Fairy Tail: Unbearable Truth

Lucy's Decision

After the Grand Magic Games, Natsu and Happy left ever so often to train on their own, leaving Lucy jobless without partners.
With their trio out in the dark, Lucy took the initiative to go on missions herself.
They weren't menacing as S-class requests that Erza Scarlet takes, nor hefty loads Gray Fullbuster challenges himself with, the jobs Lucy took were mild and enough to help pay for her monthly rent.

But with odds stacked against her favor, who knew that a simple job out in town, would become a nightmare.
••••••••
"ARIES! GIVE ME BACK MY KEY!" Lucy cried out in terror for what might happen to her celestial spirit in the hands of a villain. She was suddenly ambushed by five people on her way back to the guild from her job. Her keys, the target.

Sickening laughter filled the air as hooded members of a dark guild approached her.

"It's just another gold key of the 12 zodiacs, don't you have others? Spare this one, won't you?" A scratchy feminine voice hinted

"They may just be gold keys to you, but to me they are my friends! They are precious to me! There my partners!" Lucy proclaimed with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Then how did you lose the Water Bearer?" The shadow from behind Lucy questioned.

A million snippets of memories came rushing through her when she heard Aquarius's name. But confusion made her wonder, how did they know about Aquarius?

"She's not gone." Lucy barked back, "I'm going to find her.bEven though she hated me, I still loved her dearly!" Lucy shouted back again.

Lucy was defenseless in her state, her arms beaten up and her legs burnt from fire magic. She could barely move.
A woman unveiled her hood and revealed a scar on her eye. She raised her and activated gravity magic.

The ground began to shake and Lucy was forced down closer the earth, crushing her body.
She screamed in pain and was able to slightly reach her arm out.

"A-Aries!" She called.

The other women in the crowds waved Aries's gold key in her hand. "I wonder what would happen if I snapped it?" She said curiously with a malicious intent. "Will the Spirit King join our party?"

"No!" Lucy felt utterly weak as she couldn't fight against the gravity pushing her down.

All of a sudden, she started to cough up blood. It smeared over the sod ground around her. Terribly exhausted from the previous fight, she didn't have enough magic to open another gate.

"I'll give you the key back if-"

"Please! Please give it back!" Lucy pleaded in interruption.

"You dare to interrupt me?!" The one with the scar stepped forward and nodded her head. The one behind her casted her hand at Lucy, shocking her with lightening magic.

The electric currents rushed through Lucy's body as she felt the heat and paralysis of her body. She was beginning to fade. More blood, gashes, brushes and cuts covered her body.

"Let's strike a deal. Cut your ties with Fairy Tail.
if you don't. Well call our other branching dark guilds to assassinate the members, starting with the weak. One by one. Your choice" she said.

Lucy didn't know what to do. Of course, the idea of Fairy Tail losing to these guys is impossible. She thought over about the numbers, the magic, and the will power.

Lucy couldn't agree with the terms, but she decided to let them have it. She gave in.
Of course, the idea of starting a war was not on her mind. She would rather die than to throw Fairy Tail out in the open.
Then she finally agreed. But the guilt ran though her.