I... have no excuse. There's no reason for me to be posting this. Like, this has been sitting in my WIP folder for ages since the plot bunny popped up a while ago. The thing is, I have three clear parts of this in my head, and I had planned to wait until at least the first one was done before posting. Or, you know, at least until L'appel was finished. Which it will be. When I return to the HP fandom. Eventually. Other things I should be working on include my One Piece Big Bang fic. So expect that in April.
DO NOT EXPECT QUICK UPDATES. TBH, I have a solid 35,000 written for this that only covers the first arc, after which things should, in theory, pick up and go a little quicker. This first part should be around 70,000 ish. Despite all of these things, I'm not expecting to post regularly until I have the first part actually finished. Expect chapters as the mood hits.
THINGS YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO KNOW; this takes place after the one year timeskip. The Alvarez thing didn't happen. Basically, after a year, Natsu shows up like in canon and starts bringing the gang together, but before the whole conversation-about-Ilumine Histoire thing, Makarov shows up and just takes up as Guild Master. I think everything else is covered in the chapter, but let me know if anything is confusing.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: The Gold, the Silver... and the Black

I always thought I knew everything about being a Celestial Spirit mage. Sure, I didn't have all twelve Golden Keys, and there would always be room to improve, but I thought myself a good mage. Not really strong, but at least capable. Especially after I learned to access my Star Dresses.

My mother taught me everything I know. She's the reason I have the magic I do, she gave me my first Key, just like her mother before her. I didn't learn this until long after she died, but the Heartfilia family has always been known for their Celestial Magic. I like to think we always took care of the Keys in our possession. The Gold, the Silver… and the Black.

Turns out, you should never assume you know anything. I always believed that there were two types of Keys. Learning I was wrong… was an experience. I've written lots of things in my life, most of which will never see the light of day. But I leave this story in writing so that future generations might know what I've learned.

I've tried to plan out how to tell this tale, but I never quite managed a solid outline, or more than a few note points. Now, as I put pen to paper, I've realized this is not the type of story you could plan out. All the information I need is in my mind, and the minds of my companions. All the notes I need are their recollections.

I will try to explain all the facts first and foremost, and I believe that an outside perspective will help carry these across the best. It is for this reason that, besides these few notes, I will attempt to withhold my personal thoughts of the following events.

For anyone who comes across this book, or any mage that finds the Obsidian and Bone Keys, all I ask is this; learn from my story.

-Lucy Heartfilia, Matriarch of the Heartfilia family, Celestial Spirit Mage, and Protector of the Soul Keys.

"Please tell me it's over," Evergreen panted.

"I'm so done," Bickslow added, rubbing his eyes, dull as they were with his Seith magic deactivated.

"Laxus," Freed asked, turning to the leader of their team. "Are you alright?" Laxus, coated in sweat and blood just like the rest of them, nodded as he took a deep breath.

"You guys?" Affirmations came from all around. With a relieved sigh, Laxus Dreyar stood to his full height in the dim cave. His team, the Thunder God Tribe, had been requested for an S-Class mission to clear out a nest of wyverns. Turns out, the wyverns weren't just scarily strong, they were also in mating season and absolutely vicious. Nothing compared to a nesting mother and her mate.

The cavern, large and imposing, had multiple tunnels leading off. Laxus had no doubt that there was another exit, beasts always had a backup plan, but the issue now was finding it. Stupid scaled turkeys, collapsing the main door.

Laxus allowed his team a few minutes of rest, Freed taking the time to apply simple healing runes to hold them over until they could get actual treatment. Not that the tiny, backwater village hidden deep in the winter mountains on the northern coast of Fiore had anything more than a basic physician, but Laxus would take what he could get until they got back home to Magnolia.

"Right," Evergreen forced herself to her feet, shaking off Bickslow when he offered his arm. "Which way?" Lifting his face, Laxus took a few deep breaths, searching for the frigid wind of the outdoors.

"This way."

The passageway that smelled the most of cold winds seemed to go on forever, leading deeper into the anthill of tunnels.

"Laxus…" Evergreen said lowly.

"This doesn't seem to lead out. But I know what I smell and there is definitely some source of fresh air down here." Ever fell silent, knowing that a dragon slayer's senses were far superior to a normal mage's. Even from this far out, Laxus could easily discern the scent of fresh snow and bitter wind, from the stale air and flat stone that surrounded the team.

It didn't take much longer for them to come to another large opening. This cave, however, was covered in a thick layer of ice, pale blue and nearly glowing in the faint light. As they all stepped forward, their breath began misting in the air, goosebumps rising on their flesh.

Evergreen shivered, arms rubbing her exposed shoulders. "There has to be an exit around here somewhere, what with how cold it is."

Freed stepped towards one of the walls, nodding absentmindedly. His hand dusted over the ice-covered stone, murmuring under his breath.

"Freed," Laxus commanded sharply, "Stay close. I don't like this."

Freed nodded lightly, though he continued on his path. "Freed," Bickslow added.

"These marking… I don't recognize them."

"Markings?" Ever asked. They all took a few steps closer to the walls, squinting to see that, yes, small figures were carved into the ice, each glistening like gems, swirls and sharp angles frozen in place. "Wow, they're beautiful."

"And I have no idea at what they may indicate," Freed added, voice dipped low in surprise.

Laxus gave a sigh, having experienced this brand of 'new discovery' when it came to Freed before. "Take a few rubbings of them, if you can. Or copy them down. We don't have time to hang around."

Freed nodded eagerly, pulling out several pieces of paper.

"Uh, Laxus?" Bickslow called from the other end of the room.

"Damn it, Bix. I thought I said to stick together."

"Yeah, yeah. You might want to see this though." "See this. See this." His dolls, one missing from the previous battle, echoed quietly.

When Laxus stepped closer to Bix, he immediately took notice of what his comrade meant. The ice here stood thicker, the air colder- if that was even possible. There, in the center of the far wall, a statue rose from the ground. A dragon, more serpentine and with no legs but a dragon nonetheless, carved out of a thick block of ice, the maw gaping open in a roar facing towards the ceiling. The interesting part, if one considered the detailed ice figure uninteresting, was what laid inside the dragon's mouth.

"Is that…?" Laxus asked, vaguely recognizing the shape.

"I think so. But aren't they only supposed to be gold or silver?"

"Hey, Freed!" Said mage turned from where he copied markings furiously. His eye twitched at the interruption, but he didn't dare ignore Laxus again. "What do you know about Celestial Gate Keys?"

He blinked, before answering, "Not much, I'm afraid. There are very few writings on the magic and even less mages. There are two types of keys, the average Silver Keys, and the twelve Golden Zodiac Keys."

"So, nothing about black keys?" Bickslow asked, pushing his visor higher onto his head when it nearly fell back over his eyes as he eyed the shiny black metal.

"No. Why?"

"Well," Bix reached forward, going for the Key to show his teammate when a sudden vibration shook the cavern, small pieces of ice tumbling to the ground. To the right, the entire wall shifted, the white ice moving into a clear form.

"Wyvern!" Evergreen called, her fairy wings appearing in a shower of light. Strange black key forgotten, the Thunder God Tribe launched into battle. It quickly became apparent, however, that the mages were worse for wear. Evergreen had received a serious head injury earlier in the evening when they were fighting the original wyvern nest and her aim was off. Bickslow had lost one of his dolls and Freed's magic was already extremely depleted.

After barely avoiding a slash of claws that radiated cold, Laxus growled before calling out, "Freed! I need a high-powered cage or something. We can't keep this up."

"I need time!"

"Bix, cover him while he writes his runes, Ever, distract the beast for me!" Shouts of acknowledgement went through the air and they quickly fell into their roles. Laxus fell back a pace, making Evergreen the center target. When the wyvern's head followed her towards the cavern's vaulted ceiling, Laxus took a single step forward before letting loose a Lightning Roar. Shooting forward, lightning at his feet propelling him faster, Laxus slammed into the wyvern with a Lightning Claw attack, jumping back quickly as to avoid Evergreen's Fairy Bomb. Ice shavings rose, a few large junks flying into the air. Evergreen floated higher, her breathing labored. She could feel her magic falling dangerously low. Laxus, leaving nothing to chance, summoned another bolt of lightning from the sky to straight the creature.

"Freed," she called, "Tell me you're almost done!"

"A few more seconds!"

There was another roar, and Laxus covered his sensitive ears even as the air vibrated with the power. The wyvern stood, only a few cuts marring its otherwise perfect white scales. Stronger than the others. So much stronger. In a flash, the beast lunged towards Laxus, jaw open wide. With an arc of light, he teleported behind the creature, his claws slashing over thick plated scales. Faster than Laxus could react, the wyvern lashed its tail into Laxus's stomach. He hit the wall of the cave, the room shaking at the force.

"We don't have a few more seconds!" Ever screamed, drawing the wyvern's attention once again as it clawed at her.

"Lead it over here!" Freed screeched, leaning heavily on Bickslow. With a swirl of dust, Ever made a tight turn and raced towards her teammates, Laxus, back on his feet, close on their heels. When the wyvern landed within a few feet of Freed, he swiped his sword one last time and a flare of purple light filled the cavern. When the light cleared, the wyvern was collapsed to the ground and Freed was unconscious in Bickslow's arms.

"Is he alright?" Ever panted.

"Just magically depleted."

"What rules did he set?" Laxus asked.

"'Any wyvern within this field will die'."

"That idiot," Laxus snarled lowly, eyes riveted to his unconscious teammate. "He was already low on power, an absolute rule like that could've killed him."

"We didn't have much choice," Bix snapped back. Laxus fought back his own growl. Now was not the time. They were all tired and injured and they needed to get Freed to some place where he could rest safely.

"Guys," they turned to Evergreen, who pointed to their right. "Look." Where the wyvern had once been, a wide space opened. Outside, the wind howled but the sky was clear and bright with the sunrise. They'd been in the cave for the entire night.

In silent agreement, they all made their way out of the cavern, Laxus stopping only to pick up the strange black key. Whatever it was, there seemed no reason to leave it behind.

Lucy Heartfilia enjoyed a perfectly peaceful day off, for once. Ever since Master Makarov had reopened Fairy Tail, missions with requests for specific mages had been pouring in. It reminded Lucy a lot of the time after the Grand Magic Games. Even Lucy received a few. Still, Erza, Natsu, and Gray received even more. Often, they'd ask her to join them even if she wasn't mentioned on the request. Sometimes though, she enjoyed just taking a day to do laundry and get some writing done.

Of course, her peaceful morning was interrupted by a knock on her door. Confused, as everyone that usually came to her home never knocked and were all on missions at the moment, she opened the door slowly. When she caught sight of who it was, her face brightened, though the confusion didn't lesson.

"Laxus! Freed, Evergreen, Bickslow! What are you guys doing here?"

"We came across something on our last quest," Freed said after they'd all exchanged quiet greetings. "We were hoping to speak with you about it."

"Of course. Come in and I'll make some tea." She stepped back from the doorway, closing the door behind her guildmates. They each took in the modest apartment. After they had all settled down and Lucy had served them drinks, Freed launched right into it.

"We found a Celestial Spirit Key, but we are unsure of which it is."

"A key?!" Lucy visibly brightened, back going straight. "Silver or Gold?"

"That's just the thing, it's black."

"Black?" Lucy's eyes darted to all their faces, wondering if this was a joke. But, no. They all looked perfectly serious. Not to mention, Laxus never seemed the type for a practical joke. "I've never heard of a black Celestial Key." Laxus reached into the pocket of his large coat, handing over the Key they'd found in the ice cave.

Lucy's ran her hands over it, fingering the large '10' that sat where the constellation usually fell. Hard, shiny, and indeed a very deep, almost purple, black, it seemed like a Key. "Strange…" she murmured. "It feels similar to a Gate Key, but somehow… off."

"Off how?" Lucy startled at Evergreen's question. She hummed as she contemplated how best to describe what she felt.

"Most Celestial Keys give off a kind of magic energy that resonates with my own core, letting me know that they are available to make a contract. This one seems to… I don't know, rub against my core? Dance around my body?" She shook her head at how she sounded. "It's hard to describe."

"Does that mean it's not available?" Lucy shook her head again at Laxus.

"That's not the feeling I'm getting from it." She hesitated before asking quietly, "Do you guys mind if I get one of my other Spirits to look at this?"

"Go ahead, Blondie."

Lucy rolled her eyes at the nickname but pulled a Silver Key from her belt. "Open, gate of the Southern Cross, Crumudgeon!" In a flash of silver light, a gray cross floated in the air above the sitting area that they occupied.

"How can I help, Miss Lucy?"

"Hey, Grandpa Crux. What can you tell me about this black key?"

"Black…?" The Spirit eyed the upheld Key blankly for a moment before his eyes widened and he leaned away.

"Miss Lucy, where did you find an Obsidian Gate Key?!"

"It was found in an ice cave on the northern coast," Laxus put in quickly, eyes watching both Lucy and her Spirit closely.

"Did you just call it obsidian?" Freed added.

Grandpa Crux side eyed the guests before facing Lucy. "You know I can't say too much, Miss Lucy. Especially with other mages present."

She nodded with a small smile, "I know, but what can you tell us?"

He paused before saying, "That is an Obsidian Gate Key. They're rare, extremely difficult to get, and considered more legend than fact."

"What Gate does it open?" Lucy asked. There was another pause, before;

"It opens the Gate of a Shinigami. A captain, if the number is black."

There was a pause of absolute silence before;

"Did you say Shinigami?"

"What do you mean a? As in, more than one?"

"Captain?!"

"Holy shit, Cosplayer. Who knew Celestial Spirits could be so badass?"

"I cannot say much more than that." Grandpa Crux paused before adding lowly, "Miss Lucy, should you decide to open the Gate, be prepared to answer questions. The Obsidian and Bone Keys do not lead to Spirits like the ones already in your possession."

"What do you mean 'Bone Keys'?" Crux's eyes went wide before disappearing in another puff of light, Lucy's question going unanswered. They let silence descend for several long moments, before Lucy's mind was calm enough to respond.

"So," Lucy took a deep breath before handing the Key back to Laxus. "That's all I can get for you. I'm sorry I couldn't be much more help."

"You've been a great help," Freed responded, his own mind racing. Shinigami? "We couldn't have received this much information without your aid." Even if the information they now had left more questions than it answered.

Lucy smiled brightly at them all, surprising them slightly. "I'm glad I could be of help." Laxus shared a side glance with his team, a silent conversation passing through the air in a way only those who have been long term friends would understand, before leaning forward and dropping the Obsidian Key back in her hands. Her eyes were wide when she looked up from it.

"But-"

"The Key is no use to us, Blondie. Take it."

"You could sell this-"

"And it could end up in the hands of a bad master," Evergreen interrupted sharply. Her voice softened, "We've seen the way you treat your spirits. This is much better."

"Besides," Bickslow added, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, "Think of it as a thank you, for forgiving all the shit we've done." Lucy frowned at him, eyes hard.

"There was no reason for me not to forgive you. You made mistakes, and you learned from them. End of story." Laxus froze for half a second, mind flashing back to the day of the Fantasia Parade. He remembered the protests from his team that he'd ignored, the pleading from his guildmates that went unheeded. He remembered how utterly stupid he had been.

"Most people would disagree," he said stiffly.

"Most people are idiots," Lucy shot back.

Bickslow laughed loudly, his dolls, the one he'd lost during the mission already replaced, dancing around his head. "Take the Key, Cosplayer." She still hesitated to agree so Freed added:

"We would ask that you allow us to see when you first summon it, of course. I'm quite curious as to what a 'Shinigami' looks like." After another moment, Lucy nodded, fingers curling around the dark key.

Her head turned to look at her desk, and she mumbled so lowly that only Laxus's advanced hearing heard, "I had been hoping to get some writing done while I had the peace, but oh well." She shook her head and stood, smiling at her guildmates. "Shall we go to the training grounds and meet my new Spirit?"

When they arrived at the guild, only the Master spotted them heading straight for the training grounds. When he'd followed and asked what had happened, Lucy had explained what they knew, and he'd opted to watch. Lucy, worried about the mysteries surrounding this new Obsidian Key, had asked Freed to surround the training yard with runes to keep Lucy and her Spirit in, and everyone else out. As it had been well over a week since their mission, and Freed was now back to full strength, he acquiesced.

"Right, this might get interesting!" Lucy called before facing away from her guildmates and holding out the Obsidian Key. She took a deep breath to center herself, pulling forth her magic just like Capricorn had taught her.

"I am linked to the path of the world of Celestial Spirits! O' Spirit, answer my call and pass through the Gate! Open, Gate of the Shinigami, the 10th Captain!" Without knowing the official name of the Key, Lucy improvised on the incantation. When she felt a huge drop in her magic, though, she knew it worked.

In her hands, the Obsidian Key shattered into ashes and Lucy felt a slight burning into the back of her palm as bright red light flared up in front of her, collapsing into the shape of a young boy and a sword aimed directly at Lucy.

My entire goal for this fic is to a) put another fic out there with the greatest OTP and 2. give Lucy the characterization she deserves. She could've been Erza level of badass, and is pretty close to that in the last arc, I'll give you that. Still, I think Hero did her character a disjustice and I want to expand on who she could be with someone pushing her. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, I promise not all of my chapters will have huge notes like this one.
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