Background: Basically, Lucy is Cinderella. She's the only child of Layla & Jude, but when Layla dies, Jude re-marries for Lucy to have a mother's influence, since they're rich, you know! Eventually, Jude dies as well and Lucy is left under the care of her step-mother. After a couple years of near torture from the step-mother and step-sisters, she finally turns 18 and leaves immediately. She shows up at Magnolia, gets an apartment, joins Fairy Tail, and you know the rest.

Fairy (Tail) Godmother

Chapter 1: The Curse

Lucy groaned as she opened the guild's doors, noticing immediately that everyone surrounded Lisanna. Lucy furrowed her eyebrows as she remembered that it's been several weeks since Lisanna came back, so why are people still so fascinated? Looking around for salmon colored hair, she sighed as Natsu, too, surrounded Lisanna, sitting the closest to her.

Lucy looked around the rest of the guild, seeing who wasn't totally mesmerized by the white hair home wrecker. Lucy giggled to herself. Homewrecker. Literally. Natsu's house has been an even bigger mess than before. Not that I was spying or anything! I would never do that! Lucy immediately thought to herself, coughing suspiciously.

Her eyes landed on the Thunder God Tribe - all caught up in Laxus, not Lisanna. Lucy laughed, I guess everyone looks up to someone. But who do I look up to?If anyone? she pondered to herself.

She noticed that Laxus was extraordinarily good looking today. Yeah, she always thought he was handsome, but for some reason he was even more so today. She continued watching the guild. Everyone had someone to talk to. Usually, I would talk to Levy, but… That stupid girl had to go and take a 3 month mission with Gajeel, Lucy huffed to herself, and then sighed. At least one of them had a boyfriend. Cana also had to leave on a long mission with Gildarts. Damn, I just have the best luck.

She let out another loud groan of frustration, not realizing she had vocalized it. Laxus looked up to see the very unhappy blonde mage. He frowned. Where are all her friends? Usually she's literally surrounded by people talking to her. His eyes wandered over to Lisanna and everyone surrounding her. Right… Levy went on that long mission, too. Damn that must suck, Laxus thought, sympathizing for Lucy. In the few moments he had his eyes on her, he witnessed something that would break anyone's heart.

"Oh, sorry Lucy! I didn't see you there." Natsu had a small apologetic smile on his face. He had accidentally sat on her, thinking no one was there. Also, he called her Lucy. Not Luce. Aw shit, Laxus thought to himself. That's damn embarrassing… And he was right. Lisanna stood next to Natsu and tried so hard to keep her giggles to herself. She was so close until a last minute giggle popped out, and Lucy's eyes began to swell.

She started to flush and wanted to cry. "It's okay, Natsu. You can sit here now," she said quietly before getting up and forcing herself to walk slowly. She wanted to run as fast as she could. She waited until she got to the doors and then she was gone.

She ran and ran and ran until she was out of breath. She sat under a giant tree, breathing in and out slowly to calm herself. Once she had composed herself, she went home. When she walked in the door, the emptiness of her apartment stung. Natsu would be on the bed, having come through the window. Happy would be ravaging the fridge. It felt so… empty… and lonely, without them. Sighing, she went to lock the windows. All of them. Since Natsu didn't want to be in her life - she'd make sure he stayed out.

Lucy also went to the fridge and threw out any of the foods that reminded her of them. Mainly, fish and stuff Happy liked. She cleansed the rest of her house of any remains. Spraying a bunch of Febreeze around the house, she had hoped it would erase the distinct - but becoming less apparent - smell of Natsu. She sighed again. I seem to be doing a lot of that. Lucy thought to herself before she went to the bathroom to try to calm down. She ran a bath, with warm water, and let it fill up before taking her clothes off. She wrapped a towel around her as she looked down in the water to test the temperature, instead getting distracted by her face. Her eyes were red and puffy, from crying she didn't know she was even doing. Her mascara had failed her, and was streaked down her face. Lucy even had an open slash on her lip - probably from biting too hard, she reasoned to herself.

Then, what happened would change the direction of Lucy's life. A single tear from Lucy's right eye raced down her cheek to her chin, and fell in the bathroom, making many small ripples. For some reason, Lucy smiled at the ripples. Until she heard a feminine voice from behind her.

"Hello, Lucy."

Lucy spun around in her towel to see none other than Mira. But, for some reason, she looked different… "Mira?" she questioned aloud.

"Sorry, Lucy. Not Mira for the moment. Please call me your Fairy (Tail) Godmother." It made sense. The girl looked the Mira, but she was different. Mir- Fairy (Tail) Godmother, was wearing a long flowing dress, something a Queen would wear. She also had wings and a wand that Lucy hadn't noticed before. Huh. So, am I like, Cinderella now? Lucy thought, giggling to herself.

"Yes. You are." Fairy (Tail) Godmother replied, not even having heard Lucy.

"How-how did you hear that?" Lucy stammered.

"I didn't." Fairy (Tail) Godmother replied. She then smiled sweetly. "I heard it in your mind. But enough about me, child. What is your wish?"

"My wish?" Lucy asked, confused.

"Yes, don't you remember the story? You get a wish and I grant it. Simple. Cinderella wished to go to the ball. Granted. It's just how these things work." Fairy (Tail) Godmother smiled warmly at Lucy. "So, what will be your wish?"

"I-I don't know. I'm awfully lonely. I want… I wish for someone who cared for me enough to stay by my side." Lucy replied, firmly. She now knew that's what she wanted. Something Natsu didn't give her. He left her.

"I would do the silly sounds and the swish of the wand that the Fairy Godmother did, but I'm Fairy (Tail) Godmother. So, I'll just say granted. Lucy, sometime in the next week, you will meet the love of your life. They will treat you with respect, they will love you endlessly, and they will never leave your side. You will love them back, in the same terms. However, I must warn you: the love of your life will be an unexpected person. They could be anyone. I wish you well, Lucy Heartfilia. Goodbye." Fairy (Tail) Godmother murmured, as her body became transparent and eventually invisible.

All Lucy could do was stammer. The stammers weren't understandable sentences, or even words. She dropped to the floor on her knees, her towel coming off as she cried uncontrollably. She cried, and cried, and cried, until she had nothing left in her. She cried for Natsu, she cried for Happy, she cried for her mother, her father… She cried, hoping Fairy (Tail) Godmother's granted wish would come true… She cried, hoping she'd finally have happiness back in her life. She cried, remembering being bullied and pushed around by her step-mom and step-sisters. She cried, for she was always lonely until she met Natsu - and now she doesn't have him either. Once all her tears had fallen, Lucy sniffled a little bit and stood up. She put her feet in the bath - it was still warm.

This bath… this bath will cleanse all the bad memories. It will wash my tear streaked cheeks, it will soothe my aching body, it will warm up my cold heart. This bath is the change in my life. Even if my wish doesn't come true - I'm in charge of my life now. No one will be in charge of my happiness.

Step-mom, step-sisters, you can't hold me back from happiness. Natsu, neither can you. Mom, I know you would help me with my happiness, but even you can't. I'm in charge of my life now. I hope you approve, Lucy thought firmly, looking up, knowing her mom and dad were up there somewhere. She slowly got into the bath and sunk all the way down to her neck. She held her breath and went under. Lucy rubbed her face, she could feel her dried mascara and tears slowly come off. Once she came up, she smiled, knowing that tomorrow was a new day.

End of Chapter 1