Once the interior designers did their thing, they settled on a gold and turquoise theme. I'm glad they didn't pick pink. It just brought back too many good memories. Thinking about the guild and the apartment that I owned, I looked down to the back of my right hand. My mark was as vibrant as ever, and Madoka said I would have to put makeup over it or wear gloves to cover it up every time I go out unless I want to be found. I couldn't go to Magnolia, let alone face the guild. The risk of being found out was too high and I had no excuse to leave other than the one that would make our master angry.
"Mado, did my brothers return from their outing last night?" I asked, still looking down at my hand. It was strange for that word to leave my mouth and for them to be true. I had brothers that were my real family, not just ones who worked with me. "They did, but in a bad mood. I can take you to the archery range if you like. They've been there since breakfast." She informed me, putting the sword back on her hip. "If you don't mind." I let her push the wheelchair I received from the palace infirmary as I had already been exhausted from the day and we left to the archery range.
Once we arrived, I heard the sound of an arrow hitting a tightly packed bale of hay. "Those people piss me off so much!" Sting screamed to himself, Rogue sitting on the side with two, wingless exceeds. "Who pisses you off so much?" I asked, Madoka quietly telling me off for my language. I only laughed slightly, getting out of the chair, and walked over to the exceeds. "Hey, little guy. Aren't you cute!" My eyes twinkle as I looked at the one with the frog suit on. "I'm Frosc, not cute." He cheered and I giggled. "What's your name?" I kneeled as I talked to them. We hadn't really properly introduced ourselves, just observed situations together. "I'm Lector, Your Highness! At your service!" He saluted. "Don't you have good manners. They're much better than the previous exceed I've known." I smiled, thinking of Happy's squeaky voice and annoying behaviour.
"Don't worry princess! We dealt with them last night!" Lector puffed out his chest as Rogue and Sting froze up. "What do you mean by that?" I asked with a flattening smile. "Fro went to Fairy Tail last night too!" Frosc cheered. I slowly stood up, turning to Sting and Rogue with a twitching smile. "W-We didn't do anything, Lucy. W-We promise." Sting started panicking at the murderous aura I was emitting. "I didn't say you did. So why would you bring it up, Sting?" I cocked my head to the side creepily. "Damn it, Sting." Rogue sighed. "We only went to talk. And get the old man! I swear! Please don't kill me!" He bowed on the ground repeatedly to apologise.
Taking a big sigh, I got on the floor as well, my dress covering the ground around me. I put my hand on his back to tell him to get up. "It's okay, Sting. Thank you for thinking of me. But we don't have to take action on Fairy Tail. It's my fault for not being there to save them." I hugged him, maybe surprising my new little brother.
"Now, how about I get Sagittarius down here to show you who's boss?" I smirked, jumping up and pulling my keys from my back, helping Sting up as I did. "You're a celestial mage too?" Rogue walked over, eyeing all my keys. "Yep. Mom was one too right? For my fifth birthday, the nuns gave me Aquarius. They said I arrived with her." I showed them the key. "But dad thought there were only two left on the continent?" Sting thought aloud. "Celestial Spirit Mages are rare these days. And for you to have two of the Zodiac keys is something special." Rogue added. "Really? Well, that doesn't matter right now. So, how about that competition?" I laughed, getting Sagittarius' key out. "Open the gate of the Archer! Sagittarius!" I announced, throwing the key down. With a puff of smoke, he appeared. "Reporting for duty, Lucy-sama!" He saluted me. "Woah. That's creepy." Lector awed at my spirit. "Sagittarius! We're having a duel with Prince Sting! first to fifty wins!" I announced, appearing in the stands with Rogue, Mado, and the exceeds. "We're really doing this!?" Sting panicked as my spirit got ready. "I shall honour my master in this! For Lucy-sama!" Sagittarius cried, shooting three arrows at a time. They all hit in the centre, chopping the one he already shot in half. "Come on, Sting! You can win this!" Lector cheered, Frosc following with a "Fro thinks so too!"
We continued like this until my spirit won. "Damn it!" Sting cried, throwing his bow to the floor. "You fought well, comrade. Until next time." With a pat on the back for Sting's broken ego and a nod goodbye to us, Sagittarius disappeared. "Sorry, Sting. My spirits are just too good." I crossed my arms, smirking at him. "Sore winner, much." He grumbled. "Sore loser." I teased back.
Suddenly, a castle guard came to us. "Master Makarov has just left. His Majesty the King wishes to see you in his study." He told us then left. "What do you think it's about?" I asked Mado. "There's only one way to find out, Princess." She told me and we all left, me being wheeled away as my excitement quickly drain what little energy I had left.
In father's study, we all stood in a straight line, Madoka standing by the door. "Lucy, I'm glad you seem to be easing in well. I just finished speaking with your old guild master and he believes you have passed because of the attack. He has just gone to see 'you' in the palace morgue." He told me, using air quotes when referring to the fake me. "Yes, father. But, may I ask for something?" I stepped forward, not knowing if it were my place or not. "Yes, my daughter, anything you need." He told me. "I... I wish to return to Magnolia. I left some precious things there and I wish to bring them here." I asked, father stiffening. "I shall get some guards to go to your apartment and the orphanage. They should be able to cope." He started writing orders down on a piece of paper with the royal crest on it. "No, I wish to go myself. Please, father." I bowed, begging. I had hid some of the memories there and I don't want to tell anyone about them. Father just sighed. "Alright, I will send you and ten guards to Magnolia tomorrow." He crossed out what he wrote before, writing the new order.
"Father, if I may, ten royal guards will draw too much attention. Why don't Rogue, Madoka and I go? We can certainly take care of Lucy alone." Sting stepped forward, realising my hesitance. Father thought for a moment then sighed again. "Alright, but Lucy will wear a cape to hide her identity and you cannot talk to anyone other than each other. Makarov might suspect if he sees someone similar to her there." He told us. "Thanks, dad!" I ran around and hugged him. "Anything for you, my star. Now, Hisui will be waiting in the banquet hall for dinner. I have more work, so don't wait up for me." He told us and I kissed my dad on the cheek. "Alright, dad! Don't work too hard!" We all bowed and left his study, going to dinner and finally getting to bed after a long day of work.
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Look Who's Useless Now?
Fanfiction(Quick note, everybody is at least a few years younger than in the original, like, 14/15.) During a mission in Crocus, Team Natsu were preparing for an expedition in a nearby forest with fearful monsters and deadly beings. Lucy had to buy some equip...
