This is a long chapter. Plz love it! :3

2 years later, Lucy was now 17...and her Father had not yet sent one person after her to bring her back. Lucy did not want to jinx it...or relax...Lucy had learned that the world of magic is filled with secrets and dirty tricks...Lucy has to be on her guard...even with Erza by her side.

Lucy and Erza had gone on jobs together...sometimes with Gray and Natsu. In all honesty, Lucy was still afraid of Natsu because of his magic...but she endured it...because she knew that Natsu wouldn't hurt his friends...Plus Erza was there to make sure Natsu does not go on a rampage.

On a beautiful day in Magnolia, Lucy somehow slipped away from Erza (by providing her some strawberry cake...the only effective way) and strolled the park alone to enjoy the scenery and think about stuff. Lucy did not want to rely on Erza forever...she had been training to become stronger to protect herself...so can only hope-

"Lucy!"

Lucy jumped, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. She turned around and found Natsu grinning, and Happy, munching on a cat.

"Natsu! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Lucy complained, keeping her distance from the flame boy...if should Natsu decide to become one with fire...one shall never know when Natsu is involved...

"Sorry." Natsu said with innocence.

"Sorry Lucy." Happy said, munching on a fish.

Lucy sighed, still trying to calm her beating heart. "Well? What do you want?" Lucy asked, now hiding behind a tree.

"Want to go on a job? It's for 7 million jewels." Natsu was not fazed by Lucy's behavior. Lucy has a habit of hiding behind stuff when people approach her, especially Natsu and his fire.

"Aye!" Happy cheered.

"..." Lucy blinked. "7 million? I don't recall a mission with rewards that high on the request board." Lucy frowned, glaring at Natsu.

"Master assigned it to me." Natsu lied, grinning.

Happy continued on munching his fish like his life depended on it.

Lucy, who was unaware of Natsu lying, thought about it. If she could pull this off with Natsu...a fire mage...then Lucy can prove herself to be strong enough without being protected by Erza all the time...

"And you want me to come?" Lucy asked.

"Yep! We're a team after all!" Natsu smiled.

"Aye!" Happy cheered.

'Team? I don't ever recall us being a team...is this one of Natsu's crazy ideas...what is he up to?' Lucy pondered.

"Fine. When are we leaving, and what's the job?" Lucy asked, making sure she still had her whip with her to hit Natsu with...just in case...

"We're leaving right now, and I'll tell you on the way. Let's go." Natsu said, already leaving.

Reluctantly, Lucy followed, unsure if she should really go...

10 minutes later, Lucy found herself at the docks with Natsu and Happy. Natsu had already explained that the job was to save an island. The cursed island of Galuna. Lucy was a little...scared...no...that was an understatement, Lucy's already terrified. But...Lucy couldn't back off now. She had to be strong, and convince Erza that she can do things without her. That Lucy could overcome her fear...of...stuff.

They were now looking for a boat to go to the island...

"Found ya." A voice called out from behind both Lucy and Natsu...and Happy, causing them to jump. Lucy was the only one to shriek, grabbing the attention of the surrounding people.

It was a smirking Gray.

"Will you guys stop creeping up on me!? I have enough heart attacks for one day!" Lucy yelled, hiding behind a pole.

"What are you doing here!?" Natsu cried, clearly not wanting Gray here.

"Master ordered me to bring you back." Gray said, already used to Lucy's behavior, and glared at Natsu murderously.

"Huh?" Lucy was confused. "What do you mean? Natsu said that Master assigned the job to him." Lucy said, glaring at Natsu from behind the pole.

"What nonsense is that? Natsu stole an S-Class job." Gray said, looking at Lucy confusingly.

Lucy's blood froze in anger.

"We got found out already?!" Natsu cried, looking at Gray with fear in his eyes

"Natsu...is this true?" Lucy glared at Natsu, her hand already grabbing for her whip to bring hell on Natsu.

Natsu sweatdropped... "Well...I want to become stronger...and...I know you do too...plus...I want to hang out with you..." Natsu nervously rambled.

"Whatever, come back to the guild and Maser probably won't kick you out." Gray smirked, clearly having fun with messing with the dragon slayer.

"Screw that! I'm going on this S-Class job!" Natsu protested.

"Natsu! I trusted you!" Lucy cried while hitting Natsu in the face with her whip...still hiding behind a pole.

"Just think about it Lucy! If you come back after completing the job, then you had become stronger. You don't even need protection, you don't even need Erza anymore." Natsu complained, not even fazed by Lucy's attack.

"Natsu! Stop it. You don't want to face Erza's wrath do you!?" Gray said...a little scarred from just thinking about it.

"Shut it! We are going back!" Lucy said, screaming. Lucy does not want to go on an S-Class mission. She didn't even want to go if Erza wasn't going with her... but going on an S-Class mission with Natsu...alone...that's different...Lucy could not do this anymore.

Natsu was a little...no...really scared of Erza, but he really wanted to prove that he is stronger than her. Plus Natsu could understand that Lucy wanted to become stronger, sensing that she does not want to be protected all the time.

"I'm going to show Erza what I can do. I won't turn back now." Natsu said, then turned to Lucy, "Lucy! If you want to become stronger, then you have to take risks."

Why is this flame idiot trying so hard to take me with him...just why...? Lucy wondered, gaining a tick on her forehead.

"Master ordered me to take you back! And it seems like you tried to trick Lucy. Erza will not go easy on you!" Gray glared at Natsu.

"Just you try it then." Natsu declared, encasing his fist in fire. Lucy made sure to keep her distance from him...and gray.

"Don't blame me if you get hurt!" Gray spat back, using his ice magic. Lucy was also surprised that Gray had not stripped yet...is it a miracle? Lucy also made sure to keep Happy as a shield, still hiding behind a pole.

"Wait! You guys are wizards?" A boatman said, that was preparing his boat that happened to be nearby the fighting mages.

"Huh?" The three mages turned to the boatman.

"Wait, are you going to try to break the island's curse?" The boatman continued to ask.

"Yep!" Natsu yelled before Gray or Lucy was able to respond.

"You are not going anywhere!" Gray protested.

The boatman considered something... "Get in!"

Natsu then saw this as a chance to knock Gray out and tied him up, and place him in the boat. Now all that was left was Lucy.

"Get in Lucy." Natsu said, looking at Lucy.

"No!" Lucy cried, making sure her grip on the pole was nice and tight.

"Don't you want to get stronger?"

"Yes...but I rather do it in a different way."

"You're boring." Natsu said with a disappointing look on his face, while picking his nose.

"Aye!" Happy said.

"I don't care!" Lucy did not care what Natsu's opinion was.

"Erza can't take care of you forever you know." Natsu pointed out.

"..." Lucy paused...because he was right...Erza is not invincible...

"But I'll protect you." Natsu declared.

"That's...not the issue." Just thinking about Natsu's flames...who knows if he were to go on a rampage...she had seen it before...Lucy almost had a panic attack back then...but Erza was there to help her...

"Come on Lucy! Don't you trust your friends?" Natsu grinned.

"..." Lucy was going crazy. An S-Class job...she wondered what Erza would say... "Fine...but if Erza catches us...I'll say that you kidnapped me."

"Eh! That's no fair!"

"Then I'll be going back."

"Fine! I'll take the blame. Now get on!"

Lucy sighed...thinking if this really was a good idea...she got on. The boatman watched the exchange from the two in confusion, wondering what their situation was, but decided not to worry about it. Because Natsu, Happy, Lucy, and a forced Gray was going to save Galuna Island that was supposed to be cursed.

Lucy had almost forgotten about Natsu's motion sickness once they had gotten on the boat. But she secretly liked this version of Natsu better because Natsu would not go on a rampage and use his fire magic. So Lucy could relax, if only a little bit.

The boatman had already guided the boat to the Galuna Island, and Gray had woken up. But he wasn't happy, especially being all tied up. Lucy still wondered how Gray had not yet stripped...

"Oi! Untie me already!" Gray complained.

"I...I..." Lucy faltered...unsure if she should untie Gray or not.

"And you! Who are you?" Gray asked, looking at the boatman.

The boatman turned to the young mages, "My name is Bobo. I used to live on Galuna Island."

Lucy looked at the boatman.

"I fled from that cursed island. Disaster will befall you all too. Such is the fate of those who visit that island. Can you really lift the curse?" Bobo asked, before revealing a demonic arm.

Lucy shrieked a little and Gray's eyes widened. Happy was just munching on a fish on the side, listening to Bobo

"The demon's curse." Bobo continued.

"Mister! Your arm!" Gray sputtered.

"Curse..." Lucy murmured...a little skeptical to turning into a demon like Bobo. She crawled a little bit away from the man...and held Happy as a shield.

"There it is." Bobo glanced ahead. Lucy and Gray turn to follow his glaze. The island was in view, and there was a glowing mountaintop...Lucy wondered what it was.

Gray turned to ask the boatman couple more answers... "Where did the boatman go!?"

"Did he fall overboard?" Lucy said, a little glad...is that a good thing?

"He just suddenly disappeared!" Happy said.

"Good observation Sherlock!" Lucy exclaimed. She was already scared. She wanted to go back. Lucy was close to hyperventilating...

"H-Hey!" Gray stuttered, clearly with fear in his voice.

Lucy turned to Gray...but when she saw the giant wave...She shrieked.

"It's going to engulf us! Hold on!" Gray yelled.... "But first, untie me!"

"Happy! Lift the boat into the air!" Lucy asked, tossing the cat into the air.

"I can't do that!" Happy complained, flying back into the boat and held onto Natsu for dear life.

Natsu was too busy feeling motion sickness and was feeling blue.

Lucy screamed, wishing that she had not let Natsu convinced her to come. Why did Natsu even wanted her to come? Lucy clearly has some issues...so...WHAT THE HELL!?

The last thing Lucy remembered was how salty the water tasted...is this the end?

...

2 hours earlier, Erza walked into the guild, trying to find Lucy. But she could not find her anywhere.

"Mira. Do you know where Lucy is?" Erza asked, walking toward the bar, clearly concerned.

"Lucy? Ah..." Mira had a little sheepish smile on her face, or so what Erza had thought. Mira was actually nervous...because she wondered how Erza would react when she finds that Lucy was taken by Natsu to go on an S-Class job...and Gray went to bring them back, and never came back...

"Want some strawberry cake?" Mira put a plate with a slice of strawberry cake on the counter for Erza to see, hoping to stall for time...so Erza won't raise hell on Natsu...or Gray

As much as Erza wants the cake, she was too worried about Lucy...

Erza was too smart to not notice Mira's hesitation and her ploy. "Mira, it would seems that you know where she is. So tell me." It was not a question, nor a statement. It was an order, and Erza was desperate.

Mira sighed..."It would seems that Natsu had taken Lucy to go on a job that they had stolen..."

"...Natsu...kidnapped...Lucy!?" Erza had snapped. "And what job would this be, that Natsu had stolen?" Erza's hair was standing up in rage.

"Oh..." Mira was afraid from Natsu...and Gray if he does not bring them back...

"It was an S-Class job. The curse of Galuna Island." Laxus appeared from nowhere, smirking evilly from upstairs.

Erza snapped, her surroundings no longer mattered to her. 'The cursed island! And Natsu took Lucy there!? I will kill that bastard...Lucy must be scared...'

"I had already sent Gray to bring them back." Makarov said, who appeared from nowhere.

"Gray? Why him?" Erza complained, looking at Master with anger in her eyes, dead set on killing the flame mage.

"Because he asked to bring them back. If he does not show up with the others by tomorrow, you can go and claim them." Makarov compromised, seeing how angry Erza already was.

Erza didn't like it, but she had to follow orders...all she had to do was to wait till tomorrow...Erza somehow knew that Gray would not complete his mission...Natsu's stubborn as always...she can only hope...that Lucy's fine, especially with her fear of people...and Natsu's fire...

'Lucy...please be safe...I'll save you.'

...

It was morning now, and Lucy had woken up. She groggily sat up and scanned her surroundings. She was on a beach...and Natsu and Gray and Happy was knocked out cold.

Lucy was glad that she was still alive...was it really by luck? But...Lucy would have to say that it was all Natsu's fault...

"Oh, we're here!?" Natsu exclaimed, bolting straight up, not even fazed by the fact that he was just washed to shore by a giant killer wave...

"..." Gray did not say anything...Lucy could only guess that he did not want to jinx his luck.

"Let's go exploring!" Natsu cheered, waving his arms around like a child.

"Aye!" Happy cheered.

Lucy's forehead gained a tick. "No! We almost died...I want to go home!" Lucy had enough.

"The boat's busted anyway...so let's just do the job." Natsu said, picking his nose.

"Hold it."

Lucy and Natsu paused and turned to Gray who stood to his full height.

"I'm coming with you." Gray smirked.

Lucy facepalmed. She somehow figured that Gray would crash the party considering their rivalry...plus...if they started fighting...

"Oh! Then let's go!" Natsu cheered. Happy jumped excitedly.

"No! Gray! You have to follow orders! Take us back now!" Lucy complained, stomping the ground angrily

"Come on. What's the harm?" Gray said.

"Like I said, we'll protect you." Natsu added.

"No...that's not the problem..." Lucy muttered.

"It's just like old times Lucy." Natsu grinned.

Old times...no...Lucy had not gone anywhere near these guys without Erza...Erza was the only one to keep them in check...who knows what would happen...if Gray and Natsu started fighting...

"Let's go Lucy." Gray said, already walking with Natsu to where ever the village was, leaving Lucy behind.

Lucy swore to god...that she would have Erza...no...Lucy will try to beat them up senseless...try...alone...herself...not Erza...

Lucy faltered, realizing that Lucy was left behind. She shrieked and followed the devils...the ice and the flame that had dragged her into this. "I will so kill you both for this." Lucy glared angrily at the boys, Happy included.

Natsu and Gray sweatdropped at the threat, but nonetheless walked forward. Half a day later, they found themselves at a gate with a sign that said 'Keep Out'.

Lucy saw this as a chance to try and convince the boys to go back. "Oh, well what do you know, they don't want anyone else here. So let' go back to the guild and live another day."

Natsu and Gray did not budged.

Natsu stepped forward and took a deep breath, "Oi! Open the door!"

Lucy paled. This stupid flame boy...

"Who's there?" A voice called out from the top of the gates.

"We're from the Fairy Tail wizard guild." Gray shouted.

Lucy held her temptation to slap the ice boy.

"Nobody notified us about the job being accept!" The voice shouted back.

"There was probably a mix-up up the paperwork." Gray lied.

Lucy slapped Gray in the face. "Oi! What was that for Lucy!?" Gray rubbed his face.

"I want to go back!" Lucy complained. "Take me back!"

"Show me your emblems!" The voice shouted.

Natsu and Happy showed their emblems and Gray showed his while holding Lucy's right hand to show hers, much to her discontent.

After the gate started to open, Gray let go, and Lucy instantly kicked him the face.

"How dare you!? Stop dragging me into this!" Lucy screamed, fuming with rage.

"Calm down Lucy. Just think of this like a test." Natsu said, with his hands behind his head.

"This is a life and death situation. There is a reason why this is an S-Class job." Lucy gritted her teeth.

After the gate was fully opened, Lucy noted how all of the villagers was completely clothed. Much to Lucy's displeasure, Natsu and Gray walked through the gate to meet them. Lucy had no choice but to follow. She did not want to be alone.

"I am Moka, the chief of this island village. Let's get right to business. Please have a look." Moka paused and turned to face his villagers, "Everyone!"

Then all the villagers started shedding their coat. Lucy held her scream and hid behind Happy...or rather held him as a shield. All the villagers had at least one demonic limb.

"Just like the man on the boat." Gray recalled.

"Crazy sideburns!" Natsu cried, seeing that the chief had indeed a crazy sideburns.

"No, this is what I want you to see." Moka said, gesturing to his demonic arm...unaware of how...distracting Natsu can be... "Everything on this island is affected by this curse. Even dogs and birds."

"I don't mean to question you, but what makes you believe this is a curse? Couldn't it be a contagious disease?" Gray asked.

"We consulted dozens of doctors, but they said no such disease exists. Plus the moon's magic has something to do with us taking these forms." Moka explained.

"The moon's magic?" Natsu questioned.

"This island has absorbed moonlight since ancient times. It made the entire island shine beautifully like the moon. However, some years ago, the moon's light suddenly turned purple."

"A purple moon?" Lucy wondered...

"Ah! The moon is coming out!" Happy exclaimed.

The young mages looked up, and indeed did they see a purple moon.

Lucy knew that it could not be true...because it if it was...if it had been going on for years...then had Lucy or the others would've seen the purple moon...but it seemed that that island was the only that is seeing the purple moon...Lucy figured that something's is messing with this island...for them to be the only ones seeing the purple moon...

"This is creepy." Gray commented.

"It's a curse. This is the moon's magic." Moka muttered...before something happened...

All the villagers then begun to writhe in agony was they begun to transform completely into demons. Lucy trembled at the sight and continued to hold Happy in front of her as a shield...or as an offering in case they decided to eat her...

Gray and Natsu was speechless as they watched the villagers transformed. Gray was skeptical, Natsu was beaming, and Lucy was trembling behind the boys, and Happy was indifferent...

"I apologize for the shock." Moka said, once all the villagers had finished their forced transformation.

"What in the world is this?" Gray muttered.

'You're so...you're so cool!" Natsu exclaimed, with gleam in his eyes. Everyone was taken aback...confused...the same for Gray and Lucy and Happy. "You're so lucky! I want some horns and spikes too!"

Lucy facepalmed...was Natsu for real? "Natsu! They clearly don't like being like this!" Lucy yelled, hiding behind Gray incase Natsu decided to do something reckless...one could never know...

Gray wondered...if Lucy really had opened up... "Oi..."

"My bad! We'll have to something then." Natsu said, rubbing the back of his head...

"Learn to read situations." Gray retorted, fed up with Natsu's childish attitude.

"Anyway, as you can see, we take on this forms of demons whenever the purple moon is out. If this isn't a curse, what else is it? Come morning, we'll all be back to normal. However, there are some who lose their minds and never change back" Moka explained.

Lucy thought about it...the curse...the moon...purple moon...demons...something's not right...she read something about this...but where?

"We've since made it a rule...to kill those who transform into mindless monsters." Moka continued...

"Even though they might turn back to normal?" Natsu asked, growing restless.

"We have to, or they'll kill us all. We've tried capturing them, but they just break free. As a result...I had to kill my own son..." A tear fell down Moka's cheek, while looking at a picture that came from nowhere... "My son, whose mind became that of a demon."

Lucy stared at the chief...while hiding behind Gray...but she could feel the despair in his voice and his eyes...Lucy took a glance at the picture...It was Bobo...

Gray noticed it too... "I figured out why that guy vanished. It's because he can't rest in peace." Gray whispered.

A ghost...If Lucy was not already so terrified...she was sure that she may had already fainted...this was too much for her...she wanted to go home...

"Please! Save this island! It's only a matter of time until we all lose our minds and turn into demons." Moka bowed his head.

"We won't let that happen! We'll figure something out." Natsu said with fire in his eyes.

"There's only one way to lift our curse. The moon...please destroy the moon." Moka said.

The mages stared at the chief like he was crazy...Lucy knew that there was no way to destroy the moon.

The villagers guided them to a place they could stay for the night. Lucy was in a corner, trembling, muttering how she wants to go home. Gray and Natsu was lounging around...and Happy was staring at the moon.

"Man, talk about a tall order." Natsu said, picking his nose.

"Asking us to destroy the moon is a bit too much." Gray agreed.

"I'm not even sure how many punches it'd take." Natsu clenched his fist, determined to destroy the moon.

"You want to destroy it!" Gray exclaimed when Natsu really wanted to destroy the moon. "What is he thinking anyway?" Gray wondered why the chief thought it was possible to destroy the moon.

Lucy glared at the boys murderously from the corner Lucy wedged herself in, "It's impossible to begin with."

"But he hired us to destroy the moon. It would tarnish Fairy Tail's name to take on a job and then back out on it." Natsu said, unfazed by Lucy's murderous look.

"You stole the job...it's not even official." Lucy intoned murderously.

"If we can't do it, we can't do it. How would even get to the moon?" Gray added, also not fazed by Lucy's murderous look.

"With Happy." Natsu simply said

"Huh!? Definitely not going to happen." Happy was shocked by Natsu's declaration.

"Walking all day after getting shipwrecked...man I'm beat." Gray tiredly spoke...while stripping.

Lucy glared at Gray, 'He strips finally? On what case does Gray strips?'

"All right then. We explore the island tomorrow!" Natsu waved his hands in the air "Now for sleep!" Natsu dived for his already made bed.

"Aye, sir!" Happy did the same, and almost instantly fell asleep.

"We can do or thinking tomorrow." Gray agreed, falling asleep on his bed.

Lucy glared at the boys...but was also tired...still in the corner of the room, she let her eyes droop...until sleep took her away.

Lucy was cold...but she felt hot. She was burning. She was freezing. Lucy did not know where she was, everything was dark, and darkness was drawing closer...and closer. Then she heard a voice...a familiar voice.

"Lucy, my dear." It was her Mother.

"Why did you do this?"

"Why did he deserved this?"

"You promised"

"You failed."

"Your fault"

"He's dead because of you."

"You are full of lies."

Lucy was trembling, as she held her knees...while listening to the insults of the voice that was her mother. Lucy wanted it gone, she wanted it gone. She brought her hands to her ears, and closed her eyes shut, hoping that it would disappear.

Couple moments later, the voice was gone. Hesitating, Lucy opened her eyes and removed her hands from her ears to look at her dark surrounding.

She was expecting a dark void...what she wasn't expecting was the change of scenery.

Instead of a dark void, she was standing in front of her house, the mansion before she ran away. What even more weird was that her Mother and Father was standing in front of the mansion, looking at Lucy with an expressionless look on their face.

"Lucy." the Father and Mother said in unison.

Lucy stood and look at them in the face, wondering what was happening. She was terrified enough already.

"This is your fault." Father said before Lucy's mother exploded, blood raining down, covering Lucy in blood.

Lucy woke up with a start, sweating bullets, clothes sticking to her skin, hair sticking to her forehead. Lucy was still in the same position...hugging her knees, huddled in a corner, away from the pervert and the flame beast.

Lucy was getting better to not scream after a nightmare...though it does happen time to time...but she always has a hard time going back to sleep...even with Erza by her side...

Lucy decided to stay awake for the rest of the night, and stare at a dark void in front of her...staring murderously at the sleeping blob on the other side of the room...where Gray and Natsu should be sleeping.

I will rain hell on those two, how dare they bring me into this mess. Where is Erza when you need her...? Lucy shook her head. She was being too dependent on her...Erza must be annoyed by that...but...Lucy did not know what to do...

A/N: Heeeeyyyy! What do you think?

Review and vote! :S