.

We are the 0bservanc3.

We do NOT own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does, nor any characters seen within this timeline.

Well… perhaps one or two not seen elsewhere…

Read on…

And see how even small changes can alter the world.

Fairy Tail – Changed Fate

Ch.3 The Road to Magnolia

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Narrator:

In a land, far far away, lies the Kingdom of Fiore—a small peaceful nation of seventeen million and a place filled with magic. Found in every home, bought and sold in every marketplace, for most magic is just merely a tool—a mundane part of everyday life. For some, however, magic is an art and they've devoted their lives to its practice.

These are the wizards. Banded together into magical guilds they ply their skills in search of fame and fortune. Many such guilds dot the landscape of Fiore. But there is a certain guild in a certain town that soars high above the rest, one from which countless legends have been born. A guild that would no doubt continue to create legends well into the future. Its name… is Fairy Tail.

YEAR X777 – Fiorian Countryside

"Are we there yet?"

"Natsu! Please stop asking that. It's getting annoying."

"What? We could have been at this Magnolia place already if I was leading."

"Do you even know where Magnolia is?"

"…"

"That's what I thought."

As he walked through the scenic Fiorian countryside with his three new travel companions Makarov Dreyar, Guild Master of the Fairy Tail Guild, tried and failed to control a raging eye-twitch as he restrained his growing frustration. This was the eighth time the hyperactive pinkette had asked that aggravating question, the eighth time the sweet little blonde had pointed out his idiocy in doing so, and the eighth time he felt like strangling the boy.

When they had started their journey days ago, he hadn't had a second thought about taking the country roads instead of a train back to his children, he had still wanted to enjoy what little of his vacation he had left after all. But now… He desperately needed something to distract the pink-haired child.

Looking over to the still quiet member of their little troupe, the as-of-yet unexplained goat-man who was apparently not called Caprico, Makarov saw a possible solution to his problem. It would also satisfy his own curiosity.

"Tell me stranger," Makarov said, giving the quiet suit-wearing goat-man a friendly smile. "Are you ever going to tell us who you are? I think we'd all like to know at some point."

Lucy and Natsu tensed as they heard the question, each for their own reasons. Lucy still felt odd around the goat-man, though after Makarov had saved them the feelings she sensed were vastly different. Instead of giving off a wrongness that hung like a miasma, now the goat-man seemed warmly familiar, almost inviting.

She didn't quite know how to take the change, but she wanted to understand what was going on.

Natsu didn't trust the goat-man, regardless of what the old man said. He couldn't perceive any differences in the monster that had attacked them besides him obviously not trying anything now. He didn't like it. That was why he had refused to let his body completely relax since waking up, any time the fuzz-face even looked at Lucy he was ready to fight.

The goat-man formerly known as Caprico slowed until he came to a stop. Makarov, Natsu, and Lucy likewise paused in their trekking, though Natsu noticeably kept himself protectively in front of Lucy. Makarov peeked his hitherto closed eyes open a bit, lazily rolling them from the two children to whom he expected was much more than met the eye.

"Well?" Natsu spat out, glaring at the silently standing not-Caprico. "You gonna spit it out or what?" The goat-man left the pinkette's demand unanswered, instead turning to Lucy. Even through his broken shades, she could tell he was giving her an intense stare.

"Please Lucy-sa-a-ama," the not-Caprico began softly, bowing at the waist so smoothly both children realized the one they'd seen earlier was paltry in comparison. "Forgive my we-e-eakness, I could not prote-e-ect you as have I sworn to." The goat-man slowly fell to a knee before the blonde, keeping his head bowed.

In that moment, it clicked in Lucy's head. The familiarity she'd been trying to grasp finally made sense!

"C-Capricorn?" she asked, peeking her head out around Natsu. The young dragon slayer's head whipped around so fast the crack was nearly audible.

"Wait… So you know this creep Lucy?" Lucy took a step back, hands waving frantically.

"N-no! I mean, yes! I-I mean…" Makarov stared at the drama unfolding before him. He shook his head. Even out and away from his children, he couldn't catch a break. He watched, bemused, as Natsu latched onto Lucy and comically shook her side to side. There was no real anger in the boy's actions though, even with all his yelling the pink-haired boy was clearly making sure to handle the tiny blonde with care.

"Capricorn was it? That's your name?" Makarov finally asked. "If I remember correctly, that makes you—"

"Ye-e-es. I am a celestial spir-r-rit," Capricorn answered with a nod. Lucy shook off Natsu's grip and stared wide-eyed at the kneeling spirit as a memory flashed before her eyes.

Flashback

In a room that was a tasteful blend between luxurious and heartwarming simplicity, an ailing Layla Heartfilia sat in a pillow-covered bed with a young Lucy. The tiny blonde child fit snuggly in the crook of the her mother's arm as the two gazed at the brightly illustrated picture book in front of them.

"And this is a picture of the Heavenly Dancers Lucy. They can be seen spinning merrily in the sky if you go to the northern most parts of Iceberg, Seven, or the Pergrande Kingdom. See how they flow through the sky so beautifully?" Layla's voice, though weak from illness, was still soothing to the now sleepy child.

"Pretty… lights… Mama," Lucy mumbled drowsily, unable to focus on the curtains of light shown in the book. Her mother smiled gently, rubbing her blonde locks affectionately.

"It looks like someone needs to go to bed," Layla said. Lucy sluggishly pulled herself upright, signs of sleep fading immediately.

"No Mama, please! Not yet! Tell me one of your special stories. Please!" Lucy gave her mother what she knew was called her 'puppy-dog eyes.' The servants all said nothing could resist them. Her mother laughed softly, however, seemingly unaffected by the look. Lucy bowed her head as she felt sadness begin to gnaw at her; she didn't want to leave her mother… ever! Especially not when she was so sick with some strange disease even their best doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong.

"Oh… alright," Layla said after a moment. Lucy's drooping head snapped up, a beaming smile lighting up the room. Layla closed the picture book, slide it onto the bedside table, and then resituated herself and Lucy back to how they had been.

"Okay. Where should I begin?" Layla asked.

"At the beginning Mama! At the beginning!" Lucy laughed, waving her arms around exuberantly. Layla laughed as well, feeling the love she had for her daughter grow even more as she watched the little girl's excitement.

"Very well. Ahem… Once upon a time, there was a young woman who could speak to the stars…" Lucy leaned back, gazing up at her mother as she began the tale. She loved the look that filled her mother's eyes when she told these particular stories. It was one of blissful nostalgia and love.

"… The young woman, through many journeys and hardships, had met and gained the particular friendships of three very important guardians of the stars. Their names were Aquarius, Cancer, and Capricorn. Now, one day…"

The world blurred as her mother's voice slowly lulled Lucy into dreamland. She'd hear the rest of the much-loved story later.

Flashback END

"What happened to you Capricorn? Why did you attack me and Natsu?" Lucy asked as the memory receded, tears pricking at her eyes. Those stories had been her mother's way of recounting the adventures she'd enjoyed earlier in her life. In fact, those stories were the only reason she'd known what to do with Aquarius's key after her mother's death. "Mama always said you were supposed to be somewhere safe. What happened?"

"It is a sa-a-ad tale Lucy-sa-a-ama. Tell meh-eh-eh, did Lay-ay-ayla-sama ever speak to you of her disciples?" Capricorn asked, eye to eye with Lucy due to his kneeling. He sighed as she shook her head in the negative. This would take longer to explain than he'd thought.

"But I think I knew one." Lucy looked away. She still felt guilty over what she'd done to Spetto. She was also increasingly worried about what to do with Cancer. Unconsciously, her hand brushed the outside of the pocket where the two golden keys in her possession rested.

"I would guess tha-a-at was Gra-a-ammi-san correct?" Seeing the questioning look he was receiving, Capricorn elaborated. "Before… when I was… I watched a-a-as you summoned Aquarius."

"What does that have to do with somebody's grammy?" Natsu cut in, crossing his arms in aggravation. This was going too slow for his liking. Why couldn't people just get to the point already?

"Gra-a-ammi-san was one of Lay-ay-ayla-sama's three most devoted followers," Capricorn brayed, putting emphasis on the fact that he was speaking of a person, not someone's familial title. He could tell the pink-haired boy was very much the hotheaded, short-thinking type. "A-a-and this has e-e-everything to do with what ha-a-appened."

Hearing what he'd been waiting for, Makarov plopped himself down next to Lucy and Natsu, legs crossed and arms folded in clear indication he was ready to listen to more. Following his lead, the children also sat down, though Lucy had to pull Natsu down by his scarf. Capricorn nodded gratefully, taking a deep breath before he began.

"When Lay-ay-ayla-sama decided to reti-i-ire from magic, she entrusted her most pre-e-ecious treasures, the cele-e-estial keys of myself, Aquarius, and Cancer to three of her oldest and most devout followers. Besides Gra-a-ammi-san, there was Zoldeo-san and Spe-e-etto-san."

Lucy cringed when Spetto was mentioned, before shaking herself out of it as she realized what Capricorn had been thinking.

"Grammi was given Aquarius's key wasn't she?" Capricorn nodded, the question causing a slight unease to build in his stomach. Lucy-sama should have known this. "But that's wrong. Mama gave me Aquarius's key."

Capricorn froze for a second before recovering. That couldn't be right. From what he remembered, Grammi-san had been almost worshipful of Layla-sama. Aquarius's key couldn't have made its way back to Layla-sama unless…

"Spe-e-etto-san? She is the one you've me-e-et?" Capricorn asked, making sure he understood. Lucy gave the barest of nods. Snorting, Natsu shot up, flames wreathing his arms. Lucy scrambled away from the sudden burst, more out of shock than fear or pain, and slammed into Makarov. The diminutive old man looked unimpressed at the Natsu's outburst, merely patting Lucy on the back with an understanding smile.

"Argh! What does any of this have to do with you trying to kill us?" Natsu shouted again. He'd tried to sit and listen as Lucy had quietly asked him to when she'd pulled him down, but he just couldn't sit still any longer. This guy's story was boring… and he was getting hungry again.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted at her friend for his rudeness. She really wanted to know how all of this was connected too, but she wasn't going to go yelling at people.

"No, he is corre-e-ect Lucy-sa-a-ama. I should ge-e-et to the point," Capricorn humbly admitted. "Lay-ay-ayla-sama gave my key to her disciple known as Zoldeo-san. For a time, our partnership was a ste-e-eady one..."

As a teller of tales himself, and remembering what had happened after his defeat of 'Caprico,' Makarov could already guess at what was going to be revealed next. With a grace born of years of being a Guild Master, that is to say using his Giant Magic to manhandle troublemakers into submission, he used an enlarged hand to 'gently' flatten Natsu to the ground.

He didn't think Lucy would want Natsu distracting her with his flames again. She needed to face what was surely coming.

Muffled shouts could be heard from under the inflated appendage before Natsu managed to wiggle his head out and into fresh air. His eyes were comically spiraled out. Lucy spared her pink-haired friend a glance before returning her full attention back to Capricorn. The celestial spirit bowed his head, though the blonde could tell this time it was once more in shame than servitude.

"To my sha-a-ame, Zoldeo-san began to slip onto a da-a-arker path," Capricorn continued. "A day came when I could no longer abi-i-ide the evils he committed in sear-ear-earch of more power. As he ha-a-ad abandoned the lessons of Lay-ay-ayla-sama, I ha-a-ad no choice but to abandon him in tur-ur-urn."

Makarov slowly nodded his head, the celestial spirit's tale continuing as he had thought it would. The man he had expelled from Capricorn earlier had had an incredibly dark taint to his magic. It would make sense that a being such as a celestial spirit would choose to leave a master like that.

Lucy roughly rubbed at her eyes, angrily wiping away tears that were rebelliously attempting to make a break for freedom. She wanted to be strong now and refused to let them fall this time; she didn't want to be such a crybaby anymore. She felt like that's all she'd been doing since her mother's death.

Even though she felt that Capricorn's story was going to get worse, he was still here now and still another connection to her mother. She would be strong. For her mother. For Capricorn. For herself.

"Zoldeo-san somehow discovered my pla-a-ans," Capricorn further explained. "In a fit of ra-a-age he cast one of the da-a-arker magics he'd learned to force my coopera-a-ation."

Lucy, unable to stop herself, ran forward and wrapped one of Capricorn's hands in both of her own. Looking up, the celestial spirit was struck by twin watery brown orbs overflowing with concern. For a moment, he was taken back to a time many years before, when an older pair of those same orbs had looked at him in much the same way. Capricorn pushed the memory down and gave Lucy a gentle smile, using his free hand to gently pat her grasping ones.

"The ma-a-agic Zoldeo-san used, however, ha-a-ad a price," Capricorn said.

"Taboo," Makarov interrupted, voice firm in statement. Still under the diminutive man's giant-sized palm, Natsu finally shook off the dizziness the unexpected slap down had produced. That word, 'taboo,' it sounded like something Igneel had warned him about. He tried to remember exactly what he'd been told, but it must not have been interesting enough at the time to catch his attention because he couldn't remember anything about it immediately.

"W-what's a taboo again?" Natsu asked, voice shaky as he still recovered from Makarov's 'gentle' handling. Seeing that the fiery pinkette was too out of it to cause too much of a ruckus, Makarov removed the giant appendage that had been holding him down, shrinking it back down to normal size as he returned it to his side.

Clearing his throat, Makarov glanced at the kneeling Capricorn, silently asking if he could cut in and explain. The celestial spirit gave a solemn nod in response. Returning the nod, Makarov looked to the two children now staring him down with wide-eyed inquiry.

"The first thing you must understand is that magic is alive," Makarov began, easily ensnaring his audience of two. He had slipped into his grandfatherly storytelling voice, and it was enrapturing. He moved his steady gaze from Natsu to Lucy and back again; making sure both children understood the importance of what he was saying.

"Its purpose is ever-evolving with the tides. It can be the blackest darkness, or the brightest light… all depending on the caster. However, as a living being, even magic finds itself abhorrent to commit certain acts. These actions have come to be referred to as 'taboos,' and heavy prices are imposed upon those who break them." Lucy glanced with worried eyes at Capricorn, who had stood and moved to stand beside Makarov, before returning her attention to short, elderly man.

"These punishments are different for every embodiment of magic, by that I mean what most people conceptualize as types of magic," Makarov continued. "But in all cases the result is quite severe, if not deadly."

"For Zoldeo-san," Capricorn picked up, sliding in before questions could be asked. "Bre-e-eaking the taboo of his particular ma-a-agic caused him to be imprisoned within m-y-y-y body. When that happened, the ma-a-agical backlash suppressed my own consciousness until it was too late to overcome his."

"So you were punished for something he did?" Lucy asked. "That's not fair!" Capricorn gave the small blonde a soft smile. She was so much like his old mistress. He felt a little more of the darkness left behind by Zoldeo-san fade away.

"I will not quibble over fairness. Zoldeo-san, you see, lost the ability to exist outside of a host body," Capricorn said, shaking his head slightly. "From what Makarov-sama tells meh-eh-eh, when he was expe-e-elled from my body, he… ceased to be."

Lucy's face bled white in shock. She was relatively new to magic, having only summoned Aquarius a handful of times after her mother's death when the weight of loneliness become too much, but it sounded like committing a taboo was beyond horrible. She couldn't believe this Zoldeo person had actually done it, knowledgeably or not.

"W-what's to keep s-someone who d-doesn't know any better… s-someone like me… f-from committing a taboo?" Lucy asked through fear-filled stuttering. Her earlier strength had fled in the face of this new fear. "I-I'm scared. I don't want something l-like that to h-happen to me!"

Lucy was unprepared for the wave of heat that washed over her. Turning to the sudden heat's source, Lucy was unable to stop herself from gasping at what she saw.

Natsu had burst into flame once again. Unlike previously however, there was barely any part of him that wasn't on fire this time. Along the lines of the pinkette's young body were writhing tongues of flame that grew and shrank in wild patterns. His pink hair was glowing with the flames that danced through the spikey locks. His eyes, Lucy saw, were no longer their usual coal black. Instead, they had turned a burning emerald!

"I remember now…" Natsu said, growling out the words while aiming a scowl at Capricorn. "I remember what Igneel told me before. He told me committing a taboo of magic was going against one's own self. A self-muti…mutal… Gah! A ripping apart of something inside!"

Natsu's flames died down to a low smoldering as he turned to lock his gaze with Lucy's. Unseen by either child, both Makarov and Capricorn imperceptibly relaxed. The boy's abrupt eruption had caught them by surprise, and they had been seconds away from reacting. Harshly.

"But don't be scared Lucy," Natsu reassured, flames returning as the pinkette's voice grew stronger. "Igneel warned me that a mage would know if they approach their magic's taboo instinctually. That's why I tried to ask you for some fire earlier. I know I'm not allowed to eat my own flames, even if Igneel hadn't told me not to, because something inside of me tells me it's wrong."

Lucy hesitantly nodded her head. Natsu might have overreacted, again, but she had to admit she felt a lot better now. She was glad he was around.

"Um… Natsu?" Lucy finally asked after a moment of silence.

"Yeah Lucy?" Natsu asked back, cocking his head slightly.

"Can you put yourself out? I don't want to catch on fire."

Makarov shook his head again for what felt like the umpteenth time. Natsu was now spastically patted himself down, trying and snuff out his flames. He began running around while doing so, accidently following Lucy as she scrambled away shrieking from the smoking embers flying off of him. The elderly Guild Master could already tell the pinkette would be the cause of a great many headaches if he accepted the offer he was going to make at the end of their little journey. That reminded him…

"Okay! Now that we've got all of that sorted, why don't we continue on our way?" Makarov said with a large smile, interrupting the shenanigans before him. Natsu gave a loud shout of joy at this, spewing a tongue of flame into the air as he did so.

Unable to contain his energy any longer, he began to run circles around the other three present. Shaking her head at her friend's craziness, Lucy suddenly blinked as she belatedly remembered an important issue she'd meant to bring up when she'd realized who Capricorn was.

"Um, Capricorn?"

"Yes Lucy-sa-a-ama?" the celestial spirit replied, quickly squatting down to become eye-level with the blonde.

"Uh… How are you… er, here right now?" Lucy asked, unsure of how to phrase her question without sounding insulting. "Mama always taught me that the spirits need the magic of a summoner to appear in Earthland. But no one has summoned you, have they?" Capricorn nodded, pleased with the observance of the celestial mage-in-training. He dug into one of his pockets before pulling out what he'd been searching for and showing it to the inquisitive girl.

In his hand was a golden key. It looked much like the others Lucy had seen so far, with its own certain differences. The bow was ornate, with the crest of the goat in black stylized on a white background. The other end of the key, the bit, was a beautifully crafted goat's head, with the horns curled inwards over a rounded snout.

"Your mo-o-other would be proud of your considera-a-ation for celestial spirits Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said, causing the blonde's face to flush. "But do not worr-rr-rry about me for now. The holy magic Makarov-sama used to expe-e-el Zoldeo-sama super-char-r-rged my magical reserves. I can easily accompany you to your destina-a-ation."

Lucy smiled brightly, glad that her new friend, and another connection to her mother, wasn't in danger of leaving her any time soon. Her eyes shot open, however, when Capricorn nudged his key-laden hand towards her. The obvious meaning behind such an action brought her up short.

"W-what are you doing Capricorn?" Lucy asked.

"Lucy-sa-a-ama. I would be ho-o-onored if you would make a contract with meh-eh-eh," the celestial spirit said with a solemn expression. Even if he hadn't sworn an oath to Layla-sama, Lucy-sama had more than proved herself to be a worthy partner.

Lucy stood frozen, unable to think. At Capricorn's offer, the guilt over what she had done to Spetto, stealing Cancer's key and running away so crassly, washed over her, a heavy wave of shame and remorse. She found herself shaking her head as her hands gently pushed away the proffered key.

"I-I can't accept," Lucy whispered, head bowing. "I'm sorry, but I'm not the type of mage you'd want to have a contract with."

Natsu, for all his wild running in circles, had still been listening in on what Lucy and the goat-man had been talking about thanks to his advanced hearing. A frown pulled at his previously grinning face as he heard what Lucy had just said. Without a second thought, he adjusted his course and swerved towards the blonde. With ease, he wrapped an arm around Lucy's waist as he passed her and hauled her up onto his shoulder.

"AH! Natsu! What are you doing?" Lucy screamed, arm's pinwheeling in distress.

"No one talks bad about my friends Lucy!" Natsu shouted into the air, once again running in circles. "Not even they can. So until you take back what you said, I'm not letting you down."

Capricorn watched as the blonde was carted around by the pinkette, who ignored her cries to be put down. He wondered what she meant when she said she wasn't the type of mage he'd want. Hearing a sigh beside him, the celestial spirit turned to see Makarov had moved himself so they were both at the center of the pinkette's new running circle.

"That boy doesn't seem to ever run out of energy does he?" Capricorn shook his head in bemused agreement. Sighing himself, the celestial spirit took a long step forward and reached out a hand. Effortlessly, he snatched Lucy out of Natsu's grasp as the boy ran by, easily cradling the little girl in his arms. The pinkette was halfway to completing another circle before he realized his prisoner had been rescued.

"My apologies Natsu-san. But I must insist that I spe-e-eak with Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said, eyeing the fuming pink-haired boy for a moment before turning back to the blonde in his arms. "Now, what did you mean Lucy-sa-a-ama? What type of mage a-a-are you?"

Lucy tried hard to avoid looking into the questioning gazes directed toward her. The more she sat in silence, however, the more she felt the weight of Capricorn's gaze overpowering the paralyzing burden of her guilt. Against her will, she heard herself begin to mumble.

"What was that Lucy-sa-a-ama?" Capricorn asked. "You must spe-e-eak louder please."

"I said…" Lucy said, raising her voice higher than she meant to. Her emotions were beginning to steadily shift, anger at being put on the spot so suddenly boiling up. "That I'm the type of mage that steals from others. I'm a no-good, rotten thief and not fit to wield the power of the celestial spirits!"

Silence reigned in the wake of Lucy's screamed profession. Makarov quirked a brow, intrigued by this new bit of information. While they had just met, he couldn't see the blonde he'd been watching over as a thief. Certainly not.

Natsu gave a huff and crossed his arms in frustration. He was still sore that Capricorn had snatched Lucy right out of his arms, and hardly heard, or cared about, what Lucy had just shouted. She was his friend, so whatever she did couldn't be that bad.

Capricorn stood, an unmoving statue. Even when Lucy began squirming in his arms, taking his silence for revulsion and choosing to remove herself from his presence, he did not move save for tightening his grip.

"Let me go Capricorn!" Lucy shouted, shoving against the motionless spirit.

Natsu, seeing his friend becoming upset, moved to help her out of Capricorn's now vice-like grip. He was immediately stopped, however, by Makarov firmly putting an arm across his chest, baring his way.

"This is between the two of them my boy," Makarov said. "It's best that we let them settle it."

"But look," Natsu argued. "He's not doing anything and she wants down. I'm not gonna let goat-face mistreat Lucy, no matter who he is or what she says about herself."

Makarov shook his head at the pinkette's stubbornness. While such concern would be excellent in the future, right now it was rather annoying. Faster than an untrained eye could follow, he moved his arm and wrapped it around the boy's scarf-clad neck just tight enough he couldn't escape. After a few moments of futile struggling, Natsu gave up with another frustrated huff.

"Learn to see with more than your eyes Natsu," Makarov said. "Sometimes what you see on the surface is less than what is happening underneath."

Natsu considered the words the old man had said. They sounded an awful lot like those sayings that Igneel used to spout every once in awhile. Seeing as how his father had usually been right about whatever he'd been talking about, he decided try and do what Makarov was talking about.

Opening his eyes wide, Natsu really looked at what was going on, this time trying to see if he could sense anything more.

Capricorn stood, ramrod straight, one arm curled under Lucy while the other wrapped around her upper body. His face was impassive, and due to his sunglasses, though broken, his eyes couldn't be seen. Lucy on the other hand was a flurry of movement. Her arms and legs jerked out as far as they could from her cradled position. She had begun to wiggle her body around, but Capricorn's grip on her afforded no room for escape.

Natsu looked, looked, and looked some more. He even tried closing his eyes for a second but nothing came to him. More frustrated than ever, he settled for directing a pout at Makarov. He was ignored.

"Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said, finally breaking his silence. Lucy ceased her wriggling, her eyes locked on the spirit's face. "I cannot ace-e-ept your answer." In a fluid motion Capricorn dropped to his knees, righted Lucy, placed her on her feet, grabbed both of her shoulders in a firm grip, and stared into her wide eyes.

"You don't understand Capricorn!" Lucy pleaded, thrusting her hand into the dress pocket where the golden keys lay. "I stole from another celestial mage. I took a key right out of their hands and just… just ran away!"

Strangely enough, Lucy didn't feel any tears threatening to fall at her confession. In fact, she felt a bit lighter, as if finally revealing her crime had somehow eased her soul. Still, she now feared the reaction from the spirit before her, who besides being one of the strongest she knew of was also once one of her mother's partners.

There was no way in her mind that she could ever compare to the perfection that her mother had been, especially with what she had done.

Capricorn took a hand and pulled at the long beard that curled down from his chin in thought. This development did concern him. He had pledged himself, in front of Layla-sama no less, to serve Lucy-sama if she ever took the path to become a celestial mage. Even so, if she really had stolen a key from another celestial mage, a crime like that could not go unpunished.

"Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said, coming to a decision. "Show meh-eh-eh the key you say you stole."

Nodding sadly, Lucy gingerly felt around in her pocket and extracted the Golden Key of the Giant Crab. Hesitantly, she held it out to Capricorn with both hands.

"W-when I ran away from home, I ran into Ms. Spetto," Lucy said, swallowing the sudden lump in her throat. "She tried to stop me. When I refused to listen, she showed me Cancer's key. Something happened, and it ended up in my hand. I panicked and ran away before I could give it back."

Behind his darkened lenses, Capricorn blinked in mild surprise. He couldn't believe it. Both of his old friends, Layla-sama's longtime partners, had found their way to Lucy-sama already? Vaguely, the celestial spirit thought he felt the hand of something indescribable at work before internally shaking the notion away. Something Lucy-sama had said had caught his ear.

"You said something ha-a-appened?" the spirit asked. "Please, Lucy-sa-a-ama, could you elaborate?" Lucy paused before reluctantly nodding. Capricorn returned the nod encouragingly.

"When I saw Cancer's key, I thought I heard… I mean, I felt…" Lucy stumbled over the memory. Thinking back, she really couldn't place what she had felt. When she thought about it, it was almost like… "I-I was called. And… and I answered."

Capricorn leaned back, releasing Lucy's shoulders. He stood smoothly, easily holding the blonde's searching gaze. He'd thought as much.

"Call him, Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said. "Open Cancer's gate."

Lucy blinked, unsure she had heard the demand correctly. He wanted her to summon Cancer? There was no way she could do that! It wasn't even that she didn't have the energy this time; Makarov had seen and heard her hunger at the start of their journey and had given her a large slice of traveler's bread and a small helping of cheese to eat.

She couldn't call Cancer because she had stolen him! Not to mention he must still have had a contract with Spetto.

"I-I can't do that!" Lucy sputtered out. "Didn't you hear me? I stole his key. He must hate me now. And what about his contract with Ms. Spetto?

"Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said, stern voice brooking no argument. "Summon Cancer. Trust meh-eh-eh."

Shaking her head, Lucy raised the golden key high. Fearful of what was going to happen, or in this case wasn't going to happen, she closed her eyes.

"Open!" Lucy shouted, slashing the key downward. "Gate of the Giant Crab! Cancer!"

A loud ding-dong resounded through the air as a bright flash of light erupted in between Lucy and Capricorn. When the light receded, Lucy fell back in shock at what she saw. Standing before her was a celestial spirit in all its glory.

Cancer wore a blue striped shirt with dark pants and stood with his arms dramatically crossed in front of him, two crab-themed scissors in both hands lazily snipping the air. His tan skin gleamed in the sunlight and his braided red hair was pulled back into two shapes that sort-of resembled a crab's pincers. Like Capricorn, he wore a pair of sunglasses, though his were tinted green instead of black. Eerily, six crab legs sprouted from his back, flexing slightly.

"What's up… baby?" Cancer said, confident voice sounding smooth. "I've been waiting for you to summon me."

Lucy was in a state of shock. She'd done it. She'd actually summoned Cancer! Forcing herself to concentrate, Lucy roughly shook her head.

"W-why are you here?" she asked, pointing a shaking finger at the newly appeared spirit. "And how could I summon you? Aren't you contracted to Ms. Spetto?"

Cancer glanced over to Capricorn, who had moved slightly away from the two to give them space. The suit-wearing spirit gave an understanding nod.

"Well, you see baby," Cancer said, using a pair of scissors to point at himself. "My contract with ol' Ms. Spetto was set to expire under two conditions. One, you had to become a celestial spirit mage. Two, you had to accept my key of your own free will. You did both baby, so here I am, all yours."

"What do you mean accept your key?" Lucy asked. "I stole it when Ms. Spetto showed it to me. How can you stand to look at me?"

Cancer shook his head, waving away Lucy's question with a suave smile.

"Who do you think was calling when you saw my key baby?" Cancer asked. Lucy's eyes widened as she made the connection. "That's right, it was me. I called down from the Celestial Spirit World and you answered. That's something only a worthy mage can do baby."

Capricorn took a step forward, placing a soothing hand on Lucy's head. It was at that moment that blonde realized her body had been shaking. Her mind had become a chaotic storm of crashing fears and sparking hopes. She hadn't even considered the fact that Cancer's key had come to her in acceptance. The last of the weighty guilt she'd been carrying since leaving her father's house started to fall away.

"You see Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said. "I cannot accept your a-a-answer because you are wrong. You did not ste-e-eal Cancer's key, he gave it to you, just as I wish to do. We will gla-a-adly be your spirits, if you'll have us."

Lucy didn't even try fight the tears as they poured down her red cheeks. She flung herself at the two spirits before her, both catching and supporting her. She allowed herself to cry, the guilt finally leaving her completely. Her sobs quickly became laughs, and soon she had wrapped both Capricorn and Cancer in as much of a hug as her small body could produce.

"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!" Lucy cried out, alternatively squeezing Capricorn and Cancer. "I swear I'll be the best partner you've ever had!"

"Of that, there can be no doubt Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn agreed.

"Oh yeah, we're gonna be hot baby!" Cancer said. The celestial spirit paused before a look of concern crossed his face. "Um… Miss Lucy? I think you shou-"

Cancer's warning was cut off as he dissolved in a blooming cloud of light mots. A second later, Lucy collapsed into Capricorn's arms, unconscious.

"What happened?" Natsu shouted, slipping free from Makarov's grip and rushing the remaining spirit. "What's wrong with Lucy?"

Capricorn allowed himself a small smile at the sight of the panicking pinkette. Lucy-sama had definitely chosen well with this one. He would prove to be a good friend.

"Worry not Natsu-san. Lucy-sa-a-ama has merely exhausted her magical reser-er-erves keeping Cancer's gate open too long," Capricorn explained, once again cradling Lucy in his arms. "With re-e-est, she will be fine."

Makarov stepped forward, joining the three. He was pleased that everything had worked out. While he hadn't been expecting so much to happen from simply asking Capricorn his name, it looked like everything had turned out for the best.

"Now that that's over with, why don't we continue on with our journey?" Makarov asked. "If we hurry, Lucy should wake up in plenty of time before we reach Magnolia. I'm sure she wouldn't want to miss the first view of the place from the outskirts. I remember it being breathtaking the first time I saw it, and I grew up there."

Capricorn nodded, quietly beginning to walk the way their group had been heading before everything had started. Natsu, seeing his friend being carried away, was quick to follow with a shout.

Makarov smiled, easily falling into step with the long-legged spirit and the quick-stepping pinkette. Come what trouble they'd surely raise, he was glad that he'd been able to save these children. He couldn't wait to see what their futures would bring. Out of the corner of his eye, the diminutive Guild Master could see Natsu eagerly looking all around.

"Are we there yet?"

Mavis help him.

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YEAR X777 – Outskirts of Magnolia

By the time the small group reached the edges of Magnolia, the sun had already begun to set over the mountains to the west. The sky blushed with vibrant reds and oranges, and to the east the first hints of stars could be seen on the horizon. The lightest of breezes brushed through the air, carrying night's inevitable coolness.

Lucy had long since woken up from her magical exhaustion. For the last few miles, she had finally felt strong enough to switch between gleefully sitting on Capricorn's shoulders and chase and be chased by Natsu and his boundless energy.

The young dragon slayer had been ecstatic when Lucy had woken up. He had bugged her relentlessly to play with him and alleviate the boredom he swore was killing him. Many times the blonde had acquiesced to her pink-haired friend's demands and the two would count clouds, chase bugs, or play spotting games.

Although, this didn't mean Lucy had been unafraid to give him a hard kick whenever he pushed her buttons one too many times.

At this point, however, Lucy and even Natsu were running on fumes.

Makarov reached the top of the last hill that had appeared before the group first. He stopped, gazing out at the sight before him while he waited for the lagging children and spirit. As Lucy and Natsu tiredly crested the hill, they both gasped.

Laid out before them was the sprawling beauty that was Magnolia Town. Buildings of all shapes and sizes covered every visible piece of land, though the leafy tops of trees could be seen popping up here and there. The streets were bustling with the tiny forms of hundreds of the town's residence.

A towering masterpiece of stone and marble speared skyward from the town's center; Makarov had said it was called Kardia Cathedral. A network of canals cut through the townscape, snaking here and there before leading to the sea at Magnolia's back. And there, by the waterfront, standing so tall it could be seen even from so far away, stood the layered building they were headed for.

The sight was the most awe-inspiring Lucy had ever seen. Her father's mansion and all the land under the Heartfilia name now looked even more hollow and cold compared to what she could see now. She couldn't wait to actually walk the streets and experience everything.

Natsu could hardly comprehend what he was seeing. Igneel had sent him on runs to human towns once or twice, but none of the ones close to their nest had been anywhere near as massive as this one was. He'd been expecting a few dozen wooden buildings huddled together, but Magnolia wasn't like that at all, not by a long shot.

He sniffed hard as a gust of wind brought hints of the town's smell to his nose. Natsu felt overwhelmed as he caught a whiff of delicious meats, smoky fires, vegetables of all levels of freshness, more people than he'd ever smelled before, and something that stank worse than any of Igneel's waste pits.

Capricorn stood, admiring the town he hadn't seen since one of Layla-sama's adventures. It had grown wonderfully since then, and he knew that his new mistress would enjoy living there. Just as he finished that thought, the spirit felt a familiar twinge wrack his body.

"Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said, getting the attention of all present. "I'm afraid I must le-e-eave you now. The energy from Makarov-sama's spell has finally worn awa-a-ay and I must return to the Celestial Spirit World."

Reaching into the same pocket inside his still ratty suit-jacket as before, the celestial spirit once more pulled out his key. The fading sunlight caught the gold and the key glistened. Lucy smiled upon seeing what Capricorn had pulled out, no longer plagued by feelings of unworthiness.

Returning the smile with a small one of his own, Capricorn handed the key to Lucy. She took it gladly and held it aloft. After examining the key closely, she tenderly slipped it into the same pocket in her dress that held the keys of Aquarius and Cancer.

For a moment, she thought she felt the keys heat up, as if happy to be together again. Lucy shook it off as her imagination.

"I will be rea-e-edy to be called upon within a few day's time Lucy-sa-a-ama," Capricorn said. "And please remember to summon Cancer and finalize a contract with him when you fee-ee-eel you are ready. I know he is looking forward to it."

"Thank you Capricorn," Lucy said. "And don't worry, I'll settle things with Cancer as soon as I can. That's a promise."

With one last nod, Capricorn bent his arms behind him, much like Lucy had seen her father's butlers do, and scattered into pieces of light. Now numbering three, the trio took one last moment to admire the sight that is Magnolia.

"Alright kids," Makarov said after a moment, pointing a finger towards the sky. "Let's go!" With that, he shot forward.

For a little man, it took Lucy climbing on Natsu's back and the young dragon slayer running at a good pace for the two to keep up.

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YEAR X777 – Magnolia

Makarov wasted no time in covering the distance from Magnolia's outskirts to the town's true edges. When he reached the first cobbled street, the Guild Master finally slowed enough for the children to easily follow him. Natsu and Lucy had their heads on swivels as every new building or street offered something that caught their attention.

"So old man," Natsu suddenly said, leaning back with his head resting in his hands. "Is this place you talked about really all that?"

After they had woken up after the battle with the possessed Capricorn, Makarov had offered to take both Natsu and Lucy to his guild. Natsu hadn't ever heard of such a place before, but Lucy's excited agreement had made the decision to go for him. Now, with the sights of all of Magnolia around him, he wondered how anything could stand out in a place like Magnolia.

He hoped this was worth it. Not to mention he still had to hunt down Igneel with Lucy.

Makarov continued walking through the streets at a steady pace, nodding to show he'd heard the question asked, though he didn't answer it. The group even crossed over a bridge of one of the canals before the diminutive man turned momentarily to glance back at his two followers before continuing on.

"Tell me Natsu, Lucy," Makarov began while continuing to walk, causing both children to rush forward so they could hear what was said. "Do fairies have tails? More than that, do they even exist?"

Caught off guard by the question, neither Lucy nor Natsu could think to answer as Makarov continued to lead them through the winding the streets of Magnolia. Absorbed in trying to figure out what they'd been asked, neither child realized their guide had ceased walking until they ran into his back. Shaking themselves out, both were struck speechless when they saw why Makarov had stopped.

The layered building they had just been able to see from the outskirts of Magnolia now towered above them. It rose up on three levels, each smaller than the last, finally tapering off with a large golden teardrop-like dome at the top. The building's roofing was a dark red-brown slate, but the cream color of its walls balanced it out. From the third story Lucy could see three flags hanging, one was the Fiorian flag, but the other two carried symbols she'd never seen before. Decorative shutters that gave the impression of red hearts covered the windows on the ground floor and the large front door, painted a brilliant crimson, also carried a heart motif.

It was in a word… breath-taking.

"Nobody knows for sure," Makarov continued suddenly, pulling Natsu and Lucy's attention back to him. "So it will forever remain a mystery. Unless, of course, we try to find out. And that could become an amazing adventure. Our members are the ones who would want to find out."

"What?" Natsu blurted. "I don't get it-OW! Lucy? Why'd you hit me?"

Lucy put down the hand she'd used to smack Natsu upside the head. She looked to Makarov. The old man smiled at the blonde, happy to see more and more of her fiery spirit.

"Welcome, both of you, to a place filled with excitement, fun, and family," Makarov said, moving to the red double doors of the building's main entrance. He placed both of his hands on the painted wood. "A place built on the ideas of bonds, love, and hard work."

Lucy found herself holding her breath her anticipation was so great. Natsu was vibrating in place. Although the old man had lost him there for a second, he liked what he was hearing now. This place might not be so bad after all, especially if Lucy liked it too.

Makarov pushed on the doors, causing them to swing open with a mighty boom! The thunderous roaring of celebrations burst forth from inside the building, but even then, both Lucy and Natsu had no trouble with hearing the bellow from the old man who had brought them so far.

"Welcome to… FAIRY TAIL!"

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