Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The afternoon air was cool against John's skin as he stormed down the empty sidewalk behind Wellston High. The echoes of a heated argument with a student still rang sharp in his ears.

"You're nothing but a time bomb—still pretending to be something your not."

His fists clenched tight, his eyes burning with frustration and pain he didn't want to show.

As he walked, a sudden sting spread from his hip, sharp and urgent. John froze.

Pulling up his shirt, he stared in disbelief at the glowing birthmark etched on his skin—a joker's hat shimmering with pale gold light.

"What the hell...?"

The sting grew into a burning heat. Before he could react, a burst of silver light erupted beneath him, twisting and spiraling upward like ribbons of flame and wind. His breath caught, vision blurring.

He had no time to scream.

Then—he was gone

Minutes later, a pair of Royals arrived where John had been moments before. Voices low but tense, they scanned the empty alley.

"He walked off after arguing," one said, voice sharp.

The other shook their head. "No scorch marks. No aura spike. No sign of him at all."

A chill wind whispered through the trees.

"...Where the hell did he go?"

________________________________________________________________________________

The Fairy Tail guild was its usual brand of chaos—Natsu and Gray were arguing again, Happy was stealing fish, and Erza sat calmly at the table polishing her blade. Lucy strolled through the mess, heading to her usual spot.

As she moved, a soft clink echoed against the floor.

She paused.

Looking down, she saw a gold key had slipped from her satchel—its handle shaped like a twisted joker's hat, the metal dark but elegant, with star-shaped carvings near the base.

She quickly scooped it up, but Levy was already leaning over with wide eyes.

"Wait... Lucy. That's not one of your Zodiac keys, is it?"

Lucy hesitated, brushing her hair behind her ear. "No... It's not."

"It still has celestial engravings," Levy said, squinting closer. "And that handle—it's wild. Kind of chaotic-looking. Where'd you get this?"

Lucy's fingers tightened around it. "It... used to belong to my mom.

Levy stared. "You've had it all this time?"

"Yeah," Lucy said. "I didn't know what to do with it. I didn't think I should. I barely knew anything back then... and after she died..."

Her voice trailed off.

Levy smiled gently and touched her arm. "Maybe it's time to try."

Lucy blinked. "Try?"

"To open it," Levy said. "We're all here. Behind the guild, away from the noise. Just... see what happens."

Lucy hesitated, looking at the key. It was warm in her hand—not glowing, not humming. But steady. Waiting.

"Alright," she said softly. "Let's go."

______________________________________________________________________________

Lucy gripped a gold key shaped like a twisted joker's hat, all her friends around her. For years, it had sat quietly among her other Celestial Spirit keys—unused, mysterious, and silent.

Tonight, something stirred.

"Open... Gate of the Joker!" Lucy yelled, voice slightly trembling.

The key pulsed to life, glowing with fierce gold and violet light. The air hummed, magic bursting outward in spirals.

A tear opened in the sky like a doorway being forced open.

Through it, a figure fell—landing roughly on the grass.

John gasped, disoriented, clutching his side. he thought he was dead.

"What—where am I?!" he demanded, voice winded, eyes wide with fear and anger.

Lucy stepped forward cautiously, holding the key. "I summoned you."

John's gaze dropped to the key, then to the glowing birthmark on his hip. It pulsed faintly in response.

John staggered to his feet, chest rising and falling like he'd just sprinted a mile.

Everything felt wrong. The air. The smell. The sky.

He wasn't at Wellston anymore. This place—this world—it buzzed with something unnatural.

His eyes darted to Lucy, her hand still holding the Joker Key.

"You," he growled. "What did you do to me?"

Lucy took a cautious step forward. "I—I didn't mean to hurt you. I just... I summoned the key. That's all."

John's hands trembled. The burning sensation in his side had stopped, but now something else was rising.

A pressure in his chest. Like a dam about to break.

"You summoned me?" His voice cracked. "Like I'm some kind of tool?!"

Gray stepped forward. "Hey, calm down, man. No one's trying to hurt you—"

BOOM.

John's aura flared. A shock wave of energy burst out around him, cracking the earth beneath his feet.

Everyone tensed.

Erza narrowed her eyes as she stepped forward. "That's not normal Celestial magic..."

Lucy's heart raced. "Please! I didn't know this would happen!"

John's eyes glowed faint gold as he stepped back, panic and rage swirling inside him.

"Get away from me."

"wait—" Lucy tried again.

But it was too late.

He lashed out, a raw burst of energy exploding from his body in a chaotic wave—sending everyone stumbling backward.

Even Natsu blinked in surprise. "Whoa... this magic feels weird."

Levy hit the ground beside Lucy, wide-eyed. "That wasn't a spell... it felt like pure emotion."

John didn't wait for a response.

He turned and ran into the trees, disappearing into the forest beyond the guild.

____________________________________________________________________________

Lucy sat up slowly, still clutching the key.

"He's not a regular Spirit," she whispered. "He's something else."

Erza helped her up, watching the treeline. "Whatever he is... he's scared."

Levy looked down at the Joker Key. "Lucy, you didn't summon a weapon or a partner..."

"You summoned a person."

Chapter Text

The forest was still.

The only sound was the crunch of leaves beneath John's shoes and the shallow, ragged breaths tearing from his chest as he slowed down, ducking behind a thick tree.

Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting golden streaks across the mossy ground—but nothing about this place felt warm.

"Where am I...?"

His body trembled. Not from exhaustion, but from something building beneath his skin. The energy inside him buzzed like a live wire, erratic and unstable. Every breath he took fed it, made it louder.

He touched the birthmark on his hip—it was still warm. Still glowing faintly beneath his skin, as if something had been activated.

"That girl. That key."

John stared at his hands, then clenched them into fists.

"What did she do to me?"

He reached for his aura out of instinct. He could still feel it—but it was different. Stronger. Wilder. He let it build, just enough to test it—then pulled back immediately.

Too much.

He turned and punched the trunk of a nearby tree.

The moment his knuckles made contact, a golden shockwave exploded from his fist. The tree cracked—then shattered—splinters and bark scattering in every direction like a bomb had gone off.

John stumbled back, wide-eyed. "That wasn't normal."

The forest echoed with silence.

He looked at his hand, then at the destruction around him.

"What is happening to me?"

________________________________________________________________________________

Inside the guild hall, the usual chaos had faded into a tense quiet.

Lucy sat at a table with Levy, both of them staring down at the Joker Key. It no longer glowed, but the weight of it felt heavier than before.

Across the room, Erza paced. Natsu and Gray were still recovering from the earlier outburst, while Makarov stood silently by the window, arms crossed behind his back.

"He didn't just feel like a summon," Erza said finally. "He felt... Like a human."

Levy flipped open a thick book she'd retrieved from the library. "There's nothing in here about a Joker Gate. Nothing even close."

"No records?" Lucy asked quietly.

"None," Levy confirmed. "Not even in the Spirit Catalog from over a hundred years ago. That key's never existed officially."

Makarov turned toward them, expression unreadable.

"Some keys," he said, voice deep and calm, "are not born from the Celestial World. They are born from fate."

Everyone turned to listen.

"There are ancient contracts—lost bonds—that predate even the Zodiac spirits. Spirits so powerful they transcended the standard laws. When they chose to leave. Some left pieces behind. Some... leave bloodlines."

Lucy blinked. "Bloodlines?"

Makarov gave her a pointed look. "It's possible you didn't summon him with magic alone. You may have awakened something meant to find you."

______________________________________________________________________________

in the forest, John crouched low beneath an outcropping of rock, listening carefully.

Footsteps.

He wasn't alone anymore.

A few meters away, several voices whispered through the brush—too soft to hear clearly. They didn't sound hostile, but John had learned the hard way that didn't mean much.

He stood, slowly.

One foot snapped a twig, and in a blink, a group emerged from the trees—three mages, two older than him and one younger but all were cautious.

Wendy stepped forward gently. "Hey... we're not here to fight. We just want to talk."

John's body reacted before his brain did.

His aura flared—wild and sharp—and a pulse of gold burst from him again, slamming through the trees like a stormwave. One tree cracked clean in half.

The group scattered back, alarmed but unharmed.

John backed away, chest heaving. "stay away!"

Wendy held her hands up, eyes full of worry. "You're hurt. You're scared. We get it. But—"

"No, you don't." he cut her of, voice cracking.

And then—he was gone again, running, vanishing into the deeper woods.

___________________________________________________________________________

The sun had set, casting long shadows through the windows as Lucy sat in her room, holding the Joker Key like a fragile memory.

She opened a worn wooden box she hadn't touched in years.

Inside were keepsakes from her mother—old photographs, faded letters... and something she'd never noticed before.

A torn journal page.

In delicate handwriting, one name was circled: Jane.

Beneath it were two short notes:

Queen's Key—cracking faster now. I fear Jane is fading.
If the Queen disappears... what comes next?

Lucy's breath caught.

Her fingers trembled as she held the page and looked down at the Joker Key.

Jane.

Her mother had known her.

That boy—Joker?—he wasn't just some random spirit. He was tied to something far deeper. To her mother. To a spirit strong enough to abandon the Spirit World for a human life.

She stood abruptly, the key clutched tight.

Erza turned as she reentered the hall. "Did you find something?"

Lucy nodded, eyes burning.

"I dont fully understand but I think I know who his mother was."

Everyone turned.

"I think... I can reach him."

Erza nodded slowly. "Then we'll help you find him."

Makarov gave a faint smile. " lucy remember, He was never meant to be controlled.

Chapter Text

Morning light filtered through the clouds above Magnolia as the Fairy Tail guild buzzed into motion.

But the energy wasn't celebratory. It was anxious.

Lucy adjusted the strap on her satchel, the Joker Key tucked safely inside. She looked over the team assembled beside her—Erza, already armored and serious. Natsu, cracking his knuckles with a small flame dancing on his palm. Gray, arms crossed and quiet but alert. Levy and Wendy, standing just behind them, ready for anything. Happy hovered at Natsu's side, wings fluttering.

The energy lingering in the air made it easy to follow John's trail—broken trees, scorched leaves, and even a few dents in the ground from raw aura spikes.

No one spoke, but everyone knew—whatever that boy was, he wasn't just a spirit. And he wasn't safe alone.

"We move carefully," Erza said, her tone firm. "He's unstable. We don't attack unless there's no other option."

"He already attacked us once," Gray muttered. "What if this time he doesn't hold back?"

"We've fought worse," Natsu said, flames licking his wrist. "We can take him."

Lucy stepped between them. "We're not here to fight him. We're here to help."

"He might not see it that way," Levy added, gently.

"I know," Lucy said quietly. "But I think I'm the only one he might listen to."

Without another word, they turned toward the forest, following the trail of scorched trees and twisted roots that marked John's erratic path.

________________________________________________________________________________

John crouched low behind a cluster of rocks, panting. His whole body trembled. His aura flickered and sparked in gold bursts around his arms.

The pain in his chest hadn't faded. The weight of the magic in this world was suffocating.

"where am i. how did i that girl bring me here...is it her ability? nothing here is familiar "

He snapped his head up.

He could feel them now—seven different magic signatures moving toward him. Strong ones.

"They're coming for me."

His aura began to rise involuntarily. The ground beneath his feet hummed as it reacted.

"I won't be dragged back."

The air around him pulsed.

________________________________________________________________________________

The moment the group entered the clearing, John was already in position—floating slightly above the ground, aura blazing like wildfire. Golden energy coiled around him like a second skin.

Natsu stepped forward first, casual. "Yo. Didn't mean to spook ya. You good, man?"

John's eyes narrowed. "Back off."

"We're not here to hurt you," Erza said, her sword still sheathed but hand ready. "You're not our enemy."

"you don't even know who i am!"

Gray narrowed his eyes. "We're trying to figure that out, genius."

John's aura surged violently, his nerves on fire with sensitivity . With a roar, he lifted both hands—and the forest around them exploded in a shockwave of light. Trees cracked, wind screamed, and roots tore from the earth.

The team scattered.

"Alright, no more talking!" Natsu shouted, flames engulfing his fists. "Let's go!"

"Wait!" Lucy yelled, but it was too late.

Natsu charged, meeting John in midair. Their fists collided in a fiery explosion—but John didn't fall back.

He pushed Natsu back.

Gray came in next, summoning a wall of ice to trap John's legs, but the aura around John shattered it like glass.

"Damn," Gray muttered, sliding back. "This guy's no joke."

Erza darted in with blinding speed, blade flashing.

"Don't make me hurt you!" she warned.

John ducked her swing, golden light erupting from his palm and sending Erza flying into a tree trunk.

Lucy's heart dropped.

He was fighting like a cornered animal.

Levy, trying to support, began chanting a script spell, but Wendy grabbed her arm. "Wait—he's not trying to win. He's just trying to escape."

John landed back on the ground, panting. His golden aura crackled around him like lightning, eyes wide, chest heaving.

The edges of his vision blurred.

"They just keep coming. They won't stop. They won't stop—!"

His hands clutched his head.

"It's too loud... too much—!"

He fell to his knees.

Lucy clutched the Joker Key to her chest and stepped forward, heart pounding.

"Please," she called out. "I don't want to fight. I just want to talk to you... Joker!"

John's head snapped up.

His aura exploded.

"Don't call me that!" he roared, golden energy bursting around him like a detonation.

Everyone staggered back from the sheer force.

Lucy's eyes widened. "I—I didn't mean—"

"You don't know anything!" he shouted. "That's not who I am!"

His breath caught, the rage in his voice cracking into something more fragile. But his eyes still burned.

Erza stepped forward slowly, but Lucy held out a hand to stop her.

"No," she said softly. "He's not attacking. He's breaking."

John dropped to one knee, his aura flaring wildly for a moment—then dimming as if it were fighting to stay alive. His fists pressed into the dirt, knuckles white, chest heaving with shallow, frantic breaths.

"I didn't ask for this..." he whispered. didn't ask to be dragged here."

Natsu's flames dimmed. Gray lowered his arms. Wendy bit her lip.

Even Happy hovered silently, unusually still.

Levy took a cautious step forward, whispering, "Lucy..."

Lucy nodded and stepped closer, slowly lowering herself to her knees in front of John. The Joker Key dangled loosely from her hand.

"I don't know what you've been through," she said. "But I saw a journal page. My mom—Layla—she mentioned someone named Jane-

"Stop." John's voice cracked like glass. "I don't care about that woman."

Everyone froze.

"She left me the moment she could."

His shoulders shook. Not from anger now—but strain. He was breaking down in front of dangerous strangers, and every nerve in his body screamed at him to stay awake. To stay guarded.

Tears welled in his eyes, but he didn't let them fall.

"Send me back," he said, voice barely a breath. "I don't want to be here."

But before Lucy could speak, before anyone could move—

John collapsed.

His body hit the earth hard, unconscious.

His aura faded into nothing.

The forest fell silent.

Lucy dropped the key and rushed to him, turning him gently onto his side. His breathing was ragged but steady. He was out cold.

Wendy knelt beside her. "He's not injured... just completely drained."

Erza looked at the others. "We need to get him back to the guild. Carefully."

Natsu watched John with a thoughtful frown. "He's not like any spirit I've seen."

Gray crossed his arms. "That's 'cause he's not. He's something else."

Lucy looked down at him—so fierce one moment, so fragile the next—and whispered, barely audible:

"Then we'll figure out what.".

Chapter Text

The first thing John felt was weight. Heavy, pressing—like something was pinning him down. His body screamed with soreness, every muscle taut, like he’d run a marathon and fought a war in the same breath.

John’s eyes snapped open to a blinding ceiling. The air smelled faintly of herbs, medicine, and something… warm, unfamiliar. He sat up sharply, but a stabbing pain tore through his chest, forcing him back against the pillow with a grunt

"Easy!"

Lucy’s voice made his head turn. She was sitting at the edge of the infirmary bed, worry etched across her face. The Joker Key dangled from her hand, clinking softly like it was mocking him.

John’s fists clenched, trembling as his aura buzzed around him like static electricity ready to snap. His eyes darted between all of them—Natsu, Gray, Erza, Wendy, even the strange little cat. Too many unknowns. Too much danger.

“You—” John’s voice cracked, raw with fury and fear. “Send me back. Now.”

Lucy flinched at the demand. Her hand instinctively brushed against the Joker Key at her hip. The silver metal was cool against her skin, pulsing faintly as if waiting for her as if waiting for a command.

She could do it. She knew the words, the motion—it should’ve been simple.

But she didn’t move

Her chest tightened as she looked at him. The fear and anger in his eyes was too raw, too human. He wasn’t like her other spirits, who belonged in their world and answered willingly.

He was different.

“Lucy,” Erza said sternly from behind her. “If this spirit wants to go, you should honor that.”Lucy’s fingers curled over the key.

Her lips parted, but no words came out. She was doing everything—asking questions, trying to calm him, reaching out in every way she could—except the one thing he begged her for.

Because some part of her didn’t want to.

Lucy swallowed. “I… can’t. Not yet.”

His stomach dropped, then turned. Not yet?

His eyes narrowed dangerously. “Not yet? Do you think this is a joke?”

Lucy’s fingers tightened around the key. She hesitated, then shook her head "We don’t even understand what’s happening to you—”

“That’s not your problem!” John snapped, trying to push himself upright despite the pain tearing through his body. “You dragged me here, you call me that name, and now you think you get to decide what happens to me?”

Lucy’s brows furrowed. “I didn’t drag you here—your key did! I didn’t even know you existed until it appeared in my hands!”

“Then throw it away!” His voice cracked, raw and panicked. “I’m not your 'spirit' or whatever! I don’t belong to anyone!”

Lucy leaned closer, her voice firm but soft. “I don’t think you’re just a spirit. You’re… someone my mom trusted. I read her journal, John—”

“Stop,” he bit out, his eyes flashing dangerously. “I don’t care about your mother and i dont care if my mom was close to yours either.

Lucy’s breath caught, but she held her ground. “You think you’re the only one who’s lost someone? My mom’s gone too. But she believed in people!

John’s fists clenched, his whole body trembling.

“I don’t need her belief. I don’t need yours. I just need to go home.”

lucy starts realizing that there is no way should keep john here unless she does something drastic

Lucy’s voice dropped, almost a whisper. “...If I send you back without answers… you might die.”

everyone in the room froze

how would lucy know what would happen to this spirit?

erza decided to speak "lucy—"

His eyes narrowed. Something in her tone didn’t sit right. “Wait—what did you just say?

“You might die,” Lucy repeated, softer this time, trying to sound convincing.

John’s aura flickered, dangerous sparks lighting up the room.

His body trembled, but not just from pain—his anger and panic spiked like wildfire. “Stop. Stop lying to me.”

“I’m not lying!” Lucy protested.

“Yes, you are!” He shoved himself upright, every movement agony.

“You don’t even know me! You don’t know what’s safe or not!

“Don’t pretend you get to decide my fate!”

Lucy’s fingers tightened on the key. “I—”

“You’re lying!” he shouted, voice raw, chest heaving. “And I can’t… I can’t trust a single word that comes out of your mouth!”

The aura around him surged.

Papers rattled, vials on the shelves trembled.

Lucy flinched, her voice caught in her throat.

John’s hands shot out instinctively. Not enough to hurt seriously, but enough to shove Lucy back to the wall.

His adrenaline spiked, overriding his injuries.

“Let her go!” Erza barked, sword flashing.

John’s chest heaved, aura flickering erratically

A controlled wave of air knocked everyone back a few steps

The sudden force gave John space.

With his grip still locked on Lucy’s collar, he shoved forward.

They stumbled together, crashing through the infirmary doorway and tumbling down the stairs.

“Ahh!” Lucy yelped as they rolled, slamming onto the guild’s main floor below.

The hall froze.

Dozens of Fairy Tail mages turned, eyes wide. Drinks were abandoned, chairs scraped back, conversations died in their throats

And there he was: a bloodied, panicked stranger pinning Lucy to the floor, his aura flaring erratically like a cornered beast.

His arms trembled, his breath came ragged, but his eyes burned.

“Send me back…” John hissed, voice cracking with strain. “Or I’ll tear this place apart.”

The guild’s tension coiled tight, ready to snap

A sudden weight shifted the air—heavy, commanding.

“Enough.”

John’s head jerked up.

At the top of the stairs stood Makarov, his small frame glowing faintly with the authority of his magic. His eyes narrowed, steady but not unkind.

“You’re in Fairy Tail now, boy,” he said, his voice calm yet unshakable.

“And you will not harm my children.”

John’s breath caught, adrenaline clashing with exhaustion. His knuckles whitened against the floor as his vision swam.He didn’t want to break. Didn’t want to collapse.

Not in front of them. Not here.

“Put the girl down,” Makarov ordered

John froze.

His chest heaved, eyes wide, aura flickering violently.

For a moment, there was no sound except his ragged breaths.

And then—Something inside him cracked.

The energy pouring off him shifted.

It sharpened, condensed into something heavier, darker.

The air grew colder.

A suffocating, murderous intent spilled into the guild, thick enough to make even seasoned mages’ skin crawl.

Natsu’s flames sputtered. Erza’s grip on her sword tightened. Gray’s breath caught. Wendy gasped, clutching her chest.

Even Makarov’s expression darkened. His magic flared instinctively, a quiet readiness he didn’t often need. “This boy…” he muttered.

John’s eyes burned with something primal and furious all at once.

His body trembled violently, blood dripping from reopened wounds.

For three eternal seconds, he didn’t move.

He only glared at Makarov with a rage so sharp, so suffocating, it made even the Guild Master worry.

Then—His body gave out.

The murderous aura shattered like glass, and John collapsed to the floor, unconscious. The hall went silent, everyone frozen in place.