Keeping promises

A promise made at a time of darkness

"Hey, Natsu... where do you think Lucy is at right now?"

Natsu looked at the blue exceed sitting beside him and scratched his head. Sighing, he flopped back down and watched the clear night sky, looking at the stars twinkling above.

"Somewhere..." came the low response

It's been two years since the great battle with him reverting to E.N.D. Two years since he nearly destroyed everything that was dear to him... his guild mates... his nakama. If it wasn't for the blonde celestial mage, they would have lost everything.

She saved them all... but not without a cost.

She saved them all... only to have her taken away from him.

Natsu closed his eyes in anguish as he remembered that day. Him taking on Erza, Gajeel, Laxus.. all the strongest members of Fairy Tail with the rest backing them up to no avail. Even with Gray's demon slayer magic, they were no match for Etherious Natsu Dragneel. They had almost lost all hope until the blonde mage stood up. Regardless of the fire that raged around him, regardless of the demon that he had turned out to be, Lucy bravely approached him with tears in her eyes.

"I know you're there and you can hear me, hear all of us. Come back to us Natsu!" slowly approaching him, she held out her hands to him. "Fairy Tail would never be the same without you... come back to us, please..."

E.N.D merely looked at the girl and clenched his fists as she approached him. Part of him wanting to turn her into ash but at the same time felt enthralled at her bravery. She was approaching him without using any magic, any weapon... nothing to protect her. He could see the burn marks on her skin, her clothes… her golden locks. At this his eyes widened.

"Natsu..."

He remembered grabbing her soft hands in his, "You want to join Fairy Tail, right? Come with me!"

He remembered the first time she showed him her guild mark.

He remembered the tears she cried while saying she wanted to stay with Fairy Tail.

He remembered her bloody and beaten, yet still giving him a bright smile.

All of the times they spent together, all the tears, the laughter's they shared, the fights that they had… him and Happy crashing through her house.

Lucy…

"LUCY!"

When he regained his senses, it was to find all of their guild mates looking down at him, almost all of them with tears in their eyes. On either side of him were Gray and Erza with Happy sobbing on his chest. As he slowly sat up, his onyx eyes roved at his guild mates. He could see all of their tear streaked faces including their guild master, Makarov. Relief, happiness, sadness, grief... all mixed in their expressions... but there was one person that mattered the most. That one person who called out to him.

"Lucy?"

At his hoarse voice the felt and saw the people around him stiffen.

He turned to look at the ice mage beside him, "Lucy?" at his words, Happy sobbed even more on his chest. Gray closed his eyes as more tears fell, hands tightly clenched on the water mage keening softly beside him.

Turning to the red haired mage he grabbed her arm and repeated his question. Where is she?

Tears fell from the great Titania's eyes as she told him what had happened. With each word, Natsu's hand dropped to the ground, eyes roving quickly to each friend, each comrade, trying to look for something in their expression that will tell him that Erza was joking... or lying.

His own tears fell as he heard himself scream to the highest heavens. He tried to move but they all held him down, his own body betraying him as it weighed him down with his exhaustion.

At Erza's tale, he found out that Lucy had used all of her celestial powers to bind him, used what she called was the "One magic". She was able to activate it as soon as she was able to get near him. Erza's tears kept on falling as she told him that in a way, Natsu might have heard Lucy since he had wrapped his arms around her... as she wrapped her own arms around him, a bright light engulfed them. When it disappeared, they saw Lucy on the floor with Natsu's head cradled on her lap. She looked so ethereal as she stroked his pink locks. They saw that her body was fading right before their eyes... as she looked up at them she smiled brightly at them and asked them to keep a promise for her. Looking down at the fire dragon slayer, she smiled softly before lowering her lips to his.

Afterwards, her body disappeared in a thousand lights, all the keys that she was in contract with glowed as well before shooting up to the dark sky.

Natsu had wanted to stand up and look for her, not wanting to believe that she was gone. She was his partner, she promised that they would stay together... she said that as a celestial mage, she would always keep her promises. He had wanted to move, until Erza wrapped her arms around him, sobbing softly.

Please take care of him... tell him to always look forward.

Natsu gripped Erza's arm before he fell back down and sobbed. Wrapping his other arm around the blue exceed that was still sobbing on his chest.

"Natsu? Natsssssuuuuuuuu…"

The fire dragon slayer blinked as looked at his companion.

"I' m fine, Happy... just thinking about Lucy."

At his words, the blue feline looked up at the heavens sadly and curled up beside him. "Do you think she can see us?"

"Yeah. I think she does."

"Do you think she's happy?"

Natsu snorted. "She's probably spying on us all the time."

Happy snickered behind one paw before looking back to his partner and sighed, "I miss her."

The dragon slayer gritted his teeth and sighed as well, "I miss her too... it's not the same without her."

"Aye.."

Natsu looked back up at the night sky, two years since he lost her. He had kept his spirits up for the sake of his guild as well as for her. Even if it killed him, he'll smile for her sake. After all, she had calmed the darkness in him by using her own light. He'll keep this promise for her.

Stretching up, he looked down at his partner and grinned, "Come on, Happy, let's get something to eat!"

Happy unfurled his wings and floated beside him, "Aye, sir!"

As both turned towards their guild, Natsu froze, eyes widening in surprise.

"Natsu what's wrong?"

Natsu's stance relaxed before a broad grin etched on his face.

He merely shook his head and ran ahead of Happy. "Let's hurry! I'm hungry!"

The blue exceed blinked before hurrying behind his friend, it was years since he last saw that toothed grin and wondered what was it that brought that smile back to his face.

"Natsu! Wait up!

Behind them, a young woman with bright golden hair and twinkling brown eyes smiled at them, beside her was a huge mustached man in armor.

They really do care for you my old friend...

The young girl merely smiled and nodded as she fingered the pink mark at the back of her right hand before disappearing in the starry night.

He's keeping his promise...

AN: Here we go! Another one-shot for NaLu… I'm thinking if I'm going to make this one a sequel or leave it as it is. Let me know. I hope you guys enjoyed this one.