AN/: Sorry it's been such a dreadfully long time. I really have no excuse this time other than I've just been being lazy about updating. That And I haven't been getting on the computer and typing on my ipod is a real pain sometimes. Well, here's the next chapter of My Element! It's short, but it's something, right? I'm not gonna keep you from reading any longer! Enjoy!

The time for her Sentaku was approaching fast. She was excited yet nervous. For dragons, their Sentaku meant everything. It determined what kind of dragon they would be in the future; it was what defined them as a dragon.

You see, all dragons are born without an element. You've heard of dragons like the Iron Dragon, Metalicana and the Fire Dragon, Igneel, right? They weren't always an Iron Dragon and Fire Dragon. When dragons are born, they are nothing more than dragons. It is their Sentaku, or Selection, that determines what their element will be. The concept is simple, really. All dragons have a human form and are born in that form. Throughout their life, up until the age of 18, their experiences and surroundings shape them. Most times, though, it's the time in which they experience "puberty" that counts the most.

For dragons, puberty is a bit different. It's a time in which young dragons are prepared for adulthood.

Lucy was going through her puberty now. She had to admit it really sucked. She'd learned about symptoms from a book her mother gave her before she… disappeared. She was feeling her magic fluctuating more and more, which meant that her naturally occurring transformation spell was going to give way soon. She would still be able to use her human form, but she wouldn't be able to control it very well. That was another symptom.

Lucy knew it was approaching soon. She was sitting in her cozy, little apartment looking through her stacks of books. One of them was sure to be the one she was looking for.

"AH-HA!" she shouted joyously. She lifted a leather-bound book from a messy stack of books in front of her. It looked old, worn by many years of use. The cover was decorated with elegant, gold designs that trailed across the cover and curled down the book's spine. It was held shut by a buckle-like clasp.

Lucy stood up and took the book with her, plopping down comfortably on her bed. Her fingers fiddled with the clasp and it opened with a click. She flipped open the cover gently in consideration for the book's delicate bindings. She blew some dust off the page and smiled tenderly. This book was centuries old, given to her by her mother when she was young. It was something that was passed down through the generations of their family, but until now, Lucy had never really known what was so special about it. Looking at the contents, she knew that her mother had known what would come in the future.

~Contents~

Meaning of Sentaku

Coming of Age

New Magic

Handling Emotions

Tips and Tricks

Lucy ran her finger along the page as she read the words.

"Already know what it means, I know that it's happening now, new magic…" She flipped to the page indicated and began reading. "Yeah, surroundings influence what element you get, blah, blah, blah. Ah, each dragon's magic is unique to them alone. Most dragons won't have a solid elemental magic, meaning that it's not just one element or the other, but a type of mixture of all kinds," Lucy read aloud.

"The process of obtaining a young dragon's new magic isn't something that happens once the Sentaku process is over. It occurs throughout the entire ordeal, causing a difficult and character-building challenge that must be overcome. As stated before in previous chapters, the Sentaku is more than just dragon puberty. It is a series of events that challenge a young dragon, carrying them into adulthood with each trial they overcome."

A heavy sigh escaped the blonde's lips. That was just what she needed; more difficulties in her life. She briefly wondered if any of the events that were going to occur would put her new friends in danger. The last thing she wanted was to be the source of danger to the first people she'd been willing to get close to in her life, besides her parents, of course.

Lucy's blonde hair whipped around as her head snapped in the direction of her window. Someone was close and no doubt they'd be paying her a visit. The sound of footsteps slowed as they got closer to her home. She quickly began to clean up the mess she had made looking for her precious book, placing the book back in its hidden spot behind the bookshelf that she'd recently discovered. She waited for a knock on the door, but nothing came.

"Hey, Luce! What are you doing?" someone behind her asked. She jumped about five feet off the ground and placed her hand over her frantically racing heart.

"Natsu! Dear lord, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" She shot a glare at the pink-haired Dragon Slayer that she'd recently befriended. "What the hell are you even doing here? And… did you come in through the window?" she asked bewildered.

"Yup! Sorry if I startled you," Natsu replied scratching the back of his head.

"You idiot! Use the damn door!" she shouted angrily. She immediately gasped and slapped her hands over her mouth. Natsu was her friend, and even though he was indeed being an idiot, that didn't mean she could call him one. If she kept that up, she'd lose all her friends faster than she could blink.

"Geez, someone's in a bad mood," the fire mage huffed folding his arms and turning away from her. "I just wanted to see if you wanted to go on a mission with me."

Lucy was confused, to say the least. She had just snapped at him and called him an idiot, but he said nothing of it. She'd been ready to apologize to him, but he blew it off as if it were nothing at all, as if she'd never even said anything.

"S-sorry I called you an idiot…" she mumbled. Natsu turned to her, confusion written on his handsome features.

"What? Oh, it's nothing. I get called an idiot all the time, so it's not a big deal to me. Besides, I've been calling you a weirdo, so I guess we're even." He gave a bright and dazzling grin. Lucy couldn't help but smile back at him. "So about that mission, will you go with me?"

"Hey! Don't forget about me!" Happy's high-pitched voice rang out as he flew through the window. He flew over to Lucy and sat on her head pouting. "No one ever counts me!"

"Sorry 'bout that, buddy," Natsu apologized petting his furry partner's head. "So, what do you say, Luce? Wanna go on a mission with us?"

Lucy stayed silent for a moment. She did need the experience. She'd never been on a mission before, so going with Natsu and Happy would be useful. Going with others was safe as opposed to going on her first mission alone. She'd also somehow become very close to the fire breathing idiot and his blue cat. She enjoyed their company.

"Well, what's the mission?" Lucy asked with a bright smile. Natsu handed her the request paper and smiled back at her with a hopeful gaze. "I'll pack my things. Meet me at the guild in fifteen minutes?" she suggested. Natsu's smile stretched into a grin and he jumped with joy, encasing Lucy in a brief hug before diving out her window with Happy following suit.

END NOTE: again sorry it's so short. I'm hoping that now that I've managed to update this, some more updates will follow. I've been working on the next chapter of TDM for quite a while now. It's getting there slowly but surely. I actually kinda need to figure out what I need to write since it's been so long. I've forgotten what's going on in the story! XD shame on me, right? Oh, well. It'll be updated sometime within the next week hopefully. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Review if you'd like! See ya!

~Alice-chan