Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.
Depressing story time. I was reading a couple of tragedy fics for Natsu and Lucy and thought that I should give it a go, even though reading them made me bawl my eyes out more than I would've originally thought.. I hope that I did the genre some type of justice.
Never Alone
The crimson liquid flowed from the wound, pooling on the wooden floors beneath her. She stared at it wordlessly; emotionlessly. She felt the pain, but it was utterly dull in comparison to the agonizing ache that burned in her chest.
The sharp blade made a hard 'thud' sound as she dropped it carelessly onto the ground. All she concentrated on was the wound as the liquid poured down. It didn't cease; it didn't stop. She made no move to do anything. Time was paused in her state.
Then time resumed once more. She fell to her knees, tears pricking her eyes like needles. She used her hand to attempt to staunch the wound, but the liquid just seeped its way through her fingers, as if they were never there.
She would never tell anyone that she herself had inflicted that pain.
Because she was all alone.
..O..
She walked into the Guild, as if she were placed under a trance. Her mind was blank of thoughts; heart blank of emotions other than the bitterness, the loneliness and the sadness. It was a contrast to the atmosphere in the building, where the overbearing cheeriness and jubilancy continued all through the day.
They ignored her. She was just invisible through their eyes. Someone insignificant. Someone that didn't belong.
Wasn't Fairy Tail meant to be her family?
She slumped at the bar, eyes closing as she laid her head down in her arms. She could hear the happy laughter, the boisterous arguments; everything about Fairy Tail that she knew and loved. Yet, she felt detached from it all, almost as if she were on the other side of a one-way mirror.
She craved for them to be able to see her, to finally acknowledge her. She didn't even know when the ignorance had started!
... No.
That was all a lie. She knew when it started. She knew when her happy-go-lucky life began to crack, destined to shatter into unfixable fragments.
It was when Lisanna had come back.
She should have realized... She should have realized. To the Guild, she was nothing more than a mere replacement for the youngest Strauss. Someone to fill in that gap that had been left when she had 'died'. It was no wonder why Mirajane had acted like the sister she never had, or why her nakama were so nice to her in the first place.
It was probably the only reason why Natsu had ever been so kind with her - that kindness leading to her to unwittingly fall for the idiot.
That was the only answer.
She didn't know how much time had passed, because when she looked up, she saw Levy peering at her with worry written across her face.
"Lu-chan?" she asked, her tone concerned as she placed a comforting hand on Lucy's shoulder. Lucy gave her a half-hearted glance. "Are you alright? You look quite pale! And you seem sickly..." Lucy turned her head away, which made Levy only grow more concerned.
"I'm fine," she murmured back, her throat hoarse from her continuous screams behind closed walls.
Levy wasn't satisfied, scanning the room for a few people in particular. "You know that I'm not buying that Lu-chan. Would you like me to go find your team, or Natsu? Though... I haven't seen them for a couple of days now... Did something happen with you guys?"
She remained silent about the question, already making a move towards the door. "I'm fine Levy-chan," she repeated again, trying to shake off the iron grip that the Solid Script mage had placed on her arm. Levy frowned and twisted her arm, examining it closely. Lucy gritted her teeth, not from the pain, but from the reaction that her friend had made.
"Lu-chan! Why are you covered in wounds? And this one – it seems so fresh? What's happening to you Lu-chan? Tell me!" Levy cried frantically, her eyes wide in fear. Lucy lowered her head, her bangs covering her eyes as her fellow mages began watching the scene with slight interest.
Lucy pulled her arm away from Levy's slowly loosening grip. "I told you earlier that I was fine Levy," she muttered, her friend looking stricken by the lack of nickname use. "I – I'm sorry, but I have to go now."
Without a second glance, Lucy continued her way, ignoring the concerned gazes that she received. She knew that it was only false concern. She knew that given an hour, they'd have all moved with the worry, choosing to indulge themselves in the fun of a family.
She was never granted that type of luxury.
..O..
She stroked the glass of the frame with her thumb, a fond gesture despite the situation. The pain in her chest had become too unbearable, but the pain of reality hit her harder. She couldn't continue the trial that one would call life.
She could just imagine all of her nakama, calling her a coward; someone not fit to be a Fairy Tail mage. She could picture them jeering at her, the usual warmth that she was so accustomed to dissipated.
Her breaths came out short, her knees buckling from under her. She couldn't stop her weakness, but the fact that she was submitting herself to death itself meant she was a coward. Her nakama would've had the right to call her one.
She couldn't describe the feeling. Through her body, different levels of pain brewed, some making her want to scream with all her might. The tears that ran down her cheeks felt like small droplets of ice. All she could feel was the immeasurable pain; nothing more, nothing less.
Then a calm spell overwhelmed her.
Her environment slowed, time coming to a halt. Her breaths came out even shallower than it had before, and her eyes felt heavier than they ever were. Glancing, she could see the picture frame she had held earlier toppled, shards of glass surrounding it.
With the last of the strength that she could muster, she reached her hand out to grab it. Slowly, she began to turn it so that she could see the photo a final time.
It was of her and her team, a picture of all of them and her fellow nakama standing in front of Fairy Tail. She seemed so happy then, so deliriously happy, being surrounded by people she had thought – believed – were her family.
A hollow laugh escaped her cherry-red lips, stained from the blood that had bubbled in her mouth.
She closed her eyes, her last thought being of the bitter irony of it all.
..O..
He had started sprinting when the scent of blood had hit his nose, but not just any blood – Lucy's.
Levy had warned him earlier that something was very wrong with Lucy. He thought it was odd, because before he had left for the mission with the team, excluding Lucy and an addition of Lisanna; she was smiling brightly, telling him that everything was going to be fine.
He was so blind to happiness that he never noted the faint smell of tears and blood on her.
He ran along the familiar cobblestone street, seeing the light in her room left open. For a moment, he felt relieved, but was dragged to reality when the wind caught the blood's scent, stronger than before.
Before he knew it, he was standing outside Lucy's door, which was left ajar. He sucked in a deep breath, cautiously opening and entering her home. The stench of her blood flooded his nose, making his stomach churn.
His heart almost stopped at the sight of a fallen figure on the ground, unmoving. He shakily crept towards the body, his insides turning cold at the sight of the woman he had been searching for, laying on the ground with no support to say that she was...
Alive
He fell to his knees, gathering her lifeless, freezing body into his arms. His body surged his warmth to her, but he knew it was no use. She had no pulse, no breath; no life.
He felt hollow inside, his heart cold as ice. His fiery vigor had been replaced with a deep sorrow. It wasn't meant to end like... that. The Lucy he knew always shined with a light that no-one else in the entire Guild – no – in all of Fiore had.
What had he missed? What had he not seen?
His own words from a distant past echoed through his mind, feeling like a dull, heavy weight in his chest.
And nothing could replace the mental image of a bright-smiling face that was slowly fading...
..O..
She sat at her desk, staring out the window to see a starry-filled sky. With a loud sigh, she glanced down to see the blank piece of paper sitting in front of her. It's been in the same state for the past hour and a half. She had lost inspiration, and that was not a good thing.
Earlier that day, she had cut away all ties with her remaining family. She was not Lucy Heartfilia, daughter of Judo Heartfilia and heiress to the Heartfilia Konzern, but was simply Lucy, Fairy Tail's Celestial Spirit mage.
But saying that, she still felt empty saying goodbye to the servants – and for some small reason – her father.
She had no family left.
She was alone.
She felt the night breeze hit her, making her confused since she had closed the window earlier that evening. She spun her head round to see Natsu crashed on her couch, already making himself comfortable. "Hey Lucy, is something wrong? You seem... I dunno. Sad, I guess."
She laughed. "Thanks for showing your concern Natsu, but I'm... I'm fine. I'm just... fine."
He glanced at her. "You don't sound too freakin' happy to me. You know that you can tell me about anything, right?"
She smiled wryly, giving a moment before she sighed. She got out of her chair, moved Natsu's legs away and crashed on the couch as well. Natsu sat up a bit, placing his hands behind his head. She turned to look at him. "I... I don't know. I'm just sorta lonely, because I've really cut away ties with my home. It feels like I have no family anymore..."
Natsu snorted, grinning at her disappointed tone. "Lucy, I really thought that you were smarter than that."
She narrowed her eyes. "And what does that mean stupid?"
His grin was infectious, and she couldn't help but lose her fears and worries at seeing that charming feature of his. "You're a Fairy Tail mage. You should've known by now, but, if you're in this Guild, you're never alone."