Kon'nichiwa, minna! Sorry for not updating this story much...I was kinda busy with my others! ^.^; Sorry about that! ♥ I had a really nice four day weekend...how was all of yours? c:  I don't want to go back to school tomorrow, but I do wanna see what I got on my test since it was really hard yet I thought I did good on it. c: ♥ Anyways...  I dedicate this chapter to Luvli_Grl!  Go fan her if you haven't; she's a great person! c':  I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and remember; feedback is greatly apprecaited~!  Hopefully I can update a few more times!  Until next time, everyone!

я y - c н α η ,

т н є  и α ℓ υ  ω я ι т є я --★☆

❧☸❦☸❧☸❦☸❧

====================================================================

Natsu sat in the waiting room of the infirmary, listening intently as he heard Alafan and the healers shuffling around in the room next door; the infirmary.  He was confused, but mostly concerned as to the fact Lucy had just suddenly collapsed.  What would have caused her to do that?

"Natsu!"  Happy exclaimed, the exceed along with the others bursting through the door.

They ran up to him.  "We heard the news,"  Erza replied quickly.  "What happened to Lucy?"

Natsu sighed.  "I don't know.  We were at the festival when she suddenly collapsed."

"Has Alafan said anything?"  Wendy asked, holding Charle to her.

Natsu shook his head.  "He's still in there with Lucy."

There was a small silence, and everyone made a noise of apprehension.

"We'll have to wait, then."  Charle replied.

-------------------------- ♦ Fαιяу тαιℓ : Lєgєηd of тнє Fαllєη ♦ --------------------------

Lucy felt herself being jerked from unconsciousness, like she was sumberged in a thick liquid.  She suddenly became aware of her surroundings; she could hear, feel, and smell.

The first thing she heard was Alafan's voice.

"I was so worried..."  He was saying.  "Lucy must not be connected with Alys yet."

Alafan...?  Lucy thought, her mind foggy.

A healer spoke after.  "If that's true, Lady Alys will have to go through training in order to connect with the former Alys."

"I have to go through training...?"

Alafan and Vivian turned to her in surprise, and Lucy sat up, clutching her forehead.

"Lady Alys!"  Vivian exclaimed, relieved.

"How are you feeling?"  Alafan asked, looking at her.

Lucy mumbled her answer but then tried again.  "Ugh...Still have a headache, but...other than that, nothing..."

"I see.  The headache should leave soon,"  Alafan replied, smiling kindly.  "And to answer your question, Miss Lucy; yes.  If you want to be able to use Alys' magic properly, you'll have to go deep into your mind in order to aquire it.  I believe you will go through the life of Alys once your there."

"I'll go through Alys' life?"  Lucy asked, incredulous.  "Really?"

Alafan nodded.  "It's imperative we start soon.  But, I don't want you to overexert yourself; you should rest and start in the morning."

"I see..."  Lucy murmured, standing.  "I'll do it.  Tomorrow, I'll do it for sure!"

Alafan chuckled.  "We're counting on you.  Now, why don't we go see your friends?  They've been waiting for your recovery all this time, only taking turns in sleeping."

"Eh?"  Lucy replied, surprised.

Alafan smiled.  "Since it's the afternoon and you slept through the night, they're all waiting for you now."

Lucy nodded, smiling slightly in gratitude.  "I see."

Exciting the hallway, Lucy slowly made her way across the hallway, to where the waiting rooms were.  Alafan followed after her, making sure she could walk on her own.  Lucy told him not to worry; she was fine now.

As she opened the door, she immediately spotted her friends sitting in the chairs, talking together.

"Minna!"  Lucy exclaimed, a little guilty.  "I'm sorry for making you worry!"

"Lucy-san, you're awake!"  Wendy exclaimed, and everyone stood, happiness on their faces.

"I'm glad you're okay."  Natsu replied, grinning at her.

Lucy smiled slightly, remembering their promise.  "Uhn.  I'm sorry to have collapsed on you like that."

"So what happened, Lucy?"  Charle asked.

"Yeah, what'd you collapse for?"  Gray asked.

Alafan looked at Lucy for permission to speak, and Lucy nodded.  

He stepped forward.  "Lucy wasn't fatigued or anything specific; it was found out, however, that she isn't completely connected with her former self."

"You mean Alys?"  Gray replied.  "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Lucy needs to get into touch with Alys and her spiritual energy in order to be completely in sync with her magic.  We tested it in the infirmary; Lucy cannot willingly use her magic now."

"What?"  Erza exclaimed while the others gasped.  "But she did so back in the lobby, when the Four Horsemen appeared."

Alafan nodded.  "Yes, Lucy performed it then, but that was only because it was the reactant of the staff finding its Chosen One.  Lucy's emotions were at an all-time high, which also triggered a powerful reaction from the Staff of Alys."

"So that's how it is..."  Happy murmured.

"I'm going to do what Alafan says,"  Lucy started, smiling apologetically.  "But I think I'm going to rest first; I don't feel completely myself yet."

"That'd be wise,"  Erza agreed, and the others looked at Lucy.  "If this is going to be perilous, rest is the best thing to aquire before starting."

Lucy nodded.  "Right."

Alafan turned to Lucy.  "Miss Lucy, I feel like I need to explain something to you."

Lucy looked at him in surprise.  "Eh?"

-------------------------- ♦ Fαιяу тαιℓ : Lєgєηd of тнє Fαllєη ♦ --------------------------

"You think Natsu is the reincarnation of Nagaharu?!"  Everyone exclaimed.

Natsu blinked.  "Old man, is this true?"

Alafan nodded.  "There have been certain signs to it, yes.  But, with your permission, I'd like to test it."

"Test it?  What do you mean?"  Gray asked.

Alafan looked back to Natsu, his face serious.  "There's a magic I can give you.  A magic that only Nagaharu can possess."

"What?"  Natsu replied, his face neutral despite his surprise.

"How do you know all this?"  Charle asked, looking up at Alafan.

"My mentor passed it onto me as was done to him, and so on.  I've had it for a long time."

"What is it?"  Erza asked, curious.

Alafan looked at them all.  "The Light of Alys."

"The Light of Alys?"  Lucy repeated, in awe.

Alafan nodded.  "Aye.  A long time ago, Alys gifted Nagaharu with the power of restoring.  In other words, a magical increase of strength."  He turned his attention to Natsu, who flinched.  "Nagaharu was a master of fire, as well.  The Light of Alys increased his power, but only because he realized an important thing in his life, thus activating his realization of his purpose."

"An important thing?"  Charle repeated, confused.

Alafan lowered his head respectfully, closing his eyes.  "I don't know what Nagaharu realized, but it most likely had something to do with Alys.  His resolve became so strong, that his power increased dramatically and gave him the power to defeat Valince."

"Amazing..."  Happy replied, looking up at Natsu.

Alafan held out his hand, which was directed in front of Natsu.  A red flame appeared there, bright and golden.  "This is from the Sky People.  From Ancient Alys.  Please, except this."

Everyone stared at the fire, but then directed their eyes on Natsu, wondering what he'd do.  Natsu himself stared at the flame indecisively, the light reflecting off his skin.

Natsu suddenly smirked.  "I'm strong enough already, but I'll go ahead and take it.  After all, Alys made it, right?  And the people want me to have it."

Alafan nodded.  "They do.  Thank you, Salamander."

Natsu grabbed the flame, shoving it into his mouth and chewing on it progressively until he swallowed it.  Feeling something go through him, Natsu's breath halted and his eyes widened, showing a flash of red in his eyes.

"How do you feel, Natsu?"  Lucy asked, in awe.

Natsu rotated his arm, giving a look of disappointment.  "Oi, I don't feel any different!"

Everyone sweat-dropped.

Alafan looked amused.  "You will once you realize your purpose here."

Natsu looked at him questionly.  "Old man, I don't know what that means, but thanks; I guess."

Alafan nodded once, firmly.  "You all can meet me down in the lobby in the morning,"  Turning to leave, Alafan looked at Lucy.  "Get some rest, Lucy."

Lucy nodded, her face determined.  "Right."

-------------------------- ♦ Fαιяу тαιℓ : Lєgєηd of тнє Fαllєη ♦ --------------------------

"Are you ready?"

Lucy stopped, turning to look behind her in surprise.  Natsu and the others resided there, ready to go.

"Minna..."  Lucy murmured, surprised.

"You didn't think you were going there by yourself, did you?"  Gray asked, amused.

"We're a team; we go together."  Erza added, smiling slightly with approval.

Lucy's surprise faded into an expression of warmth.  "Arigato..."

Natsu walked towards her.  "Here, Luce.  I think these are yours."

Lucy held her hands out, curiosity on her face as Natsu pulled something out of his vest.  When he set it in her hands, her curiosity turned to amazement.

Her keys.

Natsu grinned knowingly at her.  "You told me to hang onto these, didn't ya?  Well, here.  Just because you're this Alys-person now doesn't mean you still aren't Lucy of Fairy Tail.  And Lucy of Fairy Tail is a Celestial Spirit Mage, so she needs her keys."

Lucy held her keys in her grasp, looking back from them and Natsu.

She smiled warmly, looking at Natsu in particular.  "Right."

Leading the way, Lucy walked down through the hallway and through the castle, the presence of her friends making her feel much more relaxed.  When they arrived in the lobby, Alafan was waiting for them.  Greeting them, Alafan directed Fairy Tail to the opposite staircase, that led up somewhere else.  Lucy remembered being interested in what resided above the staircase, and the possibilites of what could be there.

As they progressed up the stairs, Alafan began explaining.  "The best place to do all of this is in the most sacred place in the entire Sky Castle."

"And what's that?"  Gray asked, walking alongside Erza and behind Wendy.

"It's located at the very top of the castle; Alys' throne room."

Lucy almost stopped in her tracks.  "Her...throne room?"

Alafan nodded.  "It's where Alys herself sat, as the Ruler of the Daonei People.  It's where she gave up her life, and fell into the heavens at the end of the war.  Where..."  He looked at Lucy.  "...Alys' realized her destiny."

Lucy stared at Alafan in awe, watching him for a second as they continued their treck up the stairs.

Before long, they were met with an incredibly large doorway, at least fifty feet high.  It was decorated in symbols; something Lucy couldn't make out.  It was mahogany, and surrounded by a large archway connected to the wall.  Two statues resided on two different sides of the door, a small woman sculptured it.  Lucy guessed that to be Alys, but she wasn't sure considering the sculpture had no defined face.

Alafan pressed his hand against the giant doors, and shoved.

Everyone stared in awe as the doors creaked open, revealing the area within.  Lucy walked in by herself, in a daze as she took in the room altogether.  The floor was well furnished, with decorative tile matching the holy scheme of the rest of the room.  The walls, however, were slightly jagged rock, the color of a light gray.  Lucy's friends soon followed inside, and Lucy breathed in slowly in awe at the thron room; mostly staring at the giant throne in front of her.

Marble stairs led up to it, and above the throne sprouted decorative golden metal crystals.  Above that rested a giant painting in a gold frame, and it showed a picture of a woman with magnificent beauty and the same staff that Lucy carried in her hand.

Which only could mean one thing.

Alys...!  Lucy thought, her eyes widening.

With long golden hair and a white dress, Alys' eyes seemed to glow; her eyes were brown but bright yellow light shined out of them.

"She looks like you, Lucy!"  Happy exclaimed, hovering near her.

Lucy, speechless, managed a nod as she continued to stare.

"Eh?  I don't see it..."  Natsu replied, waving the picture off.

Ignoring Natsu's reply, Gray looked around the room in curiosity.  "So this is the place?"

Lucy walked forward, staring up at the ceiling which was rock as well.

"How interesting, Charle!"  Wendy exclaimed softly, looking aruond in interest.

Charle nodded.  "It is, Wendy!"

Alafan looked forward at the throne in admiration.  "This is a place I come to when I need to think.  It has a calming affect, doesn't it?"

Everyone agreeing, Lucy turned back to Alafan, her face determined.  "Alafan-san, what am I supposed to do?"

"Sit in the throne, Lucy.  It's yours now; you are the Chosen One.  As soon as you do so, you should feel an instant connection.  Concentrate and connect with Alys."

Lucy turned back to the chair, her eyes shaking as she looked at it with hesitation.  However, shortly after it transformed into determination, and Lucy started to walk over to the chair.  A beam of light was bathing it, and as Lucy sat down she felt something come over her.  Her friends watched in tension as they waited for a reaction.

Lucy closed her eyes, thinking carefully.  Alys...I'm here!  I want to help you save your people again.  Lucy scrutinized her eyes.  If I really am your reincarnation, then please, let me connect with you!

Everyone watched, silence spreading through the room for a few minutes before they noticed a reaction coming from Lucy.

"Look!"  Happy exclaimed.

Lucy's eyes were closed, but the outline of her body began to glow brightly.  A strange breeze eminated from around her, and it cause the tips of Lucy's dress to blow in the breeze along with her hair.  Lucy had the staff in her hand, which also began to react; the stone at the very top that was suspended in mid-air glowed, making loud humming noises.

But, slowly, Lucy's grip weakened, and as she lost consciousness, the staff fell from her hand, clattering to the marble floor.

"Lucy!"  Natsu exclaimed, slightly startled.

Alafan rested a hand on Natsu shoulder, restraining him.  "Don't do it, Natsu.  You can't disrupt Miss Lucy's concentration or she'll loose the connection between herself and Alys."

Natsu halted, looking from Alafan then back to Lucy.  Her body was still glowing, yet her face had become slack, her mouth parted slightly.

Natsu's expression hardened.  "Ah.  Good luck, Lucy."

.

.

.

========================================================

It's Lucy's time to connect with Alys, and get the powers she need to protect the people that are now her own!  

Will she succeed, or will Lucy fail in obtaining Alys' power?

Find out what happens in the next chapter, Chapter 10: Alys' Life!