at the gesture, realizing that it was the first time she'd really touched someone several days. He nodded before shuffling to a bookcase and plucking one off the shelf. He brought the old book back to her, setting it in front of her with great importance- and great precaution.

Daughters of Lilith, the cover read. The text was rubbed off in some places, and Lucy noted the way the pages crinkled as she opened the book and the creak of protest its spine gave. The text was obviously old, translated from Latin into a formal English that was seldom spoken anymore. Lucy had always loved literature and antiques, and this book had both elements wrapped up into what was supposed to be the answer to all of her problems. It was almost too good to be true.

"All of the answers to your questions should be here. I would explain it to you myself, but you'd probably be better off just reading it straight from the source."

"Can I, um, have it? The book, I mean."

"Sure," He said. "For a price." Lucy sighed. She should've known that the truth would come at a cost.

"How much?"

"20,000 jewels."

"How much?"

"20,000 jewels," The old man reiterated.

"I wonder how much it really is," Lucy murmured, crossing her arms to emphasize her prominent chest and fluttering her pretty eyelashes. "Mister…"

"Only 1,000 jewels?! That's not even a good discount! Is that all my sex appeal is worth," She screamed, kicking over a sign. She sighed, trying to calm down. Her bag was now heavy on her shoulder due to the weight of the aged text. She fisted her hand in determination. As soon as she returned to the hotel room, she'd read that book and-

A crowd of women rushed past her, screaming about some lizard guy. Salamander? Was that what they were saying? After a moment of thought, Lucy realized who they were talking about. It was some guy that painted these contemporary pieces that were really rocking the art world. They all had a theme relating to fire, and the artist had never shown his face- until now. Salamander. Lucy had to see him for herself. She soon found herself shoving to the front of the crowd, desperate for a glimpse of the talented painter.

When she set her eyes on him, her chest started aching in a way she'd never felt before. He was beautiful. All she could think about was his talented fingers as he brushed them over his canvas prints. Lucy flushed. Why is my heart beating so fast? What's happening to me? Why am I- The Salamander turned and gave her a devilish grin, and Lucy's heart just about stopped. Is it because he's famous? I'm… Maybe…

A tuft of vibrant blue hair caught Lucy's eye, distracting her from the enchanting hunk of man that all of her attention had been poured into. There was a blue cat. How…? Lucy wasn't even going to question it. Because what was even more distracting was the cat's owner. He was just around her age, with wide eyes and spiked, salmon hair. He had this sort of infectious smile that made the corners of Lucy's mouth twitch. She soon took notice of the scaled, white scarf around his neck that billowed with the passing wind. A scarf in August?

"Who are you," He asked The Salamander, confusion painted on his face.

"You might know me as 'The Salamander'," The man said, striking a pose that made the manic crowd of women go nuts.

With a derisive roll of his eyes, the pink-haired boy made his way out of the crowd and headed down the road. The cat followed, rubbing against his leg as they went. While Salamander sputtered at the blatant disrespect, Lucy's eyes narrowed. The artist was somehow far less charming after the interruption. His once sparkling aura was now dark and suspicious. Only now did she catch his scent, which was akin to ill intent and cheap cologne- and not even a hint of paint or turpentine. Lucy felt nothing when she looked at him. Nothing but contempt, that is.

The whole outing had been a bust. Natsu and Happy had come all this way, endured his motion sickness, for what? Some doofus and his phony paintings? Natsu looked down at the oil paint smudged on his fingers and clenched his fist in anger. He would've knocked that idiot senseless for passing Natsu's stuff off as his own, but he was really trying to stay under the radar.

"Stupid asshole with his knockoff prints. He probably hasn't painted a day in his life…"

"Hey! Hey, wait! Hold up you guys," a feminine voice called out behind them. They turned to see a girl with long, blonde hair and the biggest brown eyes Natsu had ever seen in his life. She was stunning, but the way she held her shoulders and the arch of her smile told him that she probably knew that already.

"God, that guy was disgusting. I can't believe him," She bit out with with disdain. She stopped in front of them with a grateful look in her eyes and the prettiest smile. She reached to put a hand on his shoulder, hoping her gratitude could physically sink into his skin so he would know what a huge favor he'd done for her.

"You guys really saved me back there. I'd be royally screwed without you."

And that was how the three of them had ended up sitting together at a local diner. Lucy had never seen anyone eat so damn much. There was plate after plate of food, half of which ended up splattered on her face from across the table. She was faintly jealous of them, envying their ability to get sustenance from their food without getting sick.

"There was something off about that guy," Lucy explained. "I think he was manipulating people. I don't exactly know how, but I'm positive that he was influencing us. When you guys came along, it snapped me out of it. So, thanks.

"I just feel like something strange is going on here. I've never been the kind of girl to believe in magic or anything, but weird things have been happening lately. I probably sound like a whack job, right? I should probably shut up. You guys must think I'm one of those lunatics that believe in witches or some crap."

"She talks a lot," The cat murmured. Lucy blinked. Was she really going crazy? Cats did not talk. Nope. No way. She definitely needed to go home and rest. Like, now.

"Well, I've gotta head out. You guys can stay. This should cover the tab," She said, laying down some jewels to cover the meal. There goes my discount.

Natsu grabbed her hand before she could leave, staring up at her with tearful eyes. She pulled back, confused. But not before she caught a whiff of his clothes. The smell was unmistakable. The scent of ash and smoke that, oddly enough, also reminded her of brimstone and medieval torches.

"Thank you so much," Natsu started.

"Smoking is really bad for you," Lucy interrupted. Natsu gave her a confused look.

"I did a powerpoint on it in health class," she explained. "Ever heard of lung cancer? Heightened cholesterol? COPD? You know, consistently smoking tobacco can constrict your blood vessels and give you heart disease. Not to mention more aesthetic side effects like stained teeth and wrinkled skin. It would be a shame if a cute guy like you got all haggard and gross over something as inconsequential as cigarettes."

"But I don't-"

"Here," she said, handing him a pack of gum. "Chew a piece of gum whenever you feel like taking a drag. I heard it's a good way to quit. See you guys around."

And with that, she left. Natsu stood behind, confused. Smoking? Why does she think he's a smoker? He's never smoked in his life. Well, that's a lie. He and ice bastard had tried weed about a year ago. But Erza had kicked their asses hard enough to see stars, so they hadn't done it again. The point is, he didn't smoke. Especially not cigarettes.

"Natsu," Happy whispered. "Did she just call you cute?"

Lucy was almost at her hotel when she tripped over a curb and went flying. A helpful hand reached out to grab her arm, keeping her from busting her face of the cement. She looked up at her would-be savior with a smile.

"Why, thank- Oh. It's you," She said, voice flat and eyes untrusting. The Salamander. She reached down to pick up the book that tumbled out of her bag, but he snatched it up first.

"Daughters of Lilith," He murmured, observing the cover. She quickly snatched it from him, dusting the book off.

"I have to go." She turned to leave, but he caught her attention once again.

"You probably want to meet other people like you. Like us," Salamander said with meaningful eyes. Lucy looked up at him in awe. "Come to my party tonight. You can get some answers there."

Lucy soon enough found herself stuffed into her nicest (and tightest) dress and on her way to Salamander's party. It was on a yacht, of course. A fucking yacht. The decor was extravagant, with lights that twinkled like stars and the whitest tablecloths she'd ever seen. Salamander greeted her the second she'd gotten on and ushered her to a private room in the back. She found herself skeptical as she passed the other guests- all women and none seeming to have any paranormal qualities whatsoever. It was only when he'd practically force fed her wine that she'd had enough.

"What the hell do you think you're doing," she spat, slapping the glass out of his hand. "That smelled drugged. Look I came here voluntarily, but I did not sign up to be your little girlfriend; I especially did not sign up to get roofied for whatever sick plans you have. You either tell me where I can find others like me, or I leave. Right now."

"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy. Calm down. It's hard for us to find one of our kind. This is something you probably already know."

He looked at her, expecting to find understanding and resignation but only finding confusion and obstinance. He laughed at her expression, which only grew more confused with each bout of chuckling. She crossed her arms and huffed.

"You really don't know what you are. What we are. Do you? Did you even read that book that you've been carrying around," He asked condescendingly. Lucy nearly growled at him.

"Get to the damned point."

"I'll just be frank, then. You're a succubus, little Lucy."

She frowned. A succubus? She'd been expecting something more well-known, like a witch. Or a sorceress. Or even a vampire. A succubus? What even was that? Some kind of demon… It fed off of men. But it didn't eat them, right? Right?! She so could not condone cannibalism. A succubus was... Wait. When realization hit, Lucy gasped. Salamander smirked at her horrified expression.

"Ding ding ding. You finally got it. You're a demon that seduces men and feeds off of sex."

"But," Lucy gaped. "But I can't even flirt my way to a decent discount! I've never had a boyfriend before, and-" Her voice dropped to the meekest of whispers. "I'm a virgin."

"Don't worry. We can," He gave her a sinister smile. "Fix that."

Lucy was grabbed from behind and roughly thrown to the floor. A group of men were on her, trying to handcuff her flailing limbs. She kicked and screamed, refusing to let herself be chained up.

"Stop! Let go of me!"

"She's a feisty one," Salamander laughed. "I'm sure she'll make a great addition to my harem."

"Harem? Like hell," She spat. He grabbed her chin, turning her face to see every angle- each of which was beautiful.

"Yes, you'll do. You see, little Lucy, it can be hard for an Incubus like me to find a willing meal. As charming as we are, we must change partners frequently in order to keep them alive. Otherwise we'll accidentally drain all of their life force. So this slave ship that we're running is actually quite a humane way to feed."

"You're despicable! How could you- All these girls! Is this," Her voice weakened. "Is this what all supernatural people are like?"

Salamander never got to answer his question. A crash sounded through the ship, and the whole world went sideways. The men tumbled to the corner of the room while Lucy gripped one of the room's columns. Screams sounded through the ship as the passengers started evacuating.

Suddenly, Natsu smashed through the ceiling. Fists clenched and eyes filled with rage, he was a sight to behold. He looked so cool, like the hero come to save the day. That was until the ship tilted, and he promptly ran to the trash can to barf.

"Natsu! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," He groaned. "I just have motion sickness."

"That's so lame," Lucy moaned, putting her head in her hands. "And here you almost looked hot."

"She liiiiikes you," Happy sang as he flew into the room. Note the word 'flew.' The blue cat that, no matter how much Lucy tried to deny it, spoke also had feathered wings. Because a talking, cyan cat with wings is completely normal. Then again, Lucy would've scoffed at the idea of a succubus being real a couple weeks ago.

Happy swooped down and grabbed the back of Lucy's dress, lifting her in the air.

"Let's get you out of here, Lucy!"

"But what about Natsu," she yelled as Happy carried her off the ship.

"He'll be fine! Besides, I can only carry one person at a time."

Lucy quirked an eyebrow. While her saviors were much appreciated, they were also very eccentric. A motion sick badass and his flying kitty sidekick. Out of everyone Lucy had ever met, they certainly ranked in the Top 5 Most Unforgettable.

Happy set her down at the edge of the port just in time for her to see the ship explode. Like, literally combust into flames as pieces of the extravagant boat went flying. Thankfully, all the girls had already evacuated the ship. But the yacht was toast. Lucy gaped at the destruction with wide eyes, falling to her knees. Natsu. There was no way that he was alive. Not after... Not after-

A gasp caught her attention, and Lucy looked down to see Natsu bursting out of the water. His endearing mop of pink hair flopped into his eyes as he looked up at her through his lashes. He proceeded to give her that disarming grin of his, and she just about melted. She couldn't tear her eyes from the droplets of water that ran over his tanned skin or the flex of his biceps as he lifted himself out of the water. Why is my heart beating so fast?

"I'm glad you're okay," he said, voice rumbling. Lucy shivered and took his hand to let him help her up.

"That explosion... Was that you?"

"Yeah," he nodded, grimacing. So much for staying under the radar. "You won't have to worry about them creating a harem of sex slaves anymore."

"You heard that? How much," her voice dropped low. "How much did you hear?"

"When I approaching the ship you were saying something about being a virgin? That's the earliest thing I heard. You were whispering though, so I almost couldn't hear you."

"I- I'm not," Lucy stammered. How was he able to hear her whisper from outside the crowded ship?! That's insane!

"It's fine. I already knew by the way you smell," he said casually.

"You what?"

"Look, I don't really have time to explain. You seem kinda new the the whole not-quite-human thing, and a full answer might take a while. But if you come with me, I'll tell you whatever you wanna know. So, are you coming," he asked, sticking a hand out.

In that moment, Lucy knew that this would be one of those life-altering decisions that she would look back on as the instant everything changed. So, she probably should've given it considerable thought. But the second he asked the question, she already knew the answer. She gave him her hand without any hesitation. He immediately started sprinting.

"Crap! We've gotta run! The Feds are coming," he called over his shoulder.

What have I gotten myself dragged into? Lucy might've just made the biggest mistake of her life. But Natsu's carefree grin set her at ease and made her feel normal for the first time in weeks. She started to wonder if Natsu had his own special kind of magic. Because she was absolutely charmed.