Have a Happy New Year Everyone! My belated Christmas present to you :3

Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does

Previously:

The heat of the keys ceased, and he prayed that Lucy would still be there by the time he got back with reinforcements.

Meanwhile, the water mage had broken past the wall and faced the barely standing Lucy, who was panting at the exertion of using her little remaining magic.

"Where are your keys?"

Lucy only smirked. "Gone."

Juvia frowned. "Juvia will make you wish you had not done that." Raising her coat covered arm, she summoned a water sphere around Lucy, who struggled to hold her breath.

"Master Jose will not be pleased if he cannot deliver the keys to Mr. Heartfilia."

Lucy gasped at the water mage's words and the water entered her lungs, as her stardress came undone. Fighting to stay conscious, she prayed Leo could keep her keys hidden, knowing the secrecy of her identity was on the line. However, her last thoughts lingered on why her father was targeting mages with the golden keys.

Father, what have you done…

Chapter 5: The loyal heart

'Loyalty cannot be blueprinted.

In fact, it cannot be manufactured at all,

for its origin is the human heart.'

Loke panted as he reached the guild doors, hoping that some of the members were sober and not disinclined towards Lucy. But now was not the time for superficial thoughts, not when Lucy was in danger and needing help, that is if she wasn't already captured, a likely possibility that had rage and fear burning in his heart. A sentiment that was clearly echoed by the other spirits.

Slamming the guild doors open, the members there joked around asking if he had asked Erza out again. The laughter stopped when everyone noticed he wasn't laughing, replaced by worried murmurs.

"Lucy was attacked by other mages. She needs help!"

"Who's Lucy again?" One of the drunker guild members asked, clearly not in the right mind. At this time of night though, it was a shared mindset by the few stragglers still left in the guild. Loke cursed and looked for any familiar face that was a decent fighter or a tracker. But Natsu wasn't here. Erza wasn't here. Even the Master wasn't here. Then who was here that could help him?

"What happened to your girlfriend, Lucy?" A familiar, slurred voice asked him, a slim arm wrapping around his tense shoulders. "Or is she Natsu's girlfriend?"

"Cana! Thank god you're here!" He spun around, grabbing her bare shoulders. "I need you to help me locate Lucy, she's been kidnapped by a dark guild!"

Cana spat out her liquor. Immediately, she sat on the ground, spreading her cards in front of her. However, a frustrated expression crossed her face. "I can't find her. Either something's messing with my magic or she's out of my range or maybe even both!"

Loke cursed and cursed some more when he realised his body was still not completely recovered and gradually becoming translucent. Gripping Cana's hands, he placed Lucy's keys in them. "Listen Cana. I've run out of time. You need to give these keys to Natsu. Find Lucy."

"And tell Master…the fight is coming to us."

With those ominous words, he faded. Cana stood, placing the keys in her satchel and started running to Fairy Hills. It was too late to find Lucy without any decent trackers nor strong fighters. She didn't know where Master lived so Erza and Mira were the next best options to get the guild into action. Hopefully, by the time she returned to the guild, Natsu would be there. Gritting her teeth, she ignored the pounding of her heart, the sound akin to the beating of the drums of war.

.

The sun had risen. Natsu was awake. The guild was in shambles. All three facts were grimly noted by a partially sober Cana as she made her way to Natsu and Happy, the former wearing an enraged face that was only about to get worse. Cana had roused the girls at the dormitory, found out that Levy hadn't returned home, and when they finally made it back to the thankfully empty guild, it had already been too late, the building desecrated with long metal poles. Fairy Tail's base, scrapped like it was trash? Unforgivable. Revenge was in order.

A familiar voice in her mind broke her thoughts. Everyone. Come to Magnolia Park, it said. Warren's voice. Right, Warren had gone with Erza to try find Lucy, Levy, Jet and Droy, all of them missing. Not including Lucy, who many seemed to not have noticed was absent. Apathetic or not, Cana knew if Lucy had not been taken to who knows where, she would be with them. However, she withheld her words, feeling now was not the right time and she moved quickly with the guild to the grassy open area, where huge trees were scattered throughout. And then she stopped. Cana treasured the guild hall, the place full of fond memories but she treasured her friends even more, because they were what made Fairy Tail her home. So, to see two of her friends, Jet and Droy, crucified to a tree with a metal that looked too similar to the ones in the guild hall, was her breaking point. And looking at her friends, her comrades around her, she knew she wasn't the only one.

And just as it should be, their Master, his magical aura usually so restrained now at bursting point, walked with even measured steps to the front. The staff he clutched splintered before the guild's eyes as he clenched his fist and declared, "This is war."

.

.

Their deafening cries resounded through the air.

Identifying the perpetrators was easy when their guild symbol was drawn on their friends' bodies in their own blood. Hearing Jet's last words before he fell unconscious for good this time was an easy task for a dragonslayer's sharp hearing. Everything after that was a mess.

"Just because Jet said, 'Levy's been taken by Phantom Lord to make sure the celestial mage will cooperate' doesn't make Lucy the bad guy!" Natsu snarled, "She's one of us."

Yet the murmurs of dissent continued to persist even as the guild planned their next course of action in the wreckage of their guild hall.

"How do we even know she wasn't working for them as a spy or something?"

"Levy was taken because of her."

"Jet and Droy are both badly injured."

"Our guild is in ruins."

"And if she's not part of it, then why is she not here with the rest of us?"

At the last point, the outcries grew louder. After all, Erza and Warren had been unable to find any traces of Lucy and no-one had seen her since yesterday. It was indeed suspicious and now that all the guild was together, Cana knew it was the best time to finally quash all those suspicions. Grabbing her beer barrel, she smashed it on the ground, instantly getting everyone's attention on her.

"Natsu." She shoved her hand in her satchel, finding the key evidence and threw it straight at the fire mage. "Catch."

He caught it with one hand and the chiming of the keys echoed in the silent room.

"If she, and her name is Lucy by the way, was working for them, why would she leave her keys with us and leave herself defenceless?" Cana said, placing a hand on her cocked hip. "I held onto those to clear the bad blood the lot of you seem to have with her."

"…where is Lucy, Cana?" Natsu asked, distinct heat waves emanating from him, "how do you have her keys? What the hell is going on here?!"

"She was Phantom Lord's first target. Loke gave me the keys last night and said Lucy was being attacked but by then it was too late to locate her. Erza and Warren tried again this morning but failed as well."

"They after her keys?"

"Yup."

The crowd swelled again, clear sides forming against and in defence of Lucy.

"Just give them the keys and get Levy back!"

"We should be saving Lucy and Levy!"

"What about Loke?!"

"Just keep Loke and hand the rest of the keys over!"

Natsu slammed his fist down, breaking the table he was at in two. "Shut up."

"Enough. Natsu, sit." Makarov crossed his arms, his silent but steady authority making everyone's eyes gravitate towards him. "When Lucy first came to Fairy Tail, do not forget that I gave my permission for her to become one of us. Just like with each and every one of you, it is never a decision I make lightly. Once they become part of this guild, they become part of my family and are under my protection. Therefore, from now on and until the matter is resolved, anyone that speaks badly of Lucy will face her partners, Natsu and Happy."

Natsu grinned maliciously, before looking at his sometimes extremely foolish family. "I'm always ready to fight!"

"Now move brats! We leave for Phantom Lord's base in ten!"

Natsu belched out some fire in approval before pocketing the keys. Lucy would need them when she fought and seeing as he was the one that was going to find her, because he was and no one on Fiore was going to stop him, what safer place was there to be for her weapons. Wait for me Lucy.

Fairy Tail never leaves their own behind.

.

.

They burst into the enemy base in their usual Fairy Tail style – guns, swords, fire ablazing. Watching each other's backs, the guild's strongest fighters led the fight as the frontline, charging at the scum that had dared attack their home, their family. And even worse, they were keeping some of them hostage.

Natsu grabbed another Phantom thug by his collar, raising him off his feet with burning hands. "Where are Lucy and Levy?"

The mage stammered a negative response, claiming he was too low in the ranks to know.

Natsu snarled, throwing the man into the wall. Yet another useless response. Where were the higher ups then? Where were his answers?

He looked over his friends but judging by the looks of frustration they were also unsuccessful. From the corner of his eye, he could see Master climbing up the staircase to the top level. Just as he was about to join him, a rusty scent seeped through his nose, climbing through his throat as he inhaled sharply from the familiar scents.

Blood. Lucy's with a tinge of Levy's. Steel.

"Gajeel, you've arrived. How sad, does this mean you have gained the celestial mage's cooperation?"

"Gihee. We're just about there. Having the blue one there helped. Just need to get the keys now."

"GAJEEL!" With a strong push off the ground, Natsu moved his blazing right fist to hit Gajeel screaming, "WHERE ARE THEY?!"

"How sad. I will go help Master Jose." The fat, blindfolded man vanished but that was none of Natsu's concern. Once a dragon locked onto his prey, the hunt was all that mattered.

"Who?" Gajeel cackled, his arm transforming into a steel club to protect him from the fiery fist. "The only fairy scum I see are the ones right below me."

"That's fine. I'll beat the answer out of you!" Natsu jumped back and then roared out his fire to which Gajeel roared out a breath of iron. The resulting collision broke through the ceiling and Natsu landed on the ground while Gajeel remained on one of the remaining unbroken ceiling beams. However, something was wrong, Natsu thought, and he couldn't bring his focus back to damn Gajeel when Master was lying on the ground, looking the weakest he had ever seen him.

And not just Master. So many others of his friends were injured, clinging on to consciousness.

Erza, the fastest to gather her wits as usual shouted, "Retreat!" She clasped the icy Gray's shoulder, urging him to obey but was unable to do the same with Natsu who had seemingly disappeared, even leaving Happy behind.

Fairy Tail left the base, their King defeated, their friends still missing and returned to their broken guild.

.

.

Lucy was okay with being shoved into a cell high up in a tower like some twisted version of Cinderella, hands bound together with magic handcuffs. She wasn't however okay with Levy being thrown into the same cell, her unconscious body littered with scrapes and bruises. And to be honest that surprised her. While Levy had been one of the few people she had interacted with in the guild, their common interest in books and dead languages had forged a bond that Lucy hadn't realised had this much sway over her.

"Levy. Levy! Wake up." Lucy shook her but the girl remained unresponsive. Scowling, the blonde started to rip lengths of her shirt, tying makeshift bandages around the larger wounds on Levy's body.

"It's good to see you do care for this fairy scum, Miss Mage."

Lucy didn't look up from her first aid, steeling herself. "Treating an injured person that's right in front of them is the normal humane thing to do."

"Well stranger or not, she makes good leverage when it comes to your cooperation." The guild master of Phantom Lord, Jose Porla said smugly, forming a dark shade in the cell that loomed over the injured pair.

"Now do I have your cooperation?"

"Eat shit, Porla." Lucy wasn't usually one for profanities but this trash in front of her warranted it for certain. The man scowled and made a gesture to the shade which raised its shadowy arm over Levy. Anticipating this, Lucy braced herself over the bluenette, biting her lip when the arm struck her in the middle of her back. The Phantom Lord Master moved his face right between the cell's bars, "What a good person you are. I wonder how long your kindness to this supposed stranger will last."

A few beat downs later, Lucy was sure sleeping on her back would be a big no-no for a while. The shade had been dissipated by the creepy man after seeing he was getting nowhere and he had left with the sinister warning that the next time he returned, he'd summon more than one shade. When Lucy was certain he'd gone, she began to analyse the situation. Both Levy's and her hands were locked by handcuffs that cut off their magic. The only escape route was through a large opening to the outside, from which any jump from the top would result in certain death. No magic, no safe escape, Lucy could already see a good plan forming before her eyes. She checked to make sure that Levy was indeed unconscious before closing her eyes and reaching for the curse power that she had been slowly developing since her rebirth as a demon. Changing to her demon form which was unaffected by the magic cancellers, Lucy used the power-up in strength to forcefully pull her cuffs apart and did the same with Levy's before releasing the form with a deep breath of exertion. She then slapped Levy's cheeks lightly, this time much more desperate to rouse her. Thankfully –

Levy slowly opened her eyes, unsure of who or what would be in front of her, only recalling a malevolent presence and a potent darkness that had surrounded her hands. To see Lucy before her with a panicked expression was confusing, a puzzle she saved in her mind for the future.

"Levy can you hear me? You need to get up." While her mind could read Lucy's lips, her body still hadn't caught up, though faintly she reasoned that that could be due to the lack of blood flowing through it.

"Where…we…?"

"Phantom Lord's guild building. You were kidnapped so they could use you against me. Their guild master left a few minutes ago which is why you need to leave this cell before he comes back. Your magic is still low but it should be enough for what I have in mind."

"What…about you…?"

"I have unfinished business with them and you don't have enough magic to take the both of us down anyway."

Lucy stood up, pulling Levy's arm over her shoulders and dragging her to the open hole in the wall. A faint breeze blew in from the opening, rustling their hair.

"Okay, I hope you don't have a fear of heights." Lucy muttered, taking the bluenette off her shoulders and turning herself to steady Levy's body.

"My god Lu-chan, you want me to jump out of here?!"

"Safely of course. Make a parachute with your script magic and then jump. Reach the ground, head back to Fairy Tail."

"I don't know Lu-chan…"

Lucy had never been a good comforter, seeing as she was rarely comforted by others. "All you need is twenty seconds of courage. My mother…she used to tell me that." She swallowed heavily, her childhood memories rising up like waves, threatening to overcome the fragility of the shields she had painstakingly put up. "But to be honest, even mustering the guts to start counting those twenty seconds can take a lifetime. That's why…"

She locked eyes with Levy.

"Trust in me for ten seconds and jump. No matter what happens in the ten seconds after as you fall, trust that in those same ten seconds, I will make sure you reach the ground safely. I promise you this. And a celestial mage –"

"Never breaks their promises right?" Levy grinned, and having recovered enough of her magic created the parachute, the cursive writing shining as she wrote out the letters. It was a simple blue material, a pink version of the Fairy Tail symbol emblazoned on the top. "I'm ready to go."

"Ah Levy, one more thing before we do this. Could you pass on a message to the guild for me?"

.

.

Tightening the straps of the parachute onto Levy, Lucy couldn't comprehend why the script mage had so easily put her full trust in her, someone that hadn't even been a guild member for that long. It was a fact that unnerved and pleased her at the same time, raising alarms in herself about why she cared so much about what Levy thought of her.

"Lucy." Said blonde's head snapped to the side to look at Levy who for once didn't use the nickname that she had always used. "It's not just because you made me a promise as a celestial mage that I'm trusting you." Levy gripped the hand bearing the pink insignia tightly, interlocking their fingers as she shot a warm smile Lucy's way. "It's because even if you isolate yourself from most of us, you really are a Fairy Tail mage through and through, and I know you have my back, Lucy of Fairy Tail!"

Squeezing back Levy's hand, too speechless to respond, Lucy silently watched Levy mouth the numbers, counting with her.

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

.

.

TEN!

Releasing their hands simultaneously, Levy jumped from the tower while Lucy shouted with all her might, "GO LEVY-CHAN!"

When you fully trust someone

without any doubt,

You finally get

one of two results,

A friend for life

or a lesson for life.

Eyes squinting from the rush of wind as she fell, despite the situation, Levy could only grin exhilarated at Lucy's words, words that she could feel had come straight from her friend's heart. The parachute was holding well, her timing accurate and as she neared the ground, she made out a pink blur that filled her with joy from its familiarity. "NATSUUU! CATCH ME!"

The fire dragon slayer could only blink up in astonishment before doing as his small friend asked.

"Could you use your fire magic to spell out 'SAFE' in big letters so it's visible from up there?! That way Lucy knows I reached the ground safely."

As he fulfilled her request, they updated each other on the situation. When Levy told Natsu about Lucy's decision to stay in the building on the basis of having unfinished business with them, he snarled furiously and was going to charge in his usual way, Levy wholeheartedly agreeing to wait for the pair outside, when he realised how bad in shape Levy was. The beatings and the parachute had drained her immensely and bringing her inside with him or leaving her outside defenceless were both bad ideas for someone out of magic and stamina. Scowling, Natsu realised his only option was to return to Fairy Tail to get Levy fixed up and return back for Lucy later. Hitching Levy up into a piggyback, he began a furious pace back home but not before first shouting to the sky, "LUCYYYYY! I'LL BE COMING RIGHT BACK FOR YOU!" A quick wave of her right hand and a flash of blonde hair was all he could make out before she disappeared back into the tower, out of his sight.

Levy said nothing about the heat that emanated from him as they went back, but couldn't help something that had been lingering in her mind since her escape.

"Hey Natsu…"

"Mm."

"Lu-chan's totally going to be my best friend from now on."

Natsu choked on his breath, swerving his head to meet hers. "Luce's my best friend first!"

"We just had some female bonding that totally overrides that."

"I called dibs!"

"Lu-chan is my best friend!" Levy argued tiredly. "She even called me Levy-chan!"

"I don't care! My best friend! Go get your own."

The pair bickered for a while, each going over why they were closer to their reclusive friend. Eventually they reached a stalemate, peaceful silence filling the air.

"Hey Natsu…"

"Mm."

"She's a perfect fit for the guild. I'm glad you brought her."

"Yeah. Me too, Levy. Me too…"

To all the new and old readers of this story, have a Happy New Year and may all your New Year resolutions come to fruition. Thank you for reading, reviewing, hitting that favourite or follow button, the response from you guys always blows my mind. On a personal note, that twenty seconds of courage quote from We Bought a Zoo is one I frequently tell myself when I work, especially when I don't know something. This chapter's pretty short but I hope you liked it!