Gaining Courage: The Search for the Lost Keys (a Fairytail Galu story)

Chapter Six: Coming Home

Time-skip: Afternoon Four Hour Train Ride

As the train arrived at the station Lucy slowly woke up from her short nap. All that crying had given her a slight headache that she had tried to sleep off.

"Next stop Heartfilia Korazon, all passengers for that station please prepare to depart."

As the conductors words registered Lucy forced herself to rise and grab her travelling bag. Stretching out her muscles she had just enough time to admire the passing scenery before the train started to slow. Making her way to the exit she couldn't help but notice she was the only one disembarking. Not surprising really considering her family's estate was now abandoned. Stepping off the train she immediately started walking towards her former home. Lucy had taken a few steps when an idea popped into her head. Reaching down she brushed over her keys until she found who she was looking for. Long hours of training had given her the ability to call out a spirit without speaking the summoning incantation. It had taken her months to be able to do it without even speaking at all. Putting that into practice Lucy called out Cancer's name in her mind focusing her power into the key. When the expected ding dong sounded heralding his arrival she was already smiling.

"Afternoon ebi, what style shall it be."

She had gotten used to her spirits eccentricities and simply went with it.

"Hey Cancer, sorry about calling you out again so soon."

"No problem ebi, I'm here for all your hair care needs."

Lucy for once simply let the feel of care warm her soul. It was what she had been telling herself all day, that even if she was away from FairyTail she still had family with her who cared. Reaching out while she still was in the right frame of mind she hugged Cancer. The spirit was surprised but hugged her back after a few seconds. All of Lucy's spirits knew she was having a hard time with what happened during the War and especially her feeling concerning what happened to Aquarius. They had all tried to be there for her when she woke up after the battle, Virgo had even broken her stoic nature when she returned home after Lucy woke up from the healing. Leo had been nearly inconsolable when he thought Lucy had died. Cancer knew it would take time for her to fully heal inside and out and all of Lucy spirits had agreed to give her that time and be there for her in any way they could.

"Cancer thank you, I just..."

As Lucy let go she stepped back and pulled herself together. Indicating the direction she was going Lucy started walking and talking knowing she wanted to reach the mansion before it got too dark to properly see.

"Alright, I need your help I need to know everything you know about how my mother came across any of the zodiac keys especially anything about where Aquarius' key might have originally been placed. Also anything you can tell me about where my mother might have hidden away a diary or a journal that would have information about the deal that was struck with Zeref. There had to be something that would verify the whole mess with the Eclipse Gate for future generations otherwise why would they believe Zeref's word about the dragons and the dragonslayers."

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Lucy and Cancer had been walking for a good two hours before they saw the gates of the mansion. Cancer had told Lucy everything he could about his time with her mother, all of the inside jokes they held and any little thing he could remember. Lucy had almost cried a time or two at the memories she would never have, having lost her mother so young. As Lucy slowly made her up to the main doors it felt strange for no one to be there waiting for her. Mrs Spetto and the others had long since retired and now no one called this place home, not even her. The building was cover in overgrown plants and vines. It appeared nature had started to take back what was its own. The doors to the mansion weren't even locked as Lucy could see they were stood ajar from where she had stopped to assess the damage.