The morning sun lit the entrance of the Fairy Tail guild as Natsu, Lucy, Happy, and Erza stood together, ready for Lucy's first mission.
Shinra stood off to the side, arms folded.
"You're sure you're not coming?" Lucy asked.
Shinra smiled. "You've got Natsu, Erza, and Happy. You'll be safe."
"Still..." Lucy looked down.
He pulled something from his pocket: a small **charm-shaped origami slip**, glowing faintly with cursed energy suppression magic, warped into an adorable cat form.
"This is...?"
"If anything goes truly sideways, crush it. I'll be there."
Erza narrowed her eyes. "Teleportation?"
"Through spatial compression. Not perfect, but fast enough."
Natsu blinked. "Neat. Can it cook meat too?"
"No."
"Lame."
Lucy held it tightly. "Thanks... Shinra."
As they left, Mira—watching from the second floor—noticed the way Erza glanced back at him. Quietly, gently.
---
On the Mission...
Everything started as it had in the original timeline: the team was briefed by Kaby Melon about the book "Daybreak," which needed to be destroyed to erase a dark family legacy. They traveled to Everlue's mansion, fought his mercenaries, and slipped inside.
But now, subtle differences began to show.
**Lucy**, far more confident thanks to Shinra's earlier validation, began leading the group through the literary traps of the mansion with sharp, observant instincts.
She paused near a shelf of strange runes.
"These glyphs—they match the same structure Shinra drew out for me in that book on sealing curses."
"Really?" Erza looked surprised.
Lucy smiled. "He said cursed energy works differently—but the logic of traps is the same."
Happy floated by her shoulder. "You're totally turning into a Shinra-fan."
"I am not!"
Erza gave Lucy a faint smile—proud, not competitive.
---
Everything almost went according to the original plot but with subtle butterfly effect...
When Duke Everlue summoned **Virgo**, the Celestial Spirit, and tried to trap the team in his twisted golden cage. But due to the Plot Armour, Lucy somehow convinced Virgo to change sides.
Everlue screamed, "How is the possible!?" Then Natsu *punched* him through a wall.
There was a quiet beat. And in it, Virgo shifted—gold shimmered, and her entire form transformed into her true, maid-like version.
"I accept your contract."
---
Back in Magnolia...
Lucy tried to burn the book, as instructed.
But as in canon, she opened it and read it—realizing it wasn't a cursed tome, but Kaby's father's *life work*, hidden in fiction.
She convinced the team to spare it. When they returned to Kaby, the man broke down in tears.
This time, however, it was **Erza** who spoke up.
"This was more than a mission. You asked us to erase pain. But truth, when faced with care, heals deeper wounds."
Lucy blinked, surprised.
Later that day, she found Erza writing in a small leather journal. Something about Shinra's quiet compassion seemed to be slowly reflecting through her, in subtle, graceful ways.
---
When Team Natsu returned, the guild was ablaze with celebration.
"You crushed that noble freak!" Elfman shouted, flexing.
"You didn't even need to use my charm," Shinra told Lucy.
"I almost did," she smiled. "But then I remembered your words: 'People tell you who they are. You just have to listen long enough.'"
He gave a small nod. "That line works on Celestial Spirits too, apparently."
"Hey," Mira called from the bar. "You up for helping me test out a new peach parfait recipe?"
Shinra blinked. "Now?"
"Yes. Emergency taste-test."
"I suppose some emergencies are worth it."
__
Later that night,
Erza stood on the guild balcony, eyes on the moon.
She thought about Lucy's quiet courage. Mira's laugh earlier with Shinra. The way he'd helped them all without needing credit or spotlight.
"You always observe," she whispered, her armor glinting under the stars. "But who's watching you?"
Below her, Shinra sat on the stone wall outside the guild, hands in his coat pockets, quietly watching the stars .