A/N: Hey everyone, this is my newest story, I hope you enjoy it. There will be some OOC's but hopefully not too much. This starts out like a Graylu but will in the end be Nalu. This is my first story that I am writing with the help of a beta reader. I want to thank (mysticLegend11) for all her help. She was amazing and really set me straight and told me everything I was doing wrong and gave me some amazing advice! Thanks to her, I think my stories will be a lot better and hopefully all you wonderful readers agree. Thanks so much R&R!

Also for those who this confuses, I accidentally uploaded an older version of the first chapter so I deleted it and added the edited one. There is not that much of a difference but I want this story to be great and starting off with a chapter that wasn't finished being edited would just ruin it.

"Why are we here, Mama?" I asked as I glanced up at the brightly lit building.

It had a purple awning, huge wooden double doors that hung open, inviting passerby's in. The place screamed of magic, as a smile made its way upon my face. I looked at the name written on the awning in blue lettering and couldn't help but think of how fitting it was. 'Wondrous Magic.'

"You remember our friends Capricorn and Aquarius right?" she questioned as she knelt down to my height.

"Yes, they're your spirits, right Mama?" I said.

"Yes they are and we are here to see if we can find anymore friends to bring home with us."

The train lurched to a stop causing me to crash into the seat across from me. Standing up and stretching, I could feel the strain on my back and neck from the position I had fallen asleep in. My feet carried themselves off the train and into the familiar sights of Dumbark town. I continued walking to the place where I remembered the shop being, only to find a beaten down building standing in its place. It looked as if it had been abandoned for years. Sighing, I turned around and went in search of an inn.

I felt the keys on my belt swaying as I took every step, the jingle of it is like music to my ears. I was proud of the fact that I had come so far, I escaped the clutches of my father who tried to rule my life, and became a freelance mage. I loved the freedom of it but I can't say that it's been easy. I walked down the cobblestone street and noticed a sign hanging lopsidedly, one hinge broken, that said Dumbark Inn.

I opened the door and heard a small jingle from the bell above it. The receptionist turned her head towards me, and a smile graced her lips but didn't quite reach her eyes. The inn was pretty run down, the red carpet was almost bare from overuse. The wood floor creaked with almost every step, with scratches all across the floor where it was exposed. There was a couch and several chairs in the lobby that didn't match and were dirty and stained.

"Hi, I am in need of a room," I explained as the girl nodded and checked her papers.

She took my information and handed me a room key. I thanked her then walked up the squeaky stairs, grasping the rickety railing. I didn't like the look of this place but I didn't have much of a choice. With my current funds running low, I had to keep my budget down. The inn looked like it was nice at one point but maybe the decrease in visiting mages effected the inn just like it did the magic shop.

I entered my room to see an old four poster bed, with discolored blankets. The place looked like it had been to hell and back, but I can't be picky. I slipped my black boots off and sat them in the corner, filling me with relief that my sore feet could finally take a break. I sat my luggage on the nearby table and took my keys off my belt. I held them in my hands as I thought of all that I went through to get them. I have ten of the golden zodiac keys and several silver and I consider everyone of my spirits an asset and a great friend. I sat them on the bedside table and walked towards the bed.

"Just a short nap, then I will look for work," I told myself as I yawned.

I threw myself, back first onto the bed, feeling the lumps that lay inside it. It was quite uncomfortable but it was better than a train. I felt my eyes growing heavy with each passing second. And I quickly drifted off to sleep.

I found myself awake about two hours later. I stood up and stretched and heard my back crack. I was surprised at how much better I felt. Grabbing my keys, I threw on my boots and walked out the door. I was walking down the steps towards the receptionist, when I noticed she already had someone standing there. I had to double take when I saw him. He was half naked!

He had just turned around and started walking this way. I couldn't help but stare at him, his piercing blue eyes, that went well with his dark blue spiked hair. My eyes then traveled down and spotting a silver cross necklace that he wore and hung down to his unbelievably toned chest. He had a dark blue guild insignia on the right side of his chest that seemed familiar but I couldn't place it. He wore dark green pants that hung loose, revealing his hip bones. I felt my mouth watering as I watched this guy move with confidence and a nonchalant kind of attitude.

I kept staring as I continued down the steps, and he didn't seem to notice. Either that or he just didn't care. I got to the last step and felt my foot slip out from under me. Next thing I knew, I was falling towards the floor. I closed my eyes and braced for an impact that never came. I opened my eyes to see that the same man I had been gawking at, had caught me.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he helped me back on my feet.

"Um, yes. Yes I am, thanks to you." I answered, feeling a blush creeping up to my cheeks.

"Good then, I'll see you around."

He turned to walk away but I had this urge to stop him. I wanted to get to know this guy. Before I could realize what I was doing, my hand had reached out and grabbed his wrist. He turned to look at me with an eyebrow raised and I felt the heat returning. Now what was I going to say?

"Is there something you needed?"

My heart was pounding as I frantically looked for something to give me a reason as to why I grabbed him. My eyes landed on his guild crest and it was like a light bulb went off in my head.

"I was wondering if you knew of anyone who was in need of assistance around here?" I explained, happy that I thought of something.

I removed my hand from around his wrist and wrapped them around my back while I arched it just the slightest to show off what I believed was my best feature. He seemed completely unfazed as he kept direct eye contact with me. I felt myself deflate a little, as my appeal went unnoticed by him.

"Are you a mage?" he asked and I nodded.

"What guild are you from?" he glanced over me, I assume to check for a guild mark.

"I'm not in one yet. I travel around doing jobs here and there." I informed him.

He stood there, deep in thought for a second, and I started to feel uneasy under his gaze. His face lit up when a smile graced his features and he extended his hand out towards me.

"I am Gray Fullbuster, I am a mage from Fairy Tail." he said.

I stood there frozen. Was I really lucky enough to meet a mage from my favorite guild? The famous Fairy Tail? My mind took me back to when I was younger, remembering all the times I had read up on Fairy Tail in Sorcerers Weekly. I read about the beautiful model, Mirajane Strauss. The all powerful Erza Scarlet, the strongest female in the guild. The famous Salamander, who always leaves a town in wreckage after a mission. I was never told what his real name was but that he was extremely powerful and was a fire mage.

If I think back further, I even remember hearing about Gray. I heard that he uses ice magic, and I couldn't wait to see it in action. I felt excitement bubbling inside me as I pictured the ice forming together to create beautiful weapons that shimmer in the light.

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia, a freelance mage." I grinned as I shook his hand.

His hands were a great deal larger then mine, and I could feel the calluses on his palms. I heard some whispers and glanced around to see a few girls standing close by, and staring at Gray. I looked to him and saw that he looked annoyed and he glanced over at the girls. I could hear the girls sneering rude comments about how close I was standing next to him and that I even got the chance to shake his hand. I chuckled slightly and Gray looked at me like I was a weirdo.

I guess from his point of view, it would seem funny that the person you are talking to starts to laugh for no reason.

"How about we take a walk and I'll explain about the job?" he suggested.

I agreed and I followed him out the door. The sun was setting, leaving the sky in a beautiful array of colors. Streaks of pink and gold, as far as the eye could see. I had always thought that those two colors went well together. The streets were filled with people scurrying off to their homes after a long day of work. Even though the town was kind of run down, it still had a nice feel to it. I saw an older woman with three little boys surrounding her. I smiled as they played with her and wore grins that stretched from ear to ear.

"So, what's this job you know of?" I glanced his way and watched as he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket.

Apparently the requester is in need of a strong mage to rid a forest of a demon. There was a rather sizable reward and it explained where we could find the guy.

"So what do you think?"

"I think it sounds great," I admitted.

"Good, we will share the reward once the job is done. Are you willing to head there now?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

We followed the directions on the paper, walking down curved roads, some with deep hills. Some weren't even a road but a beaten down path. Eventually we came to a stop outside a decent sized house. The house was brown, with dark shingles on the pointed roof. A few windows were propped open as the gentle breeze made the curtains sway. We pushed inside the wooden fence and made our way up the stone path. The door had a lion head knocker on it, set in gold, and I grabbed it and started knocking.

An older man with gray hair that was swept back and deep blue eyes, opened the door. He was wearing a black sweater and khaki pants. Overall, he looked like he would have been a good-looking man in his youth. He was tall, and had great posture but his eyes were cold as they swept over me. His eyes landed on my large chest as a smirk crossed his features.

"And what can I do for you?" he asked.

Gray then stepped next to me and I saw aggravation set on his face.

"We are here about the request you sent to Fairy Tail." Gray interjected.

"Oh, great. Please come in."

He took us through his home that was impeccably clean. We sat down on a large couch that was tan and he sat across from us in an brown accent chair. The couch was rather comfortable and felt myself melt into it. It's been a long time since I was able to enjoy such a luxury.

"So obviously, you have read the flyer and know what I need you to do. Basically the demon is about the size of a two story building, it has three horns on the top of its head. His bite is venomous and his skin is as thick as stone. It's almost impossible to inflict any damage with that type of skin," he described.

"From the look of it, it seems that the forest where the demon resides is not really that close to here. May I ask why you are requesting us to terminate it?" I questioned.

"I do business on the town just past that forest, I go through it as a shortcut. It takes almost twice the amount of time it would cutting through if I were to go around it. I am losing money drastically and I barely have enough to cover your reward," he responded.

He then explained to us where exactly the demon resides in the forest and we left out into the cold of the night. The stars were gleaming in all their glory, lighting up the night sky like fireworks. Gray and I walked in silence as a we made our way towards the forest. The silence was peaceful and I felt comfortable around Gray. For some reason, I felt like I could trust him even though I just met him.

"So what type of magic do you use?"

"I am a Celestial spirit mage. You are an ice mage right?"

He nodded and silence surrounded us once more but it wasn't an awkward silence. It was actually kind of nice.

We were now standing at the entrance to the forest, and I have to admit, it's pretty scary. I felt the little hairs on the back of my neck standing up from just looking at it. Gray made the first steps into the forest and I hesitated before stepping inside. As soon as I entered, a chill ran down my spine. I looked towards Gray and saw that he must have been getting the same feeling I was. His body was tense and he held his fists clenched. We continued walking and the deeper we went the heavier the air felt. A loud roar pierced through the air and I had to hold my hands over my ears in an attempt to stifle the sound.

It hurt to listen to and it felt like my ears would bleed. Suddenly the ground was rumbling and it felt like something huge was heading in our direction. Every step shaking the ground more and more. I quickly pulled my keys off my belt and saw Gray get into a battle stance.

A stench filled the air. It smelled like rotting eggs mixed with death. The rumbling was getting closer, and I heard the sounds of trees snapping and falling to the ground. Suddenly a big creature was in our sight. Knocking down anything that was in its way. The demon stopped a few feet away and smelled the air like it was trying to figure out if we were a threat.

The body of the beast tensed and charged towards us. Gray and I quickly dodged, him to the right and me to the left. I selected the key I wanted off the ring.

"Open gate of the bull, Taurus!"

A bright golden lit appeared and blinded the beast just slightly. There standing where the light had faded was a giant bull that was wielding a huge ax.

"Mooooo! Lucy, your body is as sexy as ever," Taurus stated as his eyes roamed across my figure.

"Shut it and attack," I ordered and he quickly obliged.

If it wasn't bad enough that I had to deal with actual men ogling me, I also have to deal with perverted spirits. I watched as the demon launched himself at Gray and he formed a shield of ice to protect himself from the wicked looking claws. I was surprised to see something that was so effective, look so magnificent. I couldn't help but gape at the shield he created. The ice glistened in the small amount of light that the trees allowed to pass through. It sparkled as if it was made of diamonds and the beauty of it was astounding.

Taurus jumped into the air and swung his ax, landing a strike right between two of the horns on the beast. It swung its head and hit Taurus and he was sent flying. It seemed like the hit that Taurus landed had done no damage. Taurus was sent back to the spirit realm after ramming into a tree, so I grabbed another key.

"Open, gate of the goat, Capricorn!" A goat in a tux and sunglasses appeared in front of me.

"I'm here Lucy-sama," He announced and immediately darted towards the beast.

Gray had sent several attacks towards it but none have managed to land a scratch. The beast growled and charged towards me. I jumped and pulled the whip off my belt. I flicked it at him and landed a hit in his eye as it screamed in pain and held its eye closed. Suddenly it was charging towards me, faster than I thought possible for such a large creature to move.

Fear consumed me. I was unable to move. The beast coming closer and closer. I started to tremble. At any second those horns could pierce me. Run me straight through.

~TBC~