Hey guys! So this is an idea that popped into my head and wouldn't leave me alone, so I figured I would write it. It's probably pretty OOC, but I hope that doesn't affect your decision on reading. So let me give you a little info on this:
Lucy's father is trying to marry her off to a random guy, and she decides to join the army to get out of it.
Ages in the beginning of the story:
EVERYONE IS 18 AND HAS JUST GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL
I made them all the same age for a reason, ok? So they were all together and stuff.
This is not based off of any specific military defense! This is my "made up" military for modern day Magnolia/Fiore.
Lastly, please excuse any grammar/spelling errors. I wrote this while doing homework, and it's late at night, so I wasn't entirely focused. BUT THE IDEA WAS DRIVING ME CRAZY SO I JUST HAD TO WRITE IT!
I hope you enjoy reading!
"Say what?" Gray looked at her like she had three heads.
"I'm going to join the army," she was facing all of her friends; Gray, Erza, Levy, and Natsu. The people who meant the most to her.
"But – Luce. You can't," Natsu's eyes were tearing, and she hated to see them all like this.
"I'm not going to be married off to some guy that I don't know. I have to do this, I can't explain it. It – it just feels right."
"I'm going with you then."
"No. You don't have to do that. Hell, I won't let you. Natsu, you've got a future! A free ride to college, and you'll probably get into the NFL. Don't throw your life away because of me."
"My life wouldn't be anything without you."
"I'll be fine. I promise."
"Lucy," Levy was crying. "Please."
"I'm sorry Levy. I'm going, I leave for training camp in three days."
"I respect your decision Lucy. But as you're good friend, I worry for your safety," Erza was speaking all proper, but on the inside she was crumbling.
"I love all of you guys, but this is the only way I can get away from my father. I'll come back, I swear I will."
Three months had come and gone in the blink of an eye. Lucy's training was completed, and she was being shipped out in two days. Natsu and Gray had gotten into a great college with a football scholarship, Levy was set on becoming a lawyer, and Erza wasn't quite sure yet. All of her friends swore they were going to spend every last second with Lucy. Not only that – they were going to get Natsu to confess.
The pink haired idiot was obviously in love with her, but he would never say it. Now with her going off to fight for their country, he might never see her again.
"Natsu," Erza gave him her famous death glare. "I swear, if you don't tell her, I will make sure you don't live to see the day she comes home."
"Y-Yes ma'am," he nodded shakily.
Lucy was in her uniform and was at the airport terminal with her friends. They had gotten special permission to walk her back, and all of them were trying not to break down. Erza's eyes were burning into Natsu's skull, but he couldn't find the courage to say anything.
"Attention passengers. Flight A730 will be boarding shortly," a voice came over the intercom, causing Levy to cry more.
"Levy, I'll be fine, ok? Don't make this any harder for me," Lucy was on the verge of breaking into sobs.
Everyone stood up, and said their goodbyes. Each one included a long hug with a side of tears. When she got to Natsu, the dam finally broke. He lifted her into his arms and held her tightly, his shirt got wet from her crying, but he didn't care.
"You've got to promise that you'll come back to me," he clutched onto her tighter, burying his face into the crook of her neck.
"I promise. You promise me to live your life, ok? That's what I'm going to fight for," she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Ok," he agreed.
They stayed that way for several minutes, Natsu hugging Lucy's petite frame for dear life. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that his Lucy – his small, delicate Lucy – was going off to war. And there was nothing he could do to stop her.
When the final boarding call was announced, they broke apart.
"Luce, I've got to tell you something. I-" he stopped short when she put a finger to his lips.
"Tell me when I get back. I know it's important, but this will give me something to fight for. I'm going to come back to you so you can tell me," she gave him one last hug and turned to the others. "Bye," she whispered, afraid if she raised her voice any higher she would break.
"Goodbye, stay safe," they all said, and Natsu was just heartbroken.
Everyone watched while the plane made its way to the runway, and they stayed that way until it took off.
"She'll be fine Natsu, our girl is strong," Gray put a hand on his shoulder.
"No, you're wrong," he turned around, revealing the tears rushing down his face. "She's my girl," and he ran off. Gray tried to go after him, but Erza pulled him back.
"He needs to be alone," the look of pain in her eyes was visible, but Gray knew she was right.
Erza held Levy in her arms while the bluenette cried, and Gray was trying to be strong. But it was Lucy, dammit. And no one could bear the thought of the bubbly blonde never coming back.
It had been two weeks since she left, and Natsu hadn't been able to get out of bed. It was pathetic, really, but he just couldn't. It was like the sunshine in his life had disappeared.
He held a bottle of vodka in his hands and took a swig before crashing his head back into the pillow.
Someone was pounding on the door, but he didn't care.
"Natsu! If you don't open up, I'll kick your door down!" it was Erza, and she was serious.
After no response, she did just that. With Gray and Levy in tow, they made their way through Natsu's apartment and found him in bed.
"Come on, you've got to get up. What would Lucy say if she saw you like this?" Gray said.
He snapped his head in their direction at the mention of her name, his eyes ablaze in anger.
"Don't say her name!"
"Why, because it's painful? How do you think we feel? She's our friend too!" he shouted.
"You don't love her like I do!"
"I do too love her, she's like my little sister! I wanted to stop her from leaving just as much as you, but she's too damn stubborn to listen! It was her choice, she wanted to get away from her father. She told you to live your life, right? I'm pretty sure getting drunk in bed isn't living!"
"Gray's right, Natsu. As you're friends, we're here to get your ass out of bed," she grabbed the bottle of out of his hands, handed it to Gray, and picked up the moping young adult. He didn't protest, mainly because he knows what happens to anyone who defies Erza.
She took him to the shower, set him down, and stripped off his clothes. He didn't even flinch when his boxers came off, and Erza couldn't care less about what she saw. After turning the hot water on, she stared at him.
"If you're not clean in ten minutes, I'll have to do it for you," she picked up his clothes and left.
Slowly he showered off the stink of two weeks of not bathing, and wrapped a towel around his waist when he was done. Someone had changed his sheets on his bed, picked up all the dirty clothes and alcohol bottles, and left a fresh change of clothes on his dresser. He changed into the shorts and shirt, and walked into the kitchen. Erza was cooking something, Levy was cleaning up the dump of an apartment, and Gray was tending to an underfed Happy.
"Dude, I know you're depressed, but letting your cat suffer isn't right," he was coaxing food into Happy's mouth, the blue cat's ribs were showing now.
"Aye~!" Happy meowed, seeming to agree.
"Here," Erza set a plate of pancakes with eggs and bacon on the table. "Eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"I know you've probably hardly eaten, and you're going to sit down and eat," Erza glared at him. "Now."
He sat down and slowly picked at the food, Gray, Levy, and Erza were staring at him the whole time.
"Would you quit that?" he asked with a mouth full of bacon.
"Not until you're done," Gray answered.
A half hour later he finished, the normal Natsu would've taken less than three minutes.
"Drink," Erza set a tall glass of water in front of him, and he complied. "Now go brush your teeth."
"Ok, mom," he growled.
"Apparently, I have to be! Just because she's overseas doesn't give you the right to wither away and die!"
He didn't answer, he just went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He'll probably have a cavity or two after not tending to them for so long. After coming back out, Gray was on his laptop.
"What're you doing?" Natsu walked over to him.
"You would've seen it if you had been living like a normal person, but you haven't. So we came to make sure you were still alive, and now you get to see this," Gray clicked on an email. It was from Lucy.
"When did she send this?!"
"About a week ago. You were too busy drowning yourself in booze to notice," he clicked on the attachment, and a video opened up. Natsu snatched the laptop out of his hands, and impatiently waited for it to load. When it did, she appeared on the screen.
"Hi guys!" she waved and smiled. "I hope you're all doing well, we've just gotten settled into camp. I don't have a lot of time, so I'll make this brief. Natsu, I want you to get your ass out of bed and stop moping. I know what you're doing mister, and I do not approve! Remember our promise? Don't break it, please. It's what's going to keep me going. Oh, and don't forget to feed Happy.
Gray, keep him in check would ya? Your unofficial little sister demands it.
Erza, keep both of them in check. Don't let them rip their heads off, I still want a family to come home to.
Levy, I'll keep working on my book if I have down time. But it's pretty busy around here.
I love and miss you all, and don't worry about me. If you don't live your lives, then what am I out here fighting for? I've got to go, I'll be in touch soon. Bye!" she smiled and waved, the video pausing on that image. She looked happy.
"Does that convince you to not mope around here all day?" Gray asked, and Natsu slowly nodded. "Good, because we've got to leave for college in two weeks."
"She could've gone to college," he mumbled.
"With her father breathing down her neck to marry some guy? She wouldn't have been happy. Look at that smile, she looks like she is truly happy," Erza pointed to the frozen picture of Lucy.
"Erza is right, Lucy's father hardly knew she existed until she became of marrying age. She was miserable after she turned 18. Always meeting with a potential husband, but she kept refusing. Her father was about to force her into a marriage, but she found this as an escape," Levy agreed.
"How can she be happy when her life is on the line?!" he bit his lip to keep the tears from coming.
"I don't know, but we've got to be happy too. We'll make it through this," Erza patted him on the back, and he vowed that from this day, he wasn't going to cry anymore.
It was a year today. They had still gotten regular updates from Lucy, and they all sent emails back. Erza, Gray, Levy, and Natsu went to the same college. They hadn't picked out their majors yet, but they didn't have to. At least, not now.
Gray and Natsu were the stars of the football team, Levy was the top student in her lawyer classes, and Erza was the pride of the lacrosse team. It was still hard. It was hard not to start crying. It was hard to find the motivation to go on, because their motivation was half a world away.
But each time Lucy sent an email, they kicked themselves in the asses and trudged forward. They at least owed her that.
She still hadn't gotten leave, although her friends were desperately hoping for her to pop up unexpectedly and surprise the shit out of them. Now it was three years, and she was still ok. It was easier to think about her and not break down.
Natsu had chosen to major in finances. He hated to admit it, but he was really good with numbers. It was a backup plan in case something ever happened to his football career.
Gray, like Natsu, had chosen finances as well. They did this without each other knowing, and when they found out, all hell broke loose. And then that hell was put back in its cage by Erza.
Levy had written a book about what it was like to have her friend in the army, it was published and became popular. Her studies to become a lawyer were going well, but she couldn't help but miss her best friend.
Erza, surprisingly, had chosen to become a doctor. Erza and caring in the same sentence? Never heard of, but she was really good at it. Although the extra schooling would be difficult, she knew it would pay off in the end.
Six years.
Their ray of sunshine hasn't been home in over half a decade.
Gray and Natsu were in the NFL now. They were amazing rookies, and actually played every game.
Levy was a lawyer in a top law firm. She was really good at what she did and was highly requested.
Erza just finished medical school, and was a doctor now. Who would've thought?
Lucy sent regular updates, and they could see her mature over time. She was no longer that small, delicate flower. She was a soldier, a warrior. And she was a damn good one.
It was a regular practice for the boys, but then Erza came running out onto the field.
"Ma'am, you're not allowed to go out there!" someone was chasing her, thinking she was a crazed fan of some sort.
"I don't give a fuck!" she screamed, and kicked the man down. "Gray! Natsu!"
"What?!" they both ran over, and saw the panic in her eyes.
"Erza, what happened?" Gray asked.
"It's Lucy," she breathed.
Natsu stiffened immediately, and his heart might as well have stopped.
"Lucy's troop was ambushed, they haven't found any survivors."
And that's when his world came crashing down.
Ok, so all of you know by now that Lucy hasn't gotten leave in six years. I don't know how long leaves are for actual soldiers, but I wrote it this way for a reason, ok? I'm actually still not sure about that, so I might end up changing it... Haha ;D Don't forget to follow/review/favorite.
Also: This story is based in Magnolia/Fiore, but I still put in the NFL.
Should I continue, should it be a one shot? Lettme know!
