Hiro Mashima has the honor of owning Fairy Tail...I am unworthy T_T

The sudden crackling of thunder startled Lucy Heartfilia from her frenzied thoughts and caused her to drop her backpack on the floor next to her four-poster bed. The young woman felt a shiver down her spine as the windows of her bedroom rattled ominously.

"Perfect. Just perfect."She muttered as her finger lifted the edge of the curtain to peek outside. There was a light sprinkling of rain starting and she knew if she didn't leave now she would be caught in a terrible downpour.

She sat down on the edge of her bed and sighed deeply. "Why did a thunder storm have to strike today, of all days?" She questioned the shivering lump hiding under the bed sheet next to her. A low whine was the only response as she gently snuck her hand beneath the cover to scratch the little dog under his chin. After three months, all of her careful planning was about to be undone.

"Oh Plue, what should I do? I wasn't prepared for this." The young woman was a meticulous planner; she'd had all the details of this day written down in her journal for weeks. Her father's meeting schedule, which servants would be present in the house and on the grounds, the distance and time it would take to reach the train station, heck, she even noted what time the mail carrier arrived every day. Not once did she even consider that a sudden, freakishly big storm would appear on the horizon that morning and slowly creep its way closer to her home.

Home. She thought. More like prison. Or the pen where they placed the cows before slaughter.

Lucy snorted at her dark thought; she normally wasn't such a morbid person, but lately she really had been feeling that way. As if she was some kind of animal; to be sold to the highest bidder for whichever purpose they desired. In her case, the purpose was marriage and the winning bidder was a prominent figure in a wealthy and well-known family from a neighboring country. She only met him the one time and he was far from what Lucy had ever imagined in a boyfriend, let alone the man she'd marry. Just trying to picture the look on the face of her intended husband when he discovered that she was long gone was enough to get her mind off depressing thoughts and back into the current situation.

I have to do this today No chickening out. I'm taking control of my life this very moment; I'll no longer let anyone make my decisions for me, not my father or a fiancé I barely know and certainly not a little rain.

Just then, another loud rumble shook the windows and the little white terrier jumped nervously into her lap. She stroked his ears lovingly, "I'm sorry I have to leave you at a time like this Plue. I promise you'll be taken care of; Mrs. Spetto would never let anything happen to you", she whispered to the dog.

With one last pat on the head, Lucy stood and placed him under the covers once again. Without looking back, she grabbed the backpack that had fallen next to bed and slowly closed her bedroom door with a light snap. Virgo, the head maid, wouldn't be coming to check on her until a few hours from now. If all went according to plan, by the time the maid realized the heiress wasn't in the house, Lucy would be seated on the three-o-clock train heading West at 150mph, with no one at all knowing where she'd gone and no clue where to start looking.

Her father, Jude Heartfilia was scheduled to be at a very important meeting around that time and he always left his cell phone in his suitcase with the ringer off until the business was completed. Lucy was positive he'd be oblivious to the situation until at least six that evening. He wouldn't make it home until around seven and by then, she'd definitely be out of his reach.

After the bedroom door snapped shut it became eerily quiet in the long hallway. It might have been unnerving to some people but Lucy was used to it. The only sounds this house ever heard was the soft shuffling of the various servants' shoes. At least, that's how it had been since her mother had passed six years ago. A sharp pain stung the girl's chest thinking of the activities associated with her mother's memory. Playing dress up and performing shows for the maids when her father was out. Singing and dancing in the rose garden. Playing pranks on Mrs. Spetto and laughing like maniacs when she chased them through the house. They had even convinced the stuffy butler Capricorn and shy maid Aries to play hide and seek with them once. It had been such a happy and carefree childhood. And now look where she was…

Dammit, Lucy, this is not the time for a pity party. Get your shit together, girl. This is the most crucial moment of "The Plan" and you're dredging up sappy memories. Okay, focus! Just need to make it down the stairs, through the kitchen and out the back door. Not that hard. Everyone should be in their normal positions so I can to slip out quietly.

Mrs. Spetto would be in her office right now, likely on the phone discussing the next week's events with a member of Lucy's future household; tediously hashing out the various mundane details of the upcoming nuptials. It was also the first Wednesday of the month, which meant the maids, Virgo and Aries would be on the third floor meticulously dusting and freshening up the rooms for the next two hours until dinner. Lucy had no clue why her father even bothered with making them do it; it's not as if anyone ever went up there. Capricorn would be making his daily rounds throughout the estate, checking in with the groundskeepers and taking down any information that might need to be passed on to Mrs. Spetto or Lucy's father. There shouldn't be anyone present downstairs or in the back garden to spot her making her escape.

Before heading down the stairs, Lucy peeked out the nearest window. What she saw was not promising. The world had turned gray and in the distance she could see lightning flashing dangerously. Another deafening crack of thunder caused the girl to jump.

Great, it's getting closer. Capricorn might decide to cut his rounds short thanks to this storm; I need to do this now, and fast.

She turned away from the window and padded softly down the stairs. When she reached the bottom she made a sharp right turn into the hallway that lead to kitchen. She had nearly made it through when the sound of voices reached her ears. Quickly, Lucy made another sharp turn around the corner and found herself in a small bathroom. Shutting the door slightly, she listened intently all while cursing her terrible luck.

"Oh I'm so very sorry!" came a soft voice. "The sudden thunder frightened me…I didn't mean to knock you into that vase! Mrs. Spetto is going to be so upset with me…"

It must be Aries and Virgo.

"Stop apologizing! I'll take the heat from the old woman…really it was an old, ugly thing anyway. Mistress Layla hated it…"

"But you cut your hand! I'm so sorry!"

Lucy let out a low sigh. She knew Aries would continue apologizing to Virgo for the next week. She stifled a chuckle. The two maids couldn't be more opposite from one another. Aries, timid and soft spoken while Virgo had a stiff personality and was a glutton for rules and punishment. Lucy heard the sound of running water and someone shuffling through the cabinets.

While the two maids continued their conversation, Lucy glanced towards the bathroom mirror and tried not to laugh. She looked nothing like herself. If anyone saw her right now they'd probably think she was a burglar. Virgo wouldn't hesitate to kick her straight through the wall. The only part of her features that looked like herself were the large brown eyes. She couldn't exactly hide those under sunglasses on a day like this. The girl stiffened against the counter when she heard the maid's voices get louder. Lucy prayed vigorously, hoping they would simply walk past the bathroom and continue on their way upstairs. They were still talking when they passed the slightly open door, but the conversation had changed subject.

"Virgo, what do you think will happen to us? When Miss Lucy leaves? Do you think we'll get to go to her new home with her?" Lucy could imagine the look on Aries' worried face as she asked the question; it must have been bothering her quite a lot for her to voice her concerns out loud.

"I doubt Miss Lucy's future husband has any need for more servants in his household, but…I'm sure they will allow her to take Plue at least, she'll be terribly lonely without him. I hope she's going to be okay, it must be so scary…" The voices had gotten softer as they walked farther down the hall and began ascending the stairs. Lucy could just barely make out the rest of their words.

"I can't even imagine…hey, we should ask Mrs. Spetto if we can do something special for our princess before she goes, to show her how much we'll miss her…"

The two maids had finally gone beyond earshot and now was Lucy's chance. But she couldn't bring herself to move. The young girl's fists were clenched and she was biting her lip in an attempt to keep from sobbing. A single, hot tear ran down her cheek and soaked into the cloth of her black hoodie. Her mind was filled with the memories of her servants, no, friends. Mrs. Spetto, Virgo, Aries, Capricorn and all the others. They had been her constant companions throughout childhood; they were the rays of sunshine that shone through the dark clouds of grief after her mother's passing.

I'm going to miss you all so much…I love you dearly, my friends, I'll never forget you. Please forgive me for leaving without a proper goodbye.

With that last thought, Lucy forced her body to move. She gently pulled the bathroom door open and continued her way through the kitchen. After stepping outside, she made her way to the back edge of the garden. This spot wasn't visible from anywhere in the house and it's where she had decided to make her move. There was an old, vine covered lattice perched against the wall; the perfect makeshift ladder. Lucy placed her feet carefully on the wood and slowly began her ascent. Reaching the top, she tossed her backpack on the ground and swung her legs over.

After a not-so-graceful landing, she gave herself a moment to gather her thoughts properly.

The rain isn't so bad right now. I'm still making good time. Just need to get to the bike and then I'll be golden!

She made her way quickly past the edge of the wall and along a dirt road that led towards the orchard. Coming this way brought on more memories of her late mother. Lucy had loved taking walks through the rows of apple trees with her; sometimes they would bring a blanket and lay in the grass until nightfall, gazing at the stars and giving themselves stomach aches from all the fruit they consumed.

Stop getting distracted! She scolded herself as she came upon a large cluster of branches leaning against a tree. If she hadn't known any better, she might have thought they looked natural there, nothing out of the ordinary at all. She quickly went to work, uncovering her hidden treasure. Once it was revealed, Lucy pulled her hood over her head and made sure her backpack was secure around her shoulders before straddling the bicycle. She cursed herself for not thinking of securing a backup mode of transportation.

Biking through country roads in a thunderstorm; what could possibly go wrong? Lucy sighed to herself and began to pedal. It was three miles to the train station, Lucy had estimated she could get there in 25 minutes give or take. She didn't have much experience riding a bike, let alone in the rain so she hoped her calculations weren't too far off. After a few minutes of heavy pedaling, the runaway heiress passed the large sign that declared she was now leaving "Heartfilia Estate".

Lucy's heart was pounding so hard she thought it might burst. Was it from the sudden exercise or something else? Something she'd never experienced before? A wide grin spread across her face, she'd never felt so alive before in her life.

Is this what freedom feels like?