Uncertain Future

Author: This fanfic is dedicated to Aline-chan, my dear friend. I hope you can enjoy this StiCy that I had written for you – and for all StiCy fans – but I have to warn you: This is not a romantic fanfic where Lucy and Sting fall in love with each other. This is about suffering and revenge, tormenting and torture. I don't want an OOC Sting and I'm truly sorry if any of the characters is OOC.

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima, characters, places… anything. But the Nobles' Houses, the OCs, invented places… they are mine, my imagination.

Chapter I – The Nobles' Houses.

It was a nice day in Magnolia, sunny but with a soft breeze running across the buildings. Fairy Tail hadn't made any disturbance and it was almost midday, but it was true that Team Natsu – with Natsu 'Salamander' Dragneel, Happy, Gray Fullbuster, Erza 'Titania' Scarlet, Wendy Marvell, Charle and Lucy Heartfilia – wasn't in the guild and they were the most troublesome people. So the people at Fairy Tail were really bored and there wasn't any noise.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" A voice asked outside the guild, his form was darkened from the sunlight behind him, because it was definitively him. "I'm looking for Miss Lucy Heartfilia!"

Usually it should be normal for a client to be looking for a special mage that was its favourite and he or she wanted to ask for something. But usually the mage was well-known or extremely powerful and only a perverted guy would have asked for Lucy.

"Lucy is on a mission, she should be arriving soon. Who are you…?" Mira's question faded when the 'client' entered the guild with a frown face. He was indeed handsome and probably rich, but he didn't seem to like the sight of the hall. The unknown man was wearing pitch black attire consisting on a suit with a furry coat and high boots. On his belt was hanging a set of two swords, a short one and a long one. "May I ask your name, sir?"

"Yes, ma'am, my name is Paul Rawer, 2nd in command under Quil-sama's orders." Paul was a soldier? They had believed he was a rich man! "Quil-sama, Rozen-sama and Vladimir-sama are waiting in their carriages for Miss Heartfilia-sama. We have an order from the Nobles' Houses. Where can we park the carriage so they can rest?"

"Behind the guild should be alright." Master Makarov was worried the Nobles' Houses was a strict organization where the richest people from all Fiore were gathered and they followed theirs own rules, only the King was above them. "Serve yourself."

"Thank you, Master Makarov-dono." Paul left the hall and started shouting orders to the other soldiers. "Come on! Move the carriages behind the building!"

Soon after, the door flew open again and a red carpet were placed fro three men to step on it. The first one was an old man, shorter than Levy, whit little with hair and little green eyes hided behind a pair of glasses. The second one was younger, maybe he was the same age than Macao but all similitude died there, the unknown guest was taller and thinner than the Colbot senior with a long bear that reached his waist and long red hair with two silver lines tied by a black ribbon. The third ne was the younger. He had short, spiky, electric blue hair and cold, onyx eyes. He was smiling and winked an eye towards Cana.

"Vladimir-sama, I had cleaned this stool for you." The red-haired man sat in front of Mirajane with a frown face.

"Give me a Sparkling Martini, young lady."

"We don't have Sparkling Martini, sir." It was an expensive version of a simple martini where instead of cherries there were diamonds.

"Then, give me water." Mira placed a glass of water in front of him and Vladimir took a sip… he spat it the same second he took it. "This is not Bling H2o!"

"Let it be, Vladimir. You can't ask for anything better in a place like this. I don't know how Miss Heartfilia had stood so much time here." The boy with spiky hair calmed his partner while the old one was gazing around. "Is Miss Heartfilia going to be here soon, gorgeous?"

"Lucy and her team should be here soon, yes." And like a spell the aforementioned crossed the doors arguing with Natsu with Gray, Erza and Wendy behind them. "Here she is."

"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Lucy-san." Spiky's voice stopper her argument and Lucy looked at him shocked.

"Quil… sama..." Her voice was trembling as well as her body and her eyes showed so much fear that Natsu put himself between his nakama and this character. "What… what are you doing here?"

"Happy 18th birthday." Quil took two steps and placed a hand on her cheek. "Mademoiselle Heartfilia."

"No, I'm… I'm not an heiress anymore." She smiled forcedly but content with her decision of leaving her title.

"But you are, Miss Heartfilia." The elder member, Rozen, took a letter from his jacket and handed it to her. "Your father, may being resting in piece, regained his title and wealth, he left everything to you but there is a little issue."

"This is impossible! My father sent me a letter and he didn't…"

"Silence, girl!" Lucy cowered with Vladimir's order. "This is the last will of your father, written right after your mother's death! You have to fulfil it since you had used already more than 5 million of jewels."

Lucy reread the letter, Rozen was right, her father had written it clearly: "My daughter must be married before she could have her inheritance." And she wasn't married.

"As a member of the Nobles' Houses, you know already the procedure."

"I will give back the money." Lucy was about to have a panic attack. "Every single jewel."

"You have the possibility but are you sure you can earn so much money working here as a mage with your level?" Quil had crossed the line already, looking down at Fairy Tail and at Lucy. Natsu tried to punch him but even before he could la a finger on him, his soldiers were protecting their master with spears pointing at Natsu's throat. "Control your dogs, Miss Heartfilia."

Not only Natsu was prepared to fight, but everyone else. Lucy hadn't realized how the silence had taken over the room or how even Mirajane and Gildarts were ready to jump into a fight if one of them resulted injured. Cana had left down her barrel of wine and Laxus by her side was sparkling, Levy had her pen ready to work as Gajeel had stopped eating, looking dangerously at them. Lucy didn't have to turn around to notice that Erza was wearing one of her multiples armour and the room was freezing cold, how the clouds around the guild were darkening and Evergreen, with Elfman and Lisanna, had took a step forward, how Macao and Wakaba were fuming… Fairy Tail was ready to fight a war if it was necessary to protect her.

"Ok, everyone is going to relax and Lucy-san is going to come willingly with us." Quil bent and whispered to Lucy without knowing that the four Dragon Slayers were able to hear him. "Or we can do it right here with your friends looking at you like you servants always were."

"I-I will go willingly." Her shoulders fell distressed. "Just don't hurt my friends."

"That's a good decision, girl. Soldiers, keep them all here. If anyone moves, kill them all." Vladimir ordered and the soldiers when they left. "Head the way."

Outside was waiting an old lady, Lucy had known her since she was nine and she was present in all her nightmares before she escaped from her father and the Nobles' Houses.

"Miss Heartfilia, it had been a long time." She greeted and the blonde mage had to use all her will to not run inside the guild or hide from them.

"Ms. Julia." She bow lightly and started walking to her house. "It's this way."

Natsu could only watch as his nakama left the guild with those men that scared her while the soldiers kept him from saving her. Similar thoughts ran across every member's mind. The wait was eternal until hours later – o minutes, they didn't know – the door flew open and a satisfied Quil entered with a big smirk and walked towards Natsu.

"You are the famous Salamander, the one that beat Sting Eucliffe from Sabertooth after Lucy-san was tortured by his partner, right?" He didn't need confirmation, he just handed him something. "How it feels that you can't do anything to save her now?"

Natsu looked at the objet in his hand blankly until rage filled his features as soon as he comprehended the whole thing. He was ready to punch him but the coward left as soon as his soldiers exited the hall. However, Natsu didn't mind it for too long and he ran to Lucy's flat. He didn't notice when he dropped what Quil had given to him, he wanted to be with Lucy and be her support.

On the guild's floor laid Lucy's panties.