A/N : Hey guys, it's been a long time, ne? Anyways, I've gotten a request from a friend on fanfic to do a crossover of Fairy Tail and One Piece where Lucy goes to the OP world and assumed the role of Luffy. My story's a bit inspired by "A different Journey" and "A slightly different journey" but it's not the same. That I promise, if it is then point it out to me, okay? Also Lucy will be heading to the OP world in chapter 3-4, please bear with me.
Story Tags : Humor, Strong!Smart!Lucy, Reverse Harem, OC!Spirits, Troll!Author,
Disclaimer : I freakin' do not own anything. Just the story.
Chapter One :
Fairy Sphere
"A flower can't choose the place where it blooms and a child can't choose the parents he's born to." - Erza Scarlet
It was supposed to be fun, the S-class exams. Lucy was supposed to make Cana an S-class mage, she was supposed to go back to her guild, supposed to be thinking about how she'd pay this month's rent...and maybe even pay her father a visit. She never expected things to go so badly despite the fact that most things just seemed to go wrong when Team Natsu was involved.
Her hand trembled as she covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face, "I-I don't w-want to die!" there was so much she wanted to do, she had to publish that book, she had to become an S-class mage herself...she was just too young. She didn't want to die.
"Luce..."
Her head snapped up "N-natsu.." she muttered seeing Natsu's grin, it wasn't as big as usual, but it was just as warm, her hand reached out to his as he pulled her up.
Without her knowing it the guild had formed a circle, tightly holding one another's hands. She was holding Natsu and Gray's hands, for a moment her interest was piqued at how Natsu's hand proved warmth while Gray's provided cold.
And as the black dragon roared everyone except Lucy closed their eyes, Lucy however could only stare up in despair. Her heart beating faster, could she really survive this? Was her luck ending? Come on, even Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy who are supposed to be dragon slayers didn't stand a chance...
It was because of her lack of believe that she was unknowingly hit by one of her guild's spells.
"Oi, what are you doing Lucy?"
A smaller Lucy had an angered frown as she easily held a knife, the grace in which she held it credit to her experience in helping Makino out, "I'm going to prove it to you Shanks, I'll prove it to you and everyone else, just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't be a pirate! I don't care about money, pretty dresses or fortune, all I care about is freedom, so right here and now I'll prove it to you!"
"Dahahaha, go for it!" Shanks encouraged
Without a second of hesitation Lucy stabbed herself under her her left eye
"I-idiot, what the hell are you doing?!"
Lucy would have laughed it wasn't so painful, next time, she decided she'll just get a tattoo. That would probably be less painful, yeah. Almost instantly she was hoisted up, her face pressed against Shanks' shirt as the red head ran towards Party's Bar as if it was his lifeline.
"You're such a mother hen" Lucy taunted sniffing a bit
"And you're reckless" Shanks countered
"It hurts..." Lucy sniffed
"Of course it does" Shanks sighed opening the door, "Makino, Lucy did something stupid again!"
"Hey..." Lucy mumbled feeling offended, after all this was the first time this week that she did something stupid. And besides it was Shanks who taught her how to be stupid. The idiot reaped what he sowed.
"Oh my, bring here over here" a concerned Makino ordered
Lucy felt herself being placed on the stool, her left eye closed as her right eye glanced around, Shanks paying close attention to her made her smile slightly before turning to look as Makino.
"I can patch myself up" Lucy mumbled
"You should learn to rely on others more" Makino pointed out, "This will sting okay?"
"Hai!" Lucy drawled out.
That day she got two stitches underneath her left eye.
"Shanks..." Lucy murmured opening her eyes
Even though she was confused her eyes didn't widen, she just stared in front of her with a sleepy expression "Where am I?" she wondered as she gazed at the universe, it was almost as if she was floating through the universe, stars and planets. But the thought was ridiculous, right? Right.
More importantly, "Where's Shanks? Ace? Sabo? Maki-nee?" she was confused, her lost memories were slowly seeping in, but she didn't understand them much. She just knew those four people were important to her.
"Where's Natsu? Happy? Gray? Erza?" she stared at the Fairy Tail mark on her hand contemplatively
"You're in the Spirit World, my old friend"
Lucy's eyes finally widened as she felt her back softly touch the ground, "Spirit World?" she repeated looking around, that could explain why the area around her looked so majestic, so celestial, so...stellar. "Moustache where are you? she asked looking around
The chuckling of the Spirit King made the ground shook "Look down"
Ah, no, it was because she was currently sitting on the Spirit King's head. Oops. "Sorry"
"It's fine, my old friend"
"I'm not old" Lucy mumbled as the Spirit King raised his hand to his head, she walked over to the hand and jumped on it. Her stomach feeling whoozy as the King lowered his hand so Lucy could be eye to eye with him, "What am I doing here?" she asked frowning in confusion
"The question is, are you really here? Is Lucy Heatfillia really in the Spirit World?"
"Stop being cryptic" Lucy pouted crossing her arms
"To put it in simpler terms, physically you're still on Tenrou island, while spiritually you're here in the Spirit World" the Celestial King explained
"How did that happen?"
"That's what I want to know, what happened on that island?" the King asked
"We were attacked by a black dragon" Lucy mumbled, horror dawning on her face "Are my friends still alive?" she asked almost desperately
"A protective spell was cast on the island, but as a result the island has seemingly vanished"
Lucy sat down in relief, "They're still alive, when can I get back?"
"When your body calls back your spirit, it seems like the spell that was cast on the island reacted differently to you, though you'll have to ask the caster why"
"How long will that be?"
"Hours, days, months, maybe even years. Time is a different concept in this world, as such you'll be staying here for an indefinite amount of time, old friend. Of course, you're welcomed here, and I'm sure one of our old friends will provide you with a place to stay"
"My spirits?" Lucy echoed looking down at her keys, "What should I do know?"
"I have already arranged that, old friend. For now rest"
Lucy nearly shrieked as the King suddenly lowered his hand to the ground.
"Is it punishment time, princess?"
"Virgo!" Lucy jumped in surprise, "What are you doing here?"
"The others and I had discussed that it would be best if you stay with me during your stay, as such I came here as soon as I could"
Lucy smiled at Virgo, "Thank you"
"My pleasure princess"
"Let's drink up and celebrate!"
"To Lucy's craziness and our greatness!"
Smiling to herself Lucy lifted up her glass filled with strawberry juice, "Cheers!" she exclaimed in unison with the red head pirates before tilting her head back and chugging the juice down. With a satisfied sigh she placed the empty glass on the counter.
"Hey Lucy?"
The blond turned her head to face Shanks, for once he seemed mildly serious. "Yeah?"
"Why did you do that?" Shanks asked bringing his finger to the stitches under Lucy's left eye, "It'll probably stay"
"So? I'm glad that it'll stay, that way no one would want to marry me, right?"
"Marry you?" Shanks repeated in a bit of a sputter
Lucy nodded, "Grandpa Garp's always going on about how he wants me to join the marines and marry an admiral, but I don't want to do that. It's not fun having everything decided for me, I want to grab my own happiness!"
"Dahahaha, you're thinking about the future too much Lucy-chan, you're still just a kid, there's plenty of time for you to decide" Shanks gently said ruffling Lucy's hair
"B-but I want to go to sea with you Shanks!" Lucy protested
"We already talked about this" Shanks sighed
"Is it because I'm a girl? Or, is it because you hate me?" Lucy asked making Shanks' eyes widened "I...I don't care if you hate me, just take me with you. Even if you hate me, I don't care as long as I'm not alone"
"I don't hate you Lucy, the sea's just too dangerous for kids, wait ten years, okay? And if you still want to be a part of my crew I'll come running"
Lucy's eyes widened "Really?"
"Really" Shanks smiled at her
"Princess, it's time to wake up"
Lucy groaned as she slowly sat up, 'Those strange memories again...'
"In the Spirit World one can choose whether or not to eat, it won't affect us. As such I have taken the time to cook some breakfast for you, princess."
Smiling slightly at Virgo the blond nodded, "I don't know what I would do without you"
Virgo let a small smile grace her features, "After breakfast Aquarius-san has asked me to bring you to the Spirit World's bathhouse"
Blinking in surprise Lucy nodded
"Che, you're late brat." Aquarius stated in annoyance
Sheepishly laughing Lucy wrapped the towel tighter to her body as she stepped into the water, she moaned in delight sinking in deeper "Sorry" she finally apologized
"With that attitude you'll never get a boyfriend"
Lucy's eyebrows twitched, "Yeah, yeah" she agreed, "Why did you call me here anyways?"
"Unfortunately for me I won the lottery to see who's going to explain Star Dress to you"
"Star Dress?" Lucy echoed tilting her head to the side curiously
"Just shut up and listen, Star Dress is a Celestial Spirit Magic Spell in which the user incorporates the power of a Celestial Spirit into their body by placing the key of the Spirit in question on their chest."
Aquarius glared at Lucy prompting the blond to close her mouth.
"The power manifests itself in the form of a wardrobe change kind of like the magic your red headed friend uses, in this case in the form of a dress centered around the Spirit in question's own wardrobe. For example, if you do it with Virgo you'll probably get a maid outfit or something along those lines"
"Also, the user, by adopting the powers and appearance of the Spirit they choose, also adopts a portion of their powers, being able to make use of their Magic. This adoption of power, however, is not limited solely to the Spirit's Magic, but also includes their Magic Power itself, which allows the user to make use of spells of their own that may require more than one person due to the tremendous amount of Magic Power required to cast it. Which means if one day you do it with me, you'll get my Water Magic, and not only that but you can use spells easier without getting tired"
Lucy raised her hand up, "Does it work with every key?"
"Depends, it mostly works with every gold gate keys, but there are some silver keys that can use it...for example Lyra"
Lucy nodded at the explanation, "So I'll be learning the Star Dress while I'm here?"
"For starter, if you're still here when you achieve all of our dresses then we'll have to think of something else, hopefully you won't be around long"
Lucy hummed in thought "I get it, but can I ask you a question that's been bugging me since morning?"
Aquarius arched an eyebrow "Make it quick, I've got a date with my boyfriend. With my boyfriend"
'No need to repeat' Lucy thought with a sweat drop, now how should she word it? Tactfully or bluntly? "Who's Garp?" she bluntly asked
The flowing water seemed to stop as Aquarius stared at Lucy with a dark look "Who?"
"Garp. And maybe you can tell me who Maki-"
"Where did you hear that name?"
Lucy frowned at Aquarius' narrowed eyes, "I've just been having some weird dreams lately, about things I don't remember"
"Dreams? That wasn't supposed to happen..."
"Aquarius?"
Sighing to herself Aquarius mumbled "Should I tell her, Layla? After all you did expect this to happen..."
"Aquarius? Tell me what? What are you keeping from me?"
Feeling slightly annoyed Aquarius was about to lash out only to pause seeing the hurt look Lucy has, the water spirit wondered why her heart ached painfully at the sight..."He's your grandfather from your paternal side"
"But father's father has been dead for years, I've never met him before" Lucy protested
"Listen Lucy...Jude Heartfillia isn't your blood-related father"
Lucy's eyes widened, "You're kidding" she concluded laughing slightly, albeit it was a bit forced, "Not very funny Aquarius, was this all a prank?"
Aquarius didn't say anything
Lucy paled..."It can't be, you're serious?"
"Dead serious" Aquarius confirmed
"T-that's impossible! If he's not my father then who is?"
Aquarius shrugged, "Layla never told us, said it was better left untold."
"Then why don't I remember Shanks?" Lucy mumbled
"Your mother cast a spell on you to rewrite your memories, a part of this is the reason why you grew up believing you've never had a friend before. Because as skilled as your mother was, she couldn't create human lives"
"But my mom was a Celestial mage like me!"
"Yes, but just like the Urano Metria, there are other spells related to Celestial Magic. Rewriting the laws of nature falls under that, memory rewriting being a small branch of that."
Lucy felt her hands shaking uncontrollably "Mom messed with my memories...?"
"She was trying to protect you" Aquarius tried to reason
"...who am I? If Jude really isn't my father, then who am I?" Lucy whispered looking up at Aquarius with conflicted eyes
"You're Monkey D Lucy"
"Are you alright, captain?"
"Did you get hurt?" Makino worriedly asked
Shanks grinned at his crew "No, I'm fine"
On cue everyone began laughing
"Shanks..."
Shanks paused to glance at Lucy's teary eyed face "Are you okay?"
"I should be asking you that!" Lucy exclaimed with a sniff
"I'm fine, see? It'll take a lot more than that to take me down"
"Why didn't you fight him? I know you would've won"
"It was just a bottle of sake, there's nothing to get worked up about"
Lucy frowned, "But he hurt you, that's enough for me to get angry at him. I don't like seeing you get hurt Shanks"
Shanks smiled at Lucy, "I'm flattered that you care Lucy-chan"
"Hmph, after all I can't join a weakling's crew"
"Dahahha, there you go again acting mean"
Lucy sighed tiredly, her head spinning with the new information she just got.
"Okay, let's sort the facts out" Lucy mumbled to herself
Jude Heartfilia isn't her real father, merely her step-father.
Her name's actually Monkey D Lucy, and yet she still doesn't know what the D stands for.
It seems like the spell that hit her caused the memory lock she had to disappear which explains why she's slowly remembering her true past.
Earth Land is just a tiny speck in the whole wide sea, but it seems like Earth Land and the bigger sea were disconnected years ago, which is where her mother came in. Her mom tried to investigate the reason for this, only to give up after realizing what would happen if the Marine were to find out about Earth Land. Before she could come back to Earth Land and forget about the whole ordeal, she met a man. They were in love, however the man sought to break their relationship off for the sake of their dreams. She never told anyone his name but she got pregnant, nine months later Lucy was born.
Lucy's father sent Layla back to Earth Land when Layla's condition turned for the worse, deciding to entrust Lucy to Garp in order for Layla to have a normal life without the burden of being a single parent. There Layla met Jude Heartfilia, and once again fell in love. No matter how hard the two tried Layla didn't get pregnant, as such Layla told Jude about Lucy, and although Jude knew Lucy wasn't his real daughter he had wanted to raise her as well, the love in Layla's eyes as she spoke about Lucy being the main reason.
Layla sent Capricorn, Aquarius and Cancer to search for Lucy day in and day out. The strain of summoning three spirits not winning out against her love for her daughter. A few months later it was Aquarius that found Lucy.
"Princess?"
Lucy glanced at Virgo, "Hm?"
"It's time for us to start"
Lucy was glaring at the bandit in front of her "Lemme go!" she struggled in one of the men's hold
"Hmm, she's a feisty one, but with her looks I'm sure we can sell her for a high price in the black market"
If possible Lucy started struggling more, no way was she going to have herself sold to strangers. With some effort Lucy managed to throw her shoe, it hit the bandit straight in his face.
"Shishishi, take that!" Lucy smirked throwing another shoe
"You brat!" the bandit sneered punching Lucy in the head, "We were just talking to the pretty bartender, did that piss you off?"
"Apologize for harassing Makino-nee!" Lucy yelled "Damn it, right now!"
"Let the child go!"
Lucy paused her struggling and screaming to stare wide eyed at the chief, "Chief..." she mumbled in disbelief as the old man went on his knees, 'No, don't. I'm not...I...don't trouble yourself for me...'
"I don't know what Lucy did, and I don't want to argue with you, but I'm willing to pay. Please let the child go"
Despite herself Lucy felt her eyes tear up in happiness, "Chief!"
"As expected, the elders now how to deal with these situations, but I'm afraid it's too late. This brat pissed me off, now I want to kill her"
Lucy doesn't know what possessed her, but her mouth went open letting out a yell "SHANKS!" her eyes closed tightly
"I was wondering why no one was welcoming us at the port, so this is why"
Lucy instantly relaxed at the voice, although it was far from her she could hear it. As usual it made a smile lit up her features, "He really came..."
"Hey, aren't you the bandits from the other day? Lucy! What's wrong, aren't you tough?"
Lucy gritted her teeth in frustration at the words, trust Shanks to press her buttons even in a tough situation, "This is just a strategic defense, but I'll leave the rest up to you"
"Pirate, why are you still here? Are you going to clean up the whole town this time? I suggest you leave right now, if you get any closer I might have to open fire" the bandit coolly informed
Lucy looked on expectantly as Shanks walked forward
Another bandit placed his gun on Shanks' head "Do you want to get shot? Hahaa!"
"Well, I guess since you pulled out your gun we'll have no choice but to fight"
"Huh?"
"I said don't use this to scare people" Shanks lectured pointing at the gun
On cue Lucky Roo shot the bandit at point blank
"That was dirty!"
"Dirty?" Benn repeated, "Don't make us laugh, do you think we're saints or something?"
Shanks stepped forward, "The people standing in front of you are pirates. Listen up bandits! You can whip food or sake at me...or even spit on me, I can laugh it off..but! I don't care what reasons you have, I won't forgive anyone who messes with my friends!"
"Shanks..."
"Lucy-sama, are you okay?"
Lucy rubbed her neck looking apologetically at Capricorn, "I'm just a little homesick"
"Well, it has been a whole year here which is two years in Earth Land" Capricorn said in understanding
Lucy squashed down the small part of her that wanted to correct Capricorn, her home wasn't in East Blue anymore, it was in Earth Land. Standing up she grabbed a key from her belt and placed it on her chest, "Stardress, Capricorn form!"
Her clothing was replaced with a black qipao dress with gold flower patterns, the dress was slit by the sides. For footwear she now has a pair of black boots with two inch heels, her hair was up in an elegant bun.
Capricorn clapped his hands, "You've completed your Star Dress training Lucy-sama, I'm sure Layla-sama would be proud of you"
Lucy smiled slightly at the thought of her mother, "Why did she keep my past a secret from me?"
"Layla-sama wanted to give you back your memories one day knowing your yearning for adventure and your ambition to find the One Piece, but she passed away before she could remove the spell. Aquarius and Cancer were just following her orders not to tell you until the spell has been removed"
Lucy took in a deep breath, "What should I do? I love Fairy Tail and my friends here, but..."
"You miss your other friends as well, you miss the sea" Capricorn finished for her
"Yeah..."
"In this choice it's not possible to choose for both, my advice is for you to think it through so you won't regret it in the future Lucy-sama. After all it wouldn't be fair to Fairy Tail if they think they're the reason you're not going back, and it wouldn't be fair to Shanks-sama and the others if they think you feel obligated to them"
Lucy groaned, "This is so hard.."
The first time Lucy met Shanks was a memory Lucy had thought she'd never forget...it had all started on a sunny day, as cliche as that sounds, Lucy had been doing her morning ritual of sitting at the port, a book in her lap as she occasionally glanced at the fishermen.
"Make sure you don't fall Lucy-chan!" they would teasingly warn her
She'd smile at them and nod, assuring them that she'll be fine. And if something happens she can swim, but then they'd warn her about the Sea Monster which would make her a little scared, though she'd hide it by ducking her nose in her book.
Today she was reading a book on astrology, it was a gift she received from her grandfather during his last visit. The book fascinated her so much, celestial bodies has always been something of interest to her.
"Pirates!"
Lucy could only blink at the panicking fishermen before directing her gaze at an approaching pirate ship, "Pirates..." she mumbled to herself remembering how her grandpa said they were bad people. "Old man, go call the chief!" she barked at the fisherman
The fisherman hastily nodded running towards the office, not before warning Lucy to head inside.
"Dahahaha, look at them run!"
'He's loud' Lucy deadpanned as the ship stopped at the dock, a red head man with a strawhat laughing loudly near the railings. It was without reason that she observed the laughing and cheering pirates as they began getting off the boat before she turned back to her book, it didn't look like the pirates had any ill intentions, besides she was here first. She wouldn't leave because of them.
"Hey, kid"
Lucy bit her lips, her normally blank eyes practically shining as she stared at the picture of some constellations. They were breathtaking, she noted as she brushed her fingers against them.
"Hey, blond"
Blond?
Ah, right, she's blond. Lucy glanced behind her to see that very same red head man giving her an easy smile "Do you need something mister?"
"Well, I was wondering if you knew where the best bar in town is"
Best bar? Oh no, she forgot to check in with Makino today..."Party's bar, just over there" Lucy mumbled absently pointing in that direction as she stood up. "Bye mister"
"It's Shanks"
Lucy tilted her head, "Huh?"
"My name, just call me Shanks, okay?" Shanks grinned at her
Lucy smiled slightly, it was rare for someone to introduce themselves to her, usually it was them that knew her name already and she just calls them auntie, uncle, old man or something. "I'm Lucy, Monkey D Lucy"
Lucy could've sworn she saw recognition flash in Shanks' eyes at the name "D", but she didn't feel the need to tell him.
"Bye Lucy-chan"
Lucy nodded waving slightly before she tucked the book under her arms and began walking away, wondering why her grandpa thought pirates were bad people, after all..."Shanks seemed nice..."
"Loke, Virgo, what are you two doing here?" Lucy asked as she stopped meditating
"Princess..." both spirits muttered in worry, Loke seeming more sheepish than Virgo.
"Something wrong?" Lucy asks as she arched her eyebrow
"Cassiopeia the Enchantress has extended an invitation to you for a tea party" Virgo informed as she extended the envelope towards a confused Lucy
"Be careful Lucy, Cassiopeia may be silver ranked but that's only because of her lack of ability to fight, she has a way with people." Loke warned, though he was cryptic.
Lucy could only sigh at her spirits' worrisome looks, well, at least now she had another way to distract herself from another wave of homesickness, gosh she misses Makin...no, she misses Fairy Tail. Her gut clenched in guilt as she stood up, "Any tips on what to wear?" she asked with a slightly forced smile
Virgo seemed to whip out a hot pink cocktail dress out of nowhere making Lucy's smile become more genuine.
"I got the shoes" Loke cheekily informed bringing out a pair of black high heeled pumps with ankle straps
"You two..." Lucy cut off her own sentence as she tackled her two spirits into a hug
Fifteen minutes later the blond was being escorted by her two spirits, Lucy was wearing a hot pink cocktail dress with her pair of high heeled black pumps, her nails were painted pink and her hair was let down. Simply put Lucy looked stunning. She wore some simple silver star themed earrings and necklace.
"Is this the place?" Lucy asked with a tint of disbelief eyeing the garden in front of her, filled with blue roses.
Leo chuckled, "Yes, princess. Now you'll have to keep going on your own, Cassieopeia is a rather fickle and ill-tempered spirit"
Virgo nodded in agreement, "Be careful princess, there's a reason Cassieopeia's key is missing"
Lucy could only give them a confused look as they ushered her forward. Suddenly she felt a bit nervous about meeting this spirit considering someone as stoic as Virgo was cautious around her and someone as flirtatious as Loke was wary of her.
Regardless she walked forward, there was no point in looking back.
Eventually she reached a patio, a female spirit was sitting there sipping on tea. Lucy straightened up at the sight of the spirit, she had hip length straight auburn hair, her eyes were a beautiful mix of light blue and dark blue, she was wearing a black and white checkered corset dress that hugged her hourglass figure.
"G-good afternoon" Lucy stuttered with a blush, she felt so ugly compared to the spirit, and yet she was so awed. Lucy was sure that she now had a small spirit crush on Cassieopeia
"Are you just going to stand there and gawk?" Cassieopeia giggled motioning Lucy to sit
"A-ah, sorry!" Lucy squeaked taking a seat in front of the spirit
"I've heard a lot of great things about you Heartfilia-san, and when I heard you've been staying in the spirit world this past year I just had to meet you in person, I must say you don't disappoint"
"Neither do you Cassieopeia-san, I've heard you were beautiful, but wow"
"You may say my beauty is number one in the spirit world, I completely pride myself in my beauty" Cassieopeia informed connecting her fingers together before placing her chin on them, her long eyelashes fluttering as she gave Lucy a coy smile "In fact if we were to have the spirits vote on which one of us is prettier I'm sure even your contracted spirits would say me, wouldn't you agree?"
Lucy was about to nod feeling herself in a trance before she stopped herself, a twitch on her eyebrows. 'She's saying her sex appeal is better than mine?' Lucy wondered to herself, if there was one thing Lucy prided herself in it would be her sex appeal. "Beauty's in the eyes of the beholder"
Cassieopeia seemed momentarily surprised before she let a small satisfied smile, "Truly impressive display of willpower Heartfilia-san, most would have agreed with everything I say" she flipped her hair slightly, "You see my ability lies in being able to weaponize my beauty to the point of being the ultimate seductress and espionage expert"
Lucy's eyes had a flash of realization, "That's why I feel inferior compared to you, it's your magic"
"Correct, but enough about my little test, I want to request something from you"
"Request?"
Cassieopeia had a sad frown, "You see thirty years ago I like many spirits was contracted to a mage, his name was Greg, he was a the most amazing master ever, his appearance could even beat mine, so naturally I fell in love with him and he I. Our love was more pure than the universe itself, but alas I was a spirit and he was a human, it could not be."
Lucy's heart rate was picking up with anticipation, she wondered if Cassieopeia would let her write this story.
"He eventually began aging, while I remained the same. I had told him that we should break our contract and forget about one another while we could still say that we love each other. It was as if I made him snap, because suddenly he grabbed a knife yelling to the heavens that he could not live without me, I did the only thing I could and took the knife wound. He's never summoned me since then, too overcome by his own guilt he gave up on Magic and fell for a mortal"
Lucy's bleeding heart couldn't resist, "What can I do for you?"
She couldn't understand why Virgo and Loke was so cautious about Cassieopeia, her spirits were probably jealous of Cassieopeia's beau...wait, what was she thinking? Lucy's head hurt as one side of her protested against the idea of Virgo and Loke being superficial.
Cassieopeia was sobbing now but Lucy frowned, 'Her magic revolves around being able to manipulate others with her beauty and charisma, and she said it herself that she's an espionage expert'
"You're very pretty Cassieopeia, but your vanity would get in the way of you ever falling in love with another. It would have been more believable if you had said you fell in love with yourself and the Spirit King had to take away your mirror"
Cassieopeia's eyes widened in anger, "What?!"
Lucy smiled slightly, "Basically I said you're vain and arrogant, it's such a shame"
"Take that back you peasant!" Cassieopeia's beautiful face turned into a sneer as she pointed her long nails at Lucy, "I am the most beautiful being there is, my status fair succeeds yours."
'She won't listen to reason...it's just like back then with Shanks and the bandit, I'll have to play dirty...'
A coy smile curled up on Lucy's features, "Your status succeeds mine? I don't mean to be rude and I know this is a low blow, but pirates aren't saints, a spirit is considered an object by most excluding me. And if you were to argue that you are a living and breathing being too, then I can use my status as a Heartfilia against you. If you weren't so arrogant you would have realized that my status is far higher than yours" Lucy wasn't sure what came over her, this was something the Lucy in her forgotten memories would say, not her.
Cassieopeia was gaping now, "Heartfilia?"
"Yes, my family business, which makes me the next heiress. You could say I'm a princess" Lucy smiled coldly
"I-I am so sorry! I didn't know you were a princess!" Cassieopeia's expression was panicked
Lucy's shoulders started shaking, she couldn't keep up the act anymore! Giggles escaped her before she threw her head back laughing like she owned the world.
Cassieopeia could only stare in disbelief in how ungraceful a princess could act, and yet Lucy was still shining despite that...
"It's okay Cassieopeia, I ran away when I was sixteen, so I'm not a princess anymore" Lucy assured the spirit
"You ran away?! How can you just run away from such a luxurious lifestyle? People would kill to be a princess!"
Lucy frowned, "Sure I had all the money I needed, and I know this is cliche but money doesn't mean a thing if you're not happy. What I wanted wasn't money, pretty dresses nor fortune forced upon me, I didn't want to be Lucky Lucy of the Heartfilia anymore, I wanted people who saw me for me, not because of superficial reasons!"
Cassieopeia could only stare in disbelief
"I found a family in Fairy Tail, and in my spirits. I would love if you were to become part of that family too, if you want to, what do you say?" Lucy asked offering her hand
Cassieopeia's mouth went close in realization, "That's what I've forgotten..." she mumbled to herself, her eyes filled with surprised tears, she quickly wiped them away offering Lucy a teary smile, "Beautiful people like us need to stick together, Lucchin" she winked shaking Lucy's hand
Their hands began glowing...
"You've finally remembered that true beauty doesn't revolve around appearances, but also revolves around inner beauty, my old friend."
Both girls' eyes widened "Spirit King..." Cassieopeia mumbled with a small smile
"What's this?" Lucy asked
Their attention were brought back to a silver key that appeared on the table, the key had the engraving of a blue rose.
"It's now yours Lucchin" Cassieopeia smiled sliding the key towards Lucy, "Though I'd prefer if you don't use my full name anymore"
"Then how does Cassie sound?" Lucy asked observing the key
"Lovely" Cassie winked
'I'm so weak...' Lucy thought to herself as her body hit the boat, she didn't even have it in her to glare at the bandit.
"This is all your fault, brat, I oughta-"
"Well, why don't you just kill me?! Huh? Go ahead! You'll be in bigger trouble...Shanks will hunt you down!" Lucy yelled at him
The bandit sneered, "How weak, do you always rely on that pirate?"
Lucy's eyes widened 'He's right, I'm always whining to Shanks...how can I be a pirate if I can't even get out of this mess on my own?' her eyes narrowed as she struggled through the ropes, "Shut up, I can save myself!"
"Oh, really? You're doing a poor attempt at that brat"
Lucy's head snapped towards the source of the new voice, her eyes widening in disbelief, "A mermaid?" she mumbled in awe
"Hmph, but it's really pathetic to see a grown man kidnapping a little brat" the mermaid stated grabbing Lucy in her right arm, she raised her left arm up, "And it's suicide to mess with Layla's daughter on my watch" a powerful waved rose up, and the mermaid snapped her fingers. The harsh water drowned the bandit easily yet avoided both Lucy and the mermaid.
Lucy could only stare in awe, "That was awesome...how did you do that, miss?"
"Ah?" Lucy almost shivered at the dark look the mermaid gave her, "Oh, that's my magic."
"Magic is real?" Lucy's eyes practically shone
"You used it yourself just now, whether you know it or not you were acting as a beacon for me"
"I can use magic?" Lucy repeated, "Amazing! Ne, miss, who are you?"
The mermaid's eyes softened, "I'm Aquarius, you're Lucy, right?"
"Uh-huh, how do you know?" Lucy curiously asked
"I've been looking for you for months now, but that's not important. Tell me, are you happy here?"
Lucy nodded, "I used to be very lonely, but then Shanks came! He's super cool, and one day he'll take me out to sea with him!"
"Oh? You're going to rely on an old man? Then you're bound to stay weak considering he's stronger than you, in fact it won't even be fun seeing as he's been on a lot of adventures before you"
Lucy looked down, "But Shanks is my friend, if I join another crew I may not make any friends"
"Then why not make your own crew?"
Lucy's eyes widened
"Waaah~ Save me!"
Lucy barely kept her balance as someone crashed into her, "What?" Lucy murmured to herself glancing at a human-rabbit hybrid spirit that was clutching on to her leg like a lifeline, the spirit was male and had a child-like body. Probably at the physical age of thirteen or so, he has white hair, rabbit ears, his eyes were red and he was wearing an overly big lab coat "Hey, what's wrong?" Lucy asked in concern
The boy looked up to her with teary eyes "Kiba-nii is being mean again~!"
"Kiba?" Lucy repeated in confusion
As if on cue a howling noise could be heard, the rabbit boy hid behind Lucy "Protect me miss!"
Lucy didn't know what was going on, but it seemed like the boy was in trouble so she nodded standing protectively in front of him, her hand on her whip ready to defend.
"Usa!"
Lucy tensed as a male human-wolf hybrid appeared, his wolf ears were red, he had spiky red hair, he was wearing an admittedly cool black coat, though it was left open to reveal a red shirt underneath, the spirit was wearing a pair of black pants. His red tail spinning in circles as he narrowed his red eyes on Lucy and the rabbit boy Usa, his long fangs sticking out from his mouth.
"Is something the matter?" Lucy tensely asked
Kiba's hands flew into his pocket, and he took out...a bottle of pills? "Usa needs to take his pills"
Lucy comically fell down in disbelief,
"No~! I don't like 'em!" Usa cried
"You have to take them, it's for your own good!" an annoyed Kiba yelled
"Umm," Lucy chimed in earning the rabbit and wolf duo's attention, "Why not just crush the pills into powder and let it dissolve into some water?"
"That's..." Kiba started
"Ingenious!" Usa finished
Lucy sheepishly rubbed her neck as the two stared at her as if she was an Angel or something
"Hey, wait, you're Lucy Heartfilia, aren't you?" Kiba asked crossing his arms with a smirk, "Who would've known we'd run into the famous Lucy, guess your paw really is lucky Usa"
Usa gaped, "You're Lucy-sama?!"
Lucy's smile turned even more sheepish, "You've heard about me?"
"Who hasn't? Kind, treats spirits like equal, not bossy, hot and strong, you're a legend to us spirits. AND not to mention the story behind how you got the Spirit King to let Leo back, you practically went against God!" Kiba informed her confidently, "I heard the rumors that you were currently in the Spirit World while your physical body's AWOL, but I didn't expect them to be true. Guess the rumor about you befriending Cassieopia is true too" his eyes were staring at the new key on Lucy's belt
"Wow, I didn't know I was famous around here" Lucy mumbled
"Waah~! She's so humble~! Just like the rumors say!" Usa babbled hopping around excitedly, "Ne, Lucy-sama, can I get your autograph?"
"Of course!" Lucy seemed a bit too happy to have a fanboy
Out of nowhere Usa whipped out a paper and pen. Usa's eyes were practically shining when as he stared at Lucy's signature.
"Oi, princess," Kiba's voice sounded mocking as he handed Lucy a piece of paper, "Just in case you need some new recruits when you get back in your body" he winked ruffling her hair a bit, "You're a miracle worker for getting Usa to accept his medicine, see if he doesn't get them he'll go on a sugar rush, the medicine helps regulate his blood flow"
Lucy nodded in understanding tucking the piece of paper in her pockets, "I'll be sure to go to the address once I'm back, and don't worry about it"
"You're leaving today, right?" Lucy asked smiling at Shanks' back, it was half-forced and half-genuine
"We've stayed here for a long time, but it's time to leave. Will you miss us?" Shanks asked
"Of course I'll miss you guys! But," Lucy's eyes closed as she gave Shanks' a closed eye smile, her arms crossed behind her back "I won't ask you to take me with you anymore"
"Oh?" Shanks asked, though he was surprised he hid it well.
"Uh-huh, I'll become a pirate by myself" Lucy stated
Shanks turned to stick his tongue out at Lucy "I wouldn't have taken you with me either way! Like you can ever become a pirate" he mocked
Lucy opened her eyes making Shanks pause seeing the determination in it as she gave him a passive look, "I will become a pirate. I'll gather my own crew that will beat yours and find the One Piece. No matter what I'll become the pirate King, that's my promise of a lifetime!" Lucy's voice had gotten louder at the end, the wind lifting up her hair as if agreeing with her
Shanks smiled, "Oh, you're going to beat us..." he looked on as Lucy's bangs obscured her eyes, the only sing that Lucy was holding back her tears being the shaking of her shoulders.
"Then..." Shanks started taking off his hat, "I'll let you take care of this hat." he placed the hat on Lucy's head, "It's very important to me. Take good care of it"
Tears streamed down Lucy's face as she nodded, "I promise, I'll protect it with my life"
Lucy's rubbed her eyes trying to fight off the tears, why? Why was she wondering how Shanks was doing? She should be wondering about Natsu and the others! After all Fairy Tail's her home...
..yet why was her heart yearning for to become the Pirate King?
She looked up at the beautiful starry sky, it was more breathtaking than in Earth Land, yet she still thinks the one in East Blue was the best. "I wish..." she started to herself only to stop. A part of her wished to go back to Fairy Tail, the other part wishes she could go back to East Blue and start up her crew.
"They say if you fold a thousand cranes your wish will come true"
"But what if you don't know what you want?" Lucy asked
"Then shouldn't you use the wish for someone else's sake?"
For someone else's sake, huh?
Makino and the others probably thinks she's dead considering she's been missing for years.
Natsu and the others are probably still in a coma state.
"Choices are hard to make" Lucy dully commented
"But aren't the results worth it?"
Lucy smiled slightly, "It's not that easy Shikami" she stated as the male spirit sat down next to her.
Shikami, the spirit of the constellation Grus, gave Lucy an encouraging smile, "You should think about what makes you happy" he spoke tucking a stray strand of his pale blond hair back, his eerie pure white eyes unblinkingly staring at Lucy, "Besides," he raised his hand up summoning colorful butterflies made out of paper, "If you choose to go you can choose to come back if you're not happy out there"
Lucy's eyes were transfixed on the paper butterflies that slowly turned into tiny airplanes flying in the night sky, they almost looked like shooting stars.
"Aquarius!" Lucy whispered loudly as she entered deeper into the forest where a small river stood
"Looks like you're back brat" Aquarius stated crossing her arms
Lucy grinned, "Aquarius! You're back!"
Aquarius nodded easily, "What's been happening?"
"Grandpa took me to these mountain bandits and-"
"Mountain bandits?" Aquarius cut the blond off with a dark look on her face, "As in Monkey D Garp, a marine, entrusted his own granddaughter to bandits?!" the water started swirling wildly to express Aquarius' anger
"They're cool once you get to know them, though they're mean to me" Lucy pouted crossing her arms
Aquarius cracked her knuckles with a sadistic look, "Wait until Lalyla hears about this"
"Mom?" Lucy echoed, "Ne, tell me more about here?"
"Ah? I've already told you enough, if you want to know more about her you'll have to come with me" Aquarius smirked as Lucy's eyes that were practically confused swirls
"And I said I'll go meet my mom once I become the pirate King" Lucy stubbornly said
Aquarius clicked her tongue, "Che, one day you'll be begging for me to take you to Layla"
"Not today!" Lucy cheekily grinned splashing some water on Aquarius never noticing Aquarius' face soften before the water bearer splashed her with a huge wave of water.
Lucy let herself sink in the completely empty bathhouse, her eyes closed in bliss, it's been a long time since she had some time to relax, especially since she began training some swordsmanship under the Celestial Spirit King. She grinned slightly to herself remembering a letter she received asking for an interview with her, it felt good getting some recognition.
"IS LUCY HEARTFILIA IN HERE?!"
Lucy cringed at the loud voice
"You idiot, don't be so loud!" another voice exclaimed followed by a loud slap
"I'm sowwy~"
Lucy sighed to herself, "There goes my peace and quiet" she mumbled standing up, the wet towel hugged her body perfectly as she turned towards the entrance of the bathhouse to see two female spirits.
One was a human-fox hybrid, simply put she was stunning. Her short orange hair seemed like it was made for her heart-shaped face, hear orange fox ears twitching a bit as she glanced around revealing her violet eyes. She was wearing a pair of blue booty shorts, her B-cup breasts were barely covered with what seemed to be a red bikini top with white polka dots, her tail was wrapped around her wait like a belt. The tips of both her tail and ears were white and she didn't have any footwear.
The other was a human-lynx hybrid, her body was decorated in white fur with black spots, she was wearing a pair of black shorts, her long tail twitching in annoyance as she retraced her long claws back. Her white ears had some black tips at the end. To cover her upper front she had a dark green corset. On her left hip stool a barrel gun while on her right hip stood a sheathed dagger. The most eye-catching part about the spirit was her dark green eyes that seemed to have gold flecks in it, her eyes seemed like they were glowing and that they could see right through you.
"I'm Lucy, it's nice to meet you" Lucy spoke up kindly
The two spirits' turned their attention to her, Lucy felt naked, but she merely smiled at them as they seemed to observe every part about her.
"She's so hot~!" the fox hybrid was the first to yell running towards Lucy aiming to glomp her
Lucy braced herself only for a white blur to appear in front of her and kick back the fox hybrid, "I'm sorry about Kitsune-baka here, she's just too excited"
"That was mean Lynx-tan~" Kitsune chided childishly
"I don't mind"
"See? Lucy-tan's the best!" Kitsune cooed pulling Lucy into a hug and snuggling in the blond's breasts, "And her boobs are softer than Aries-tan's!"
"Tan?" Lucy echoed
Lynx sighed shaking her head, "Kitsune adds the honorific 'tan' to people she likes' names" she explained
"Oh" Lucy mumbled awkwardly returning the hug earning a delighted squeal
"Anyways!" Lynx raised her voice slightly as she pulled Kitsune back by the ears, "We've been meaning to speak with you for quite some time Lucy-sama"
"Please drop the 'sama'," Lucy requested
"Very well, Lucy-san. As I was saying we've been looking for you"
"Me?"
"Yep~" Kitsune confirmed, "Ya see, you could say we're the youngest spirits in a while, only sixteen years old, we've just completed our training! I'm an illusion magic user and Lynx-tan uses Wolf takeover magic~!"
Lynx nodded, "The Spirit King told us we're ready to make contracts, so we narrowed our list down to two people. Lucy-san and a girl named Yukino"
"We don't have Yukino, since she's younger than us and we want someone with experience~! Not to mention all the cool things that happens when you go one adventures!" Kitsune gushed, "Like the time when you fought against that other Spirit Mage Angel, we heard all about it from Aries-tan"
"Aries-sempai has told us great things about you Lucy-san, and if you're willing to have us we'll gladly serve under you"
Lucy smiled at them, "My Spirits are my friends, not my servants. There's always room for more, if you wanna be my friends"
Lynx's stoic face had a small smile, "We'd love that"
"You betcha!" Kitsune chimed in
"Oi, brat you're la...what's wrong?" Aquarius frowned in concern seeing a depressed Lucy
"Ace and Sabo saved me again today" Lucy mumbled
"So? Be happy you're still alive and living" Aquarius stated
"What's the point of living if I keep having regrets?" Lucy angrily asked clenching her fists, "I'm always being protected by those two, why can't they ever be protected by me?"
"Then what do you want to do? Things will only get harder if you become a pirate, you'll face people who are a thousand times stronger than this Ace and Sabo, marines will constantly chase you down, and you'll have to be stronger than your crew"
"I want to become stronger! I want to be able to protect anything I want! I want to be able to protect anything I want...so I don't ever have to lose anything..."
Aquarius smirked "Then become stronger, I don't want you dying before you meet Layla"
Lucy gave Aquarius a smile
"Lucy-chan, who was your first contract with?"
Lucy smiled at the brunette sitting across from her writing furiously down in her notebook "It was Aquarius"
"Aquarius? What a surprise! Who do you consider your strongest spirit?"
"Umm...either Aquarius or Leo or Capricorn" Lucy sheepishly answered
"Why did you name your Nikora species Plue?"
"Because I thought Plue was a cute name...?"
"Do you have a love interest?"
"Nope" Lucy replied glancing around the room filled with breathtaking paintings
"How did you feel when you first met the King?"
"I was angry at the time, so I kinda told him off" Lucy sheepishly admitted
"How did you feel when you were in Edolas?"
"Amazed, I read in books about parallel worlds, but nothing could beat seeing it for real. Especially meeting my counterpart Lucy Ashley, she's kinda an inspiration for me" now that Lucy thinks about it her counterpart acted a lot like her when she was little
"Awesomeness! Who's your best human friend?"
"Levy-chan and Natsu, but it's hard to choose since I have a lot more!"
"How do you feel about training under the Spirit King?"
"It's amazing!"
"What's your dream?"
"To become the..." Lucy cut herself off shaking her head, "I'm still lost on that topic"
"Too bad, what's the best part of being a Celestial Spirit Mage?"
"I guess getting to make new and unique friends"
The brunette smiled, "That's a wrap, thank you very much Lucy-chan!"
Lucy smiled back, "You're welcome Yumiko"
"Would you like some tea?"
Lucy jumped in surprise before glancing to the side seeing an apologetic teenager, "Since when?"
"Shiota-kun's been there the whole time" Yumiko happily informed
Lucy gave the brown haired boy an apologetic look "I'm so sorry!"
"Don't worry about it, you see that's Shiota's specialty" Yumiko happily informed
"I'm so plain and normal looking that people tend to not notice me" Shiota explained
"Yep, he's the one who got the scoop on Scorpio being seeing with another woman who isn't Aquarius!" Yumiko grinned
"Wow, that was you?! Aquarius was so mad!" Lucy gasped, "You two make a good team, do you have the same summoner?"
Yumiko shook her head, "Actually both of us don't have a contract since we're completely unremarkable spirits"
"Eh?! You're kidding, right? But you two are so amazing!"
Both gave her a sad smile, "Not most are open-minded like you Lucy-san" Shiota wisely said
Lucy frowned at the two, "Then let's make a contract!"
Yumiko smiled "So anyways I was thinking about releasing-"
.
.
"You want to make a contract with us?!" both spirits exclaimed in disbelief
"Of course!"
"You still haven't convinced Lucy-sama to come back to Layla-sama?"
"What can I say? The kid's rather stubborn" Aquarius crossed her arms in annoyance, "She isn't anything like Layla"
"She really doesn't want to go to Layla? -ebi"
"Well, she said she'll go back once she finishes her dream..."
"Her dream?" Cancer echoed
"To become the pirate King" despite herself Aquarius had a small smile, "Big dream for a runt like her"
"I see, I should have known you wouldn't try to convince Lucy-sama, after all she completely adores the sea which is your element" Capricorn said
"Huh? Are you implying that I support her crazy dream?!" Aquarius hissed, "Let's make this clear I-"
"Aquarius?"
Aquarius stopped talking to glance at the forest clearing, she could hear Lucy's footsteps coming closer "Brat" Aquarius acknowledged almost fondly
"Who are they?" a frowning Lucy asked hiding shyly behind Aquarius
"Oh, these are your mother's other spirits. Capricorn and Cancer"
Lucy shyly peered at the two
"She looks just like Layla-sama..." Capricorn stated
"Cool...a talking goat and a crabman" Lucy's eyes were sparkling like stars
"Oh? I'm not cool anymore?" Aquarius mocked
"No! You're amazing and pretty!" Lucy exclaimed hugging Aquarius
"What do you want brat?" Aquarius asked ruffling Lucy's hair
"I wanna become a Mage just like mom, then I'll become strong, right?"
Lucy stared at her hands in surprise, they seemed like they were fading
"It seems it's time for you to awaken, my old friend. May the divine powers protect you"
X791 Tenrou Island
Lucy's eyes snapped open, for some reason she felt that her body was heavier. Probably because she hasn't been in her body for years, and that she'll have to work on obtaining the speed she had back in the Spirit World. Such a hassle.
"Ah, you're awake"
Lucy's eyes glanced towards the sound of the voice, she blinked seeing a kid "Who are you?" her voice sounded hoarse
"I'm the first master of Fairy Tail, Mavis Vermilion"
"...oh, were you the one who protected us?" Lucy asked sitting up, the keys on her belt jiggling slightly
"Yes, I used the strong bonds and believe of the guild and converted into magic" Mavis explained
"Then why did it affect me differently?"
"Because your belief wavered the mix Acnologia's roar and my spell hit you sending your to the Spirit World spiritually"
"My belief wavered...?" Lucy whispered in disbelief
"Yes, wasn't there someone you subconsciously wanted to come save you?"
Lucy's eyes widened in realization, 'Shanks...'
"Mavis-san...is it wrong of me to want to pursue my own dream?" Lucy blurted out before she could help herself
"Pursuing one's own dream is the ultimate adventure, and a Fairy Tail mage is all about adventure...so no, I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to pursue your own dream as long as you always cherish the bonds of your nakama"