•••

"Yes..yes..and yes.." Lucy mumbled tiredly, sighing for the umpteenth time. "My name is Lucy Heartfilia and I am Layla Heartfilia's daughter."

Erza stared back at her in shock, unable to process it all. After all, how many times does it happen that a person you desperately wished even existed would just show up moments later at your doorstep?

Zilch. Zero. Nada.

But here she was, sitting in front of them, nervously twirling a lock of her golden hair around her finger.

"But then.." Erza began, confused. She needed answers and it was for the best if she could get them now. "Why doesn't any record of your existence exist? There is nothing. Nothing at all."

There it was. The dreaded question. The word 'existence' sent a pang of sharp, bitter hurt through her chest, the poisonous feeling spreading through like wildfire.

Lucy clutched her shirt, trying to even out her irregular breathing.

She just wanted to relieve herself from this pain a little.

Of course there'd be no records of her existence whatsoever.

The spell, no, she made sure of that.

As if he'd sensed her nervousness and panic, Natsu subtly took her pale hands in his own, and squeezed it reassuringly.

'I'll be here for you, no matter what.'

Lucy's breath hitched, warmth coursing through her body at his touch, his presence successfully erasing the poisonous feeling of hurt from her heart.

Ever since her vituperative outburst in the cemetery, Natsu had been by her side, never once leaving. She knew it was risky and stupid, being close to him, but she didn't want to get heartbroken again.

She didn't have the strength to let go. Not right now.

It was the first time in three years, that her heart had triumphed over her head.

All logic was lost, all of it just a silly background noise now. The only sound Lucy could hear was of her heart, and her heart screamed to stay.

Smiling slightly, Lucy squeezed his hand back, and from her peripheral vision saw him hold back a smile. Taking a deep breath, she stared staright into Erza's eyes, ready to answer.

The excuse was lame. She knew it. But what mattered most was the confidence with which she told it. Her confidence was going to be the line between the truth and lie for her former comrades.

Three years, such a short time it seems in theory. But three years, they're enough to change a person drastically.

And the last three years made Lucy Heartfilia quite the liar.

"No many people know about me anyway." she began, acting nonchalant about it all. "So I'm not surprised with that."

Everyone looked at her in shock, unable to say anything. Lucy took this opportunity to elaborate her fabricated lie, to make it seem more believable. Well, half lie anyway.

"I was barely six when mom died.." Lucy breathed, her bangs covering her eyes. "After that..dad..he kinda shut me out. I didn't have a lot of contact with the outside world before that and this certainly didn't make things any better. So I guess.." she looked back up, a sad smile on her face. "People forgot all about me."

"And..the roof that day?.."

"Oh that?!" Lucy laughed. "I like writing. So I got a bit carried away and said something that wasn't literally true."

Liar.

"I mean..maybe it is. I don't know. Nobody knew about me. Nobody knows about me. Almost like..I don't exist."

She proceeded to let out a heavy sigh, pulling her hand back from Natsu's warm one. He did so acquiescingly, not wanting to let go.

"So..that's that! The story of my life. Fun huh? Are your questions ans-!"

Wendy had tackled her with a tight hug, and by the looks of it, she had broken into tears. Happy was next, tightly embracing her himself.

Everyone else wore expressions of shock, unable to speak anything.

They bought her story.

What a despicable person she was. Manipulating everyone into believing a half lie. Deceiving the very people she loved so much.

Lucy Heartfilia was despicable.

"I'm sorry Lucy." Erza said, a soft, sad smile on her face. "I doubted you and your intentions. But I don't anymore."

"That's right." Carla agreed. "And you're not at all alone anymore."

"You're a part of us now." Gray smiled, somehow half naked. "You're with Fairy Tail now!"

So what if she didn't tell them the whole truth? If this lie could bring her closer to them, she'd happily take it.

Even if it was for a little while.

"Thank you.." she cried, wiping her eyes of a few stray tears. "Everyone.."

Maybe they didn't know she deceived them.

Maybe they didn't know she was lying.

Maybe they didn't know why she did what she did.

But they all knew just one thing. That something that they had lost three years ago had finally returned.

•••

The sliver of silver moonlight peeped in through the window, illuminating the dark room with a soft glow. It was a beautiful night to say the least, the moon was big and bright, the stars twinkling about.

Peaceful.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The clock ticked, however Lucy stayed where she was, staring at the big moon though the window.

The light breeze made the translucent curtains flutter, the wind chime tinkling along with it. It was tranquil.

A stark difference to what she was feeling.

Lying down, Lucy's insides twisted with turmoil, and she clutched her shirt, as if doing so will protect her from all of this.

From all of this uncertainty and darkness.

"You should rest." Natsu suggested, watching a tired Lucy let out a heavy sigh.

"Yeah." she agreed, massaging her shoulders. "I'll wait here. You can go on ahead with the others."

He looked at her for a good minute, before slumping down on one of the beds. "No can do." he said, looking at her. "What if you pull up another one of your running away stunts?"

"Yeah." Lucy laughed. "That'll be a shame."

She sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "So, what do you plan to do next?"

"Finish our job." Natsu replied. "Then go back to the guild and take on another job!"

Lucy giggled, watching him pump up his fist and talk animatedly about the future.

Oh how much she missed it all!

"..and then maybe go fishing with you and Happy-"

"Wait what?!"

He stopped, looking at her in surprise. "What's wrong?"

"You..you just said you'll go fishing with Happy and me."

"Yeah well, it'll be fun! Don't you think so?"

"I-" Lucy tried to speak, however ended up opening and closing her mouth like a fish. "I- but I'd have to be there then!"

"Yeah. You'll be there right?"

"Natsu..what makes you think that?"

It was then the full implication of what she was saying dawned on him. His eyes widened in understanding and for a moment, everything was silent.

"So..you'll leave?" he asked, very quietly.

"Yes. Maybe. It's prudent I do. Besides I'll only slow you all down."

"That's not true!"

"It is! Besides, to be honest, I don't even know what I'm doing here in the first place. I shouldn't be here."

Talking to him, in that room, hearing to each and every word coming out of her mouth made Lucy realise what a huge mistake she had made coming here. She shouldn't have.

She should've kept her distance.

"Luce."

The said person felt his warm hands take her own, and looked him in the eyes.

Her ears heat up and she blinked at him stupidly. While she was wallowing in self doubts, he had taken it as an opportunity to come close to her.

Too close.

"You won't slow us down." he said firmly. "So stop thinking like that. On the contrary, you'll be the biggest help we could ever get."

"H-How so?"

He leaned back, much to Lucy's frantically beating heart's relief, a smile on his face.

"We have to find the ten missing celestial keys. That's what our job is. And no one could be a bigger help than you. So please, don't think that you'd cause problems or would slow us down."

Perhaps it seemed like he was comforting her, or even assuring her, but for Lucy, it felt like her whole world crumbled down.

They were after her keys. No, someone else was after her keys.

"W-Who requested it?" Lucy asked, trying to hold down her tears. The burning in her throat just made things harder.

Natsu scratched his head, ruffling his spiky hair. "Aah." he groaned, trying to remember."I can't remember."

"What will you do if a celestial wizard has possession of those?"

The next question caught him off guard. This is what he's been thinking ever since they accepted the job.

What if someone already has them? What'll they do then? Will it be okay to still complete the job?

"To be honest..I don't know." Natsu revealed. "I don't know what to do anymore."

"You..You can't act like that! The keys are a celestial wizard's everything! You can't just take it away. It's wrong!"

"Lucy..?"

"I..I need some fresh air."

She rushed out of the room, eager to get out of its suffocating four walls.

"Lucy wait-!"

"Natsu please. Don't follow."

He stopped dead in his tracks, hearing the desperation in her voice. Begrudgingly, he retreated, letting her free to leave.

•••

It was nice out, neither too hot nor too cold.

Pleasant.

She hated it.

Why was the atmosphere around her so pleasant and nice when she was breaking down? Why was it that it was always her that had to go through it all? Why were the others free to enjoy their lives and she was forced to ruin her own to protect the people she loved?

Why was she always caught in the cross fires?!

Just why?

"Lucy?"

She stopped dead in her tracks, turning around to face him. Gray stood surprisingly fully clothed in the street, staring back at her.

"What.." he began. "What are you doing here?"

"Fresh air."

His expression hardened, and he fixated his gaze on her. "Are you running away again?"

Tears escaped her and the ice mage in front of her gasped in shock, all of his tough exterior melting away in an instant.

"So what if I am?!" she yelled, sobbing. A few bystanders turned to look, before walking away in a hurry.

"Lucy we talked about this. You're not-"

"You're lying!" she cut him off, shaking now. With fear, or with anger, no one could tell. "And I'm lying too!"

"What're you-"

"I'm tired of getting stuck in these cross fires! It's always me who is. I don't want it. I don't want this anymore! I'm tired of it all!"

Gray attempted to approach her, however she moved back the instant he did. "Nobody remembers a thing! The spell made sure of that! Not even the comrades whose lives I saved with it!"

"Spell? Lu-"

"Tell me Gray! Do you remember something? Anything? Do you remember me?!"

He could only stare back at her flushed face, her disheveled hair and the tears on her face.

However, it were her eyes that made his breath hitch.

It was as if the faintest image of a long buried memory resurfaced, but it disappeared as soon as it came.

"Aah!" he groaned, clutching his throbbing head.

"Hurts doesn't it?" Lucy asked, watching him. "Imagine going through that every single day of your miserable life."

Her voice, it was filled with anger. And hurt.

For him.

"What will you do when you find the keys Gray?" she asked, calmer now.

He looked at her, still trying to ease the pain in his head.

"As the job says. We'll take it to the requester."

"And what if it's in the possession of someone else? Of me?"

She closed her eyes, a peaceful and calm expression on her face. And when she opened them was when it happened.

The strong magic power they felt in the forest. It was hers.

Maybe it was because he was in close proximity of this force this time, but rapid flashes of images was all he saw then.

And all of them were similar in one aspect.

Lucy was in them. With them.

Gray started coughing, falling to his knees. What was the meaning of all of this? Was this mind manipulation? Or something more?

"Those aren't fake, Gray." Lucy said, crying. "Every single one of them is real. This is real."

He looked up to her, watching her remove the bandage covering her right hand. Even from the fits of cough and the insane, throbbing pain in his head, the identity of the pink mark was unmistakable.

And so was the jingle of keys.

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia, resident celestial mage of the Fairy Tail guild. Remember me, Gray?"

•••
Listening to AoT sound track,
Having a break down and stressing over exams,
Yo gurl came with a chapter

Toodles ✌

Oof so this was intense to write. The reveal.(sort of)
Also this book is coming to an end in the next 5 chapters maybe?

Idk

Anyway please vote comment and share if ya think it's worth.

Until then!
Belle🌸
🔥♥🔑