[Fanfic] [Fairy Tail] Moonbows

Chapter 1: Eisenwald

The first time Erza Scarlet saw her, she didn't pay too much attention to Lucy Heartfilia.

She just got back from an S-class mission, relieving a village from a monster that had been wreaking havoc nearby. It was not a particularly hard job, the monster was not that much of a challenge. However, the villagers were so grateful for her help that they decorated the monster's horn with beautiful native flowers woven in intricate patterns, intended to be given to her as a way of saying thank you.

It was such a lovely gift, and Erza didn't have the heart to say no.

When she came back to the guild, she was so focused on the threat of Eisenwald and Lullaby and asking Natsu and Gray to come with her that she didn't even notice they had a new member. It was not until the next day that Erza got the chance to officially meet her. She was a little bit surprised at first, to see a stranger standing with Natsu and Gray at the train station. There was a distinct pink Fairy Tail mark on her right hand, so Erza guessed she must be a new member of the guild.

Blonde hair, light blue shorts, and orange top. Gentle brown eyes.

The blonde didn't seem to be too afraid of her as she introduced herself. She said her name was Lucy, and Erza filed it inside her head. She liked to know each and every one of her nakamas.

Erza was curious about what type of magic Lucy used, and she was just about to ask her when Natsu interrupted them with his stubbornness and desire to get beaten, as always.

Ah, how she had missed Natsu, with his seemingly endless energy and the usual hotheadedness.

Lucy seemed nice enough, and now that she was a part of the guild, Erza hoped she would be able to find a home here, with them. She made a mental note to check in with Lucy when this was over, just to gauge her feelings after her first Fairy Tail mission.

She hoped they were positive ones.

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Erza found out what type of magic Lucy used during their mission, when they were stuck inside a wind barrier created by Erigor to prevent them from reaching Clover in time. She had never met a Celestial mage before, nor did she have that much knowledge about Celestial magic either. The extent of her knowledge stopped at knowing it was a certain branch of ancient magic and there were only a few mages still practicing them nowadays.

She decided to ask Levy about it when they got back to the guild, just to understand more about Celestial magic (she had always been a curious child at heart) and how to better accommodate Lucy's strengths and weaknesses if they ever decided to keep going on team missions like this in the future.

For now, they had a more imminent problem that required her attention.

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With Lullaby defeated and the guild masters remained unharmed, Erza finally allowed herself to relax. Night had fallen a while ago, and the distance between Magnolia and Clover was far enough that she thought it would be best if they stayed the night and go back to the guild in the morning.

After all, there was no need to rush after a mission well done. And her teammates (and herself) looked like they would appreciate a little break to relax and unwind.

A break, of course, resulted in Natsu and Gray challenging each other to an eating contest at dinner and making all kinds of messes. Other patrons were looking at them with bewildered expressions, probably wondering how long the two of them had been starving while homeless on the street.

Erza smiled, looking at Natsu and Gray with a fond expression. They had known each other almost their entire lives, Natsu and Gray were like her little brothers, hers to protect, and everyone knew a little sibling rivalry sometimes could do no harm.

She looked across the table, at the newest addition to their family. Lucy was alternating between dodging pieces of food flying everywhere and scolding Natsu and Gray for making them fly everywhere in the first place. She didn't seem too put off by their typical brand of Fairy Tail craziness, Erza noted approvingly, and anyone capable of handling Natsu and Gray like this would fit right in with all of their friends.

Still, she needed to check in, just to be sure.

After dinner, they decided to take a short walk around the town to take in some fresh air and do some sightseeing before going back to the hotel for the night. Natsu and Gray were a few steps ahead of them, bumping heads and arguing about God knows what now, and Lucy let out small chuckles here and there, amused at their antics.

Erza found out she didn't mind Lucy's presence, being next to her like this.

"Say, Lucy." Erza started, breaking the comfortable silence, "How are you feeling after today? You are not hurt too much, are you?"

"Oh, I'm feeling okay, it's no biggie. Besides, I haven't really done much, not like you, Natsu and Gray." The blonde replied, rubbing the back of her neck self-consciously.

Erza frowned. She didn't want Lucy to feel that way. Nobody should ever feel like that. "You helped me during the fight at the station, and you were the one who helped us escape the wind wall so that we could reach the masters in time. None of us would be here if it weren't for you, Lucy."

"... If you say so. I guess I just feel like you guys all used your power to fight and stop Lullaby while I only stood there doing nothing really..."

Erza stopped in her steps, turning around and looking at Lucy straight in the eyes, "That might be true. However, each person has their own way of contributing to the team. Natsu, Gray, and I might have physical power, but you, Lucy, you are special on your own, please don't ever doubt that."

During all her travels on missions, she had met a lot of mages from every corner of Fiore. Each of them was unique in their own way, and in her opinion, no type of magic should be considered "weaker" when compared to another. It was the ability of the mages to harness their magical potentials that contributed to the differences in power between them.

That was the reason why she trained every day, just so she could be stronger, strong enough to protect the people she held dear in her heart.

It might be the soft light from the lampposts on the side of the pavement, but Erza thought she saw a hint of color on Lucy's cheeks. "Thank you, Erza. You are so nice. All of you are very nice. I'm glad Master decided to accept me into the guild."

"Really? We are not too overwhelming for you, right? Because if that's the case, I can give Natsu and Gray a piece of my mind, if you want." She asked, already thinking of different ways to punish the two idiots for scaring Lucy like that.

"No! No, not at all. I admit, you guys are a little weird, and it might take me some time to get used to it. But it's a good kind of weird, I promise. It's refreshing, honestly." Lucy shook her head with a sincere expression.

"I see... Then, we Fairy Tail are happy to have you with us, Lucy." Erza gave her a small smile, and took pleasure in the twinkles shining in Lucy's soft brown eyes.

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A/N: Votes and comments are welcome!