Her Faithful Shadow

Lady Countryrose

Ch. 1

Lucy has been sitting the guild. After seeing Team Natsu leaving her behind with Lisanna at their heals. Each one of them saying that they wanted time with the lost member that they hadn't seen for a quite some time. She wasn't mad about them wanting to spend time with her, she just felt sad because she felt left behind. She also knew that if her mother had happened to come alive. She would probably be leaving her friends behind as well.

Lucy knew that she needed to get up and look for a job soon since her rent nearly did. She wasn't going to tell her team, not wanting to gilt them to help her. So with a sigh, she had gotten upon her feet and made her way towards the job board. She glanced for anything that might pop out. Until she found one that had an award of a silver key. She took the flyer down to where she was able to read it better.

Job: A spirit is terrorizing our town, during the midnight hours.

Where: Just north of Oak Town

Who: Hoping for a Celestial Mage

Reward: 150,000 J and a silver key

Lucy couldn't believe her eyes, a spirit terrorizing a local town that wasn't that far from the guild. If she remembered right, it was where Phantom Lord was once stationed. Meaning the town didn't have their own guild to ask for help. Then again, she never heard a spirit doing something like that before. Even Loke, when he was on Earthland… then again, he did have a lot of girlfriends. She was happy that the money wasn't bad for doing something like this and a bonus of a silver key.

She turned towards the bar and walked over towards Mira with a smile on her face. "I found a job that I can do, Mira."

Causing the white-haired barmaid to smile as well. She then glanced around for a moment. "Oh, I forgot that Team Natsu left Lucy." Mira then glanced down at the flyer. "But this job seems to be calling for you…" She then glanced around the guild for a moment. "Are you sure there isn't anyone that you wouldn't care to come with you? I mean, Oak Town was once Phantom Lord's."

Lucy sighed, "I know you care, Mira." She leaned onto the counter. "But I think it's about time I go solo, at least for the time being."

"What do you mean, Lucy?"

"I mean," she gave Mira a sad smile. "The team is spending time with Lisanna and I get it that they miss her." She waved Mira when she saw that she was about to open her mouth about a protest about something. "I'm not mad at them or your sister, Mira. I just know when I need to step back for a while." She gave her heartwarming smile. "I think it's about time that I learn more about my magic, anyway."

"Well," Mira grabbed the flyer and went to the books below her to check it off. "I can't argue with that kind of logic." She brought the flyer back into Lucy's hand but didn't let go just yet. "But be careful Lucy… Danger seems to find you."

The blonde woman smile, "Hopefully that kind of luck left me when Natsu left me behind." She chuckled softly. "I think he's more of a magnet when it comes to that sort of thing and dragging me with him." She turned away from the bar after having the flyer in her hand. "I'll call if something happens, Mira."

"You better," the white-haired woman called back.

At that very moment, a man was watching the blonde woman. Noticing that she was leaving a job without her team. He knew from what he had heard around the guild that she was always in a middle of trouble. He glanced around at his three friends, who were watching him. They knew that he had been watching her for a while now. He had even packed a bag, encase he found a way to follow her if something came up. It seemed it was his day to do so.

"I'll keep in touch," he spoke with a slight purr in his baritone voice.

Each of his three friends gave a nod. Knowing that there was nothing more to be said. Then he went towards the doors, following the busty blonde from a safe distance. Not wanting her to know that someone was going to keep her safe, no matter what.

'I guess the love that Natsu had for her, wasn't strong enough against that young Strauss woman. For he left the best woman in the world, behind.'

He followed Lucy to her apartment, where he stood nearby in the shadows of the alleyway. Knowing that she would be passing shortly to get to the train. After about ten minutes of waiting, he saw her exiting the building to do so with her suitcase. Then followed her towards the station to get her ticket to Oak Town. Which he had also grabbed after she had made some distance from the ticket booth.

They didn't have to wait long since the train was making its way into the station. The two boarded, without Lucy noticing that he was following her. He saw her sit on one of the seats and he took one right behind her, trying to stay as close as he could to her. He had made enough money for that month to do this. Always planning for the time for he was able to follow her. Without having her dragon slayer friend being there to know that he was doing so.

'Natsu, you've made the most fallible mistake in the world. Leaving behind the Light of Fairy Tail behind.' The man glanced out the window, as he shook his head. 'The most beautiful woman that I've seen, should have been on a pettleshool. Not to be forgotten.'

Lucy was lost within her own thoughts while waiting for the train to take to the next town. She knew she could have walked, but she made a rule to hardly ever walk alone outside of Magnolia. She never knew where trouble would strike, while she was out on a job. Sure she was going on one alone, but to her, it wasn't the same.

After about ten minutes on the rail, the train stopped at Oak Town. She grabbed her things before getting off. She made her way towards the town, she glanced at the flyer to see where she needed to go and flipped to the back of it. Seeing the address of the mayor's office. With that in mind, she took a deep breath before making her way to the middle of town.

Once she found the town's city hall. She made her way inside, seeing that his office was on the second floor and made her way up. She opened a door that was marked; Mayor Tony H. Wells, on the door and opened it. Where she saw a woman typing away behind her desk, with her glasses hanging off of her nose.

The woman glanced up with a cheery smile on her face. "Hello, how can I help you, deary?"

"Hello, I'm Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail. I'm here to respond to the job that was posted at my guild about a midnight spirit?"

"Oh yes," the woman frown for a moment. "Please wait for her, ma'am." She had gotten up from her seat and knocked on the door before going into the next office. After a few moments she came out, "You're welcome to come in, now."

Lucy gave a smile before passing the woman, making her way to the office before closing the door behind her. What she saw, was something that she had never seen from a mayor before. A man who looked like a billygoat because of his beard that likes to keep. Along with slightly long salt pepper hair. He also seemed to have a worried look on his face, as he slouched in his chair.

She made her way towards the man and then sat in one of the wingback chairs that sat before the mayor's desk. Sitting in her ramrod pose, she seemed to be doing that whenever she faced anyone with a title. When the man looked up to see her, she noticed the pain in his eyes.

"Hello, Mr. Wells. I'm Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail…"

The man smiled as he waved his hand for her to stop. "I know who you are, Lucy," he stated in the most tired of voices that she had ever heard. "Please call me, Tony. I was once a friend of your parents, way back in the day…" His green eyes went out of focus for a moment before seeing her again. "You look like your mother… I can only imagine the sort of men that follow you."

Lucy gave a shy smile, not wanting to give any disrespect towards the man that knew her parents. "Tony, can you please tell me what's been going on and what does the spirit look like?"

The man groaned before he went into his desk and pulled out a folder and gave it to Lucy for her to read. "The spirit looks like a half man, half bird covered in white to light blue flames… He hasn't been attacking anyone, but he has been wandering the area enough to cause some kind of disturbance for the locals." He shook his head. "No one wants to face him because of our past troubles that we had with Phantom Lord. It was enough to want to call a Celestial Mage to see about it."

"I can understand your reasoning Tony, but what else can you tell me?"

The mayor sighed, he closed his eyes for a moment. "Nothing really, except a few who had wandered close enough to him have heard him talk. Saying only a trusted Celestial Mage will be granted a gift." He shook his head. "No one knew what gift he was talking about. I was hoping that you would be the mage that would be taking this job. I almost requested you by name, but didn't know if that was allowed or not."

Lucy smiled at the kind man before her. "If you know anyone in any guild that you know of that could help. You do have a right to ask for them. They can't really turn you down because of it."

"Good to know."

"In the flyer, it said that the spirit is located north of town. Do you know where exactly I might find him?"

Tony smiled softly at the young woman. "There is a waterfall outside of town. I believe about five or so miles." He placed his hand against his beard, petting it as he thought. "He seems to wander around that area, often."

Lucy gave a nod, showing that she understood him. "If that is all sir, I'll be leaving to plan out what needs to be done. Are you sure that he's only around at midnight?"

"Sadly yes," stated the elder man before her. "He's not around during the day and most of the night, except during the midnight hour. I don't know why it is, but that it's always been like that since he showed up a month ago."

Lucy had gotten up upon her feet give the mayor a handshake. "Thank you, Tony. Do you happen to have any local maps of the area that you've talked about? It'll give me an idea on how I should plan things." After getting the maps that from the mayor, she wished a good day before leaving the office.

She gave the woman at the desk a smile and a wave before leaving towards the outer office. When she was out of the city hall, she glanced around to see what she needed to do her job. Lucy knew she needed to set up a hotel room, but hoping that she needed need to. 'I'm going to have to look for a room and food, so I can be my top notch for what needs to be done.'

With her mindset in focus, she went off to the local hotel and checked in for the night. From there she put her suitcase away before turning around to find a small cafe to sit down to have an early dinner. After eating a meal of pasta and some garlic bread, along with an Italian soda. Once she was done with her dinner, she decided to go on a walk to the nearest part. Since the time seemed to be around five in the evening.

When she found that she was in the clearing and away from most people. She brought out a silver key and called out one of her spirits. "Hello, Grandpa Crux. Can I ask you to look up a spirit for me?"

"Sure Miss Lucy, how can I help you with today?"

"Grandpa Crux, do you know of a spirit that looks to half man and half bird. Who surrounds himself in white to light blue fire?"

The old cross looking spirit gave her a thoughtful look. "I don't need to look anything up, Miss Lucy. I know what spirit you're talking about. That would be the Phoenix, the healer and a fire welder." He placed a hand on his chin in another thought came to him. "He is part of the rarer Plantam Keys."

Lucy leaned into her sitting position, showing the spirit she was listening. "Is there anything you can tell me about him, please Grandpa Crux?"

"Well," the elder sounding man spoke, as he thought. "Phoenix is a prideful man, he was known to be a great teacher to a few great well-known healers back in the day. The last known person that owned him, was Anna Heartfilia. Your great-great-great-grandmother…" He chuckled softly. "She was a great woman back in the day, the only woman he ever listened to."

Lucy glanced down for a moment. "You never talked about her before," she allowed a small sigh before giving her spirit a smile. "Can you tell me what she did that made him want to listen to Anna?"

"She was very much like you, Miss Lucy," the elder spoke with warmth in his voice. "She was strong-willed, kind-hearted, and put her spirits above her own well-being. Sadly the one time she needed one of them the most. They weren't there to help…" He shook his head. "Phoenix threw his own key into hiding. Putting himself into exile, until he thinks another mage is worthy of his key. I think he may be calling for you."

Lucy smiled with a warmth that her spirits loved to see upon her face. "I sure hope I can help him," she glanced towards the area towards the north. "I hope I can make her proud that I've found one of her lost keys?"

The southern cross chuckled, "Don't worry about your ancestors, Miss Lucy. I know that you're your own person, which makes you a smart loving woman." He saw the small blush on her cheeks. "Don't ever sell yourself short, missy. You've done enough of that from what we spirits can tell. Prove to Phoenix the kind of woman that we know you to be and everything will do fine."

"Thanks, Grandpa Crux."

"Have a good evening, Miss Lucy. I need to head back home…" Then with a sparkle, the spirit was gone.

Lucy glanced around. Seeing that she had time before going to the hotel to take a nap before going off into the forest. She knew it was important and needed her rest to face the spirit at large.