Throne

Chapter One

        Lucy walked through the heavy rain to the train station, her single suitcase trailing behind her. Her former home was laid bare, only a single note on her emptied desk. She shared a tearful farewell with her landlord before leaving.
        "I'd like a ticket to Crocus, please." Lucy requested, sliding some Jewel into the ticket booth. The clicking sound of the ticket being printed and torn into the appropriate size soothed some of her nerves. Taking the ticket, Lucy thanked the cashier and sat on the bench, hoping the train would arrive soon. She dozed off for a bit, her sleep interrupted by the train squealing to a stop on the rusty tracks. With one last look back to the city she had grown to love, she stepped onto the train, handing the worker her ticket. Lucy slid into the cushion seat, her skin touching the cool metal interior of the train. Being alone on the train left her alone with her thoughts.
"Weak. I'm just weak." Lucy thought to herself grimly, looking out the train window. Rain beat heavily on the top of the train car as she sullenly watched the rain drip. "It's all for the best..." she murmured.
        A few hours later, the train halted, it had broken down at the station in the small village of Azalea.
        "Excuse me, ma'am, we are required to ask you to get off here. Due to weather incidents, this train can no longer proceed to Crocus. As a way to convey our apology, we are offering a free ticket to any destination for future use." The worker said, handing Lucy a voucher for a free ride.
        "Of course, thank you." Lucy said, reaching to get her luggage from the overhead storage before leaving the train. "Of course we can't get to Crocus! Nothing good ever happens around me!" Lucy grieved, walking through the strong winds and rain. Despite the small size, the town was very well developed and had a high overall population.
        Lucy checked into a cozy motel, the owner had offered her a free night because she saw how distressed the young mage had been. In her room, she gathered the strength to shower before passing out from exhaustion on the plush bed sheets.
        Small voices awoke Lucy, she rose to find a group of young kids surrounding her bed. Uncomfortably, Lucy shifted and sat upright, watching them stare at her with anticipation.
        "Miss! Are you really in Fairy Tail?" One of the children asked, her eyes shining with admiration.
         "Can you show us magic?!" Another child asked, his hands moving as if to gesture 'magic'.
         "My mom says Fairy Tail is nothing but a group of trouble makers, but I wanna go join!" A girl shouted, giggling.
        Lucy was at a loss for words, very confused and still very tired. Not to mention, she had never changed out of her pajamas.
        "Kids! Get out of this young lady's room! Right now!" The motel owner commanded, lead to Lucy's room by the children's loud comments. Disappointed, the children left, their heads hung sadly. "I'm so sorry, Miss! Please excuse them."
         "It's fine," Lucy assured. "Thank you so much for your hospitality!" She thanked. The woman left, closing Lucy's door behind her. Lucy showered hastily and picked up her luggage, ready to move forth to Crocus. She stared herself down in the mirror, and glanced down at the Fairy Tail mark on her hand. "New life." Lucy whispered, crying as she removed the pink mark from her hand. She stared at her blank hand, devastated, yet relieved. The burden of being a Fairy Tail wizard was gone, but along with it, Lucy felt she had lost her family. After her legs stopped trembling, Lucy picked up her bag and made her way to check out of the inn.
"Miss!!" One of the children from earlier called. "Where is it?" she asked, pointing to Lucy's right hand. "Is Fairy Tail a bad place?" The child inquired, sadness in her voice.
"No! Fairy Tail is a wonderful place, and they are much more than a guild," Lucy reassured her, squatting to meet her gaze, "They're a family!" She said, her voice cracking. "It was just my time to leave..." She trailed off, patting the girl's head comfortingly before standing and leaving the motel.
The second she left the door, dust flew into Lucy's face as someone dashed down the dirt path, trailed by an old woman.
"Give it back! Don't take it!" She squealed, bending over to catch her breath. Lucy dropped her bag and kicked off her heels, pursuing the criminal, although she wasn't exactly sure what he had taken. Lucy's bare heels ached with every sharp turn, but finally Lucy apprehended the thief.
"Take it!" He whined, breathing heavily under Lucy's feet. The gruff man shoved a bag towards Lucy, scrambling to get up as Lucy caught it. He fled before he could be taken in, but at least she had the bag. She jogged back over to the old woman, handing her the bag.
"Here you go!" She panted. The bag fell to the floor and groceries spilled out. "Groceries?!" Lucy whined, feeing as if she had wasted effort. Nonetheless, she collected the fallen ingredients and handed then gently to the woman.
"Thank you, thank you!" The woman cried, "Come I must reward you."
"That's not necessary!" Lucy replied, slipping her heels back onto her worn feet.
"Come! I won't take no for an answer." The woman insisted, pulling Lucy to her home.
They entered a small, hut like house, and set the groceries on the kitchen counter.
"Today is my granddaughter's sixteenth birthday," The lady began, "I scrounged up just enough money to buy the ingredients for her special cake! That's why I must show my gratitude to you." She explained. "I have no money, though..."
"It's really fine!" Lucy promised, aching to leave and board the next train to Crocus.
"I know!" The old woman chirped, ignoring Lucy's remark. She hobbled down the hallway and disappeared into a room. Lucy heard clanging sounds for a while before the woman returned.
"Take this, please. My granddaughter and I found it in the woods a little while back!" The old lady requested, offering a small wooden chest. Lucy reluctantly nodded, taking the box.
After enjoying tea with the friendly grandma, Lucy finally made her way to the train station, her mood substantially better as she was further away from Magnolia.
"All boarding, to Crocus!" The conductor called, drawing Lucy to the boarding platform.
She watched the passengers spill out of the train to their destination, Azalea. Among them was Rogue Cheney, a Sabertooth wizard.
"Lucy, what brings you here?" Rogue asked, his dark eyes peering into Lucy's.
"My train got stopped here because of a storm." She explained. "I'm on my way to Crocus. Are you here on a job?" Lucy inquired.
"Yes. Are you going to Crocus for a job?" Rogue asked, his eyes moving to Lucy's markless hand. Swiftly she swung her hands behind her back.
"I guess you can say that!" She responded nervously. "Bye Rogue, Frosch. Good luck!" Lucy waved, quickly pushing onto the train to avoid further questions.
"That was strange." Rogue said to his feline companion.
"Fro thinks so too!"
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Lucy let out a sigh of relief as she sat in the train. She decided to open the box from the woman now, to distract herself from worrying. she fidgeted with the rusty hinges until the chest creaked open, revealing a shimmering pearl pendant and an aged, leather-bound journal. Lucy admired the shining pearl, putting it around her neck happily. She then removed the journal and stroked the aged cover, examining its craftsmanship. Flipping through the journal, Lucy discovered it was filled with symbols and cryptic messages even she could not decipher. The last page, however, was legible. It read in bold, scratched writing, "Sabertooth Guild." Lucy's eyes widened. Despite not knowing what it meant, her interest was piqued, and her mind was set.
"Looks like I'm going to Sabertooth." She thought to herself as the train surged on.